Indonesian Cultural House Opens in Turkey

Jakarta Globe, December 04, 2015

The opening event of Indonesian Cultural House in Ankara, Turkey.
(Photo courtesy of Indonesian Embassy in Turkey)

Jakarta. In an effort to promote Indonesian culture in foreign countries, the Indonesian Embassy in Ankara and the Ministry of Education and Culture officially opened the Indonesian Cultural House, or Rumah Budaya Indonesia, in the Turkish capital last week.

According to the center's official website, the venue will function as a "public space for cultural diplomacy ... to introduce the art and culture of Indonesia to the world in order to improve the country's image and appreciation as well as forge a cultural relationship between the international public and Indonesia."

Known as Endonezya Kultur Evi in Turkey, the cultural house was crowded with guests, from Turkish government officials to fans of Indonesian culture, during the opening event, as reported by Beritasatu.com.

Indonesian dance maestro, Didik Nini Thowok, charmed the audience with his performance of Topeng Dwimuka Jepindo and Lengger Banyumas dances.

From West Sumatra's Tari Piring to Aceh's Saman, a variety of other Indonesian dances were also performed during the event by Indonesian students in Turkey. This was accompanied with a showcase of Turkish traditional dances called Seymenler and Karadenis.

According to Wardana, the Indonesian ambassador to Turkey, the cultural house will be a center to introduce Indonesian culture and provide information to Turkish people.

Various programs will take place at the cultural house in the future, including dance and angklung lessons, Indonesian language courses for Turkish citizens and an array of events to promote Indonesian culture in Turkish cities.

Previously, the Indonesian Cultural House initiative has been launched in nine other countries, including Australia, Japan, the Netherlands, and the United States.