2010 will see a break with tradition in the European Capital of Culture movement: for the first time the baton will be passed to a city outside of the borders of the European Union – Istanbul.

With its unique location, bridging the gap between Europe and Asia, and with more than 15 million inhabitants, the Turkish metropolis was once the capital of the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman empires.

Today it is the economic and cultural heart of the nation – one which is striving to join the European Union – and of the Balkan region as a whole. It is a unique fusion of two continents, and of the ancient and the contemporary.

Despite the distance between them and the differences in their historical and cultural heritage, Tallinn and Istanbul, and Estonia and Turkey, have more than a few things in common.

Istanbul and Tallinn – parallel destinies throughout the ages

Istanbul, at the gateway to the Black Sea, and Tallinn, on the Baltic coast, have long found themselves at the crossroads of trade routes and been favoured because of it. Just as Tallinn became a prosperous member of famous Hanseatic League, ruled for centuries by Danes, Germans, Swedes and Russians, so Istanbul, on the Silk Road, was fought over for centuries as Constantinople.

Since the time of its foundation by the Roman emperor Constantine, it has been governed by Romans, Byzantines, Latins, Ottomans, the British and finally the Turks. In times past its attractions drew Arabs, Venetians, Genovese, Bulgars, Russians, crusaders and more to it.

Language similarities

Estonians who have not studied it will not understand Turkish, but thanks to its grammatical similarities – including the use of case and conjugated endings to words – both it and Estonian form part of the Ural-Altaic language group (which includes all other Finno-Ugric languages and many Central Asian languages).

There are even quite a few shared sounds and words with the same meaning in the two languages: olema (Estonian) – olma (Turkish) meaning ‘to be’; unustama – unutma (‘to forget’); ütlema – ötme (‘to say’); kartma – korkma (‘to fear’); and more. Moreover, many Estonian and Turkish names are remarkably similar: Meelike – Melike; Märt – Mert; Kaja – Kaya; Kadri – Kadri; Ulvi – Ulvi; Meelis – Melis; Selma – Selma; Eda – Eda; and others.

Surprising facts from cultural history

Did you know that by reaching the top of the highest peak in Turkey, Mount Ararat or Ağrı Dağı (5137 m), on 9 October 1829, Tartu University rector Friedrich Parrot became the first man in the world to reach the summit higher than 5000 metres, laying the foundations for the tradition of alpinism in Estonia?

And did you know that the 1st Anatolian Ski Marathon – held on 16 March 2008, organised in association with the Estonian embassy in Turkey and in which Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip competed as an honoured guest – paved the way for the tradition of cross-country skiing marathons in Turkey?

Even if you knew those two facts, perhaps you were unaware that the Estonian physio-chemist Adolf Parts, who worked at the University of Ankara from 1946 to 1951, was the man who initiated the teaching of physical chemistry in Turkey; and that the one-time Minister for Trade and Industry of the Republic of Estonia and later Estonian Honorary Consul in Istanbul Ernst Veberman was one of the founding fathers of the Turkish fishery establishing at the request of the Turkish government the Fishing and Maritime Research Institute at Balta-Liman in Istanbul.

ISTLLbul – Tallinn in Istanbul

The Estonian year of culture in Istanbul – going under the code name ‘ISTLLbul’ (pronounced istallinnbul) will see a number of events taking place in the Turkish city which are designed to showcase Estonian culture. Hopefully this will lead to a little bit of Turkish culture being brought to Tallinn and Turku – the European Capitals of Culture for 2011 – the following year.

One of the key events taking place as part of ISTLLbul in 2010 is the joint concert of Estonian and Turkish musicians being held on 7 June as part of the Istanbul Music Festival, in which the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir and the Borusan Symphony Orchestra will be led by Estonian conductor Tõnu Kaljuste.

The concert, in honour Estonian composer Arvo Pärt and his work, will see the debut of a new piece dedicated to Istanbul which was commissioned by Istanbul and Tallinn as European Capitals of Culture in 2010 and 2011. The concert will also mark the composer’s 75th birthday.

Istanbul 2010 audiences will also be treated to some of Estonia’s best animated film art, student theatre and symphony music; jazz musicians from both countries will be playing together; and the locals will get to experience for themselves Estonian traditions such as Midsummer and the sauna. Sports fans and athletes will also find plenty to keep them entertained and challenged at the 3rd Anatolian Ski Marathon on 7 February.

All in all, Tallinn and Istanbul – and Estonia and Turkey – have had much in common for thousands of years, and continue to do so today. Only by learning about and understanding each other’s history and culture can we look to the future together and make the most of the opportunities that working together as two nations and two peoples will bring us both. 

* ISTLLbul: IST – international acronym for Istanbul Atatürk Airport; TLL – international acronym for Tallinn Lennart Meri Airport