2011 WU Update: 25th WU Opens with Outstanding Spectacle

The 2011 Erzurum Winter Universiade Opening Ceremony 

ERZURUM – While the first ice hockey competitions already started early in the morning, the 25^th Winter Universiade was officially opened today, January 27^th with the traditional Opening Ceremony in front of an audience of 20,000 at the Cemal Gürsel Stadium.

At 20h00 the Ceremonial Cortege entered the Stadium kicking off the Opening Ceremony of the 25th Winter Universiade, the biggest multi-sport winter event ever held in Turkey.

After the playing of the Turkish national anthem and hoisting the flag of the host country, the delegations marched in the stadium. Following the welcome of the OC President and FISU President George E. Killian, the President of Turkey Abdullah Gül declared the Games open. At that moment the FISU Flag is brought into the stadium and carried by eight men dressed in white. After the hoisting of the FISU Flag while the FISU anthem ‘Gaudeamus Igitur’ is played, the FISU Flame is carried in the stadium by four torch bearers – World Motorcycle Supersport Champion Kenan Sofuoglu, Wrestling World Champion Selçuk Cebi, Volleybal ‘Score Queen’ Neslihan Darnel and Paralympic Archery Champion Gizem Girismen – who light the flame in the four corners of the arena. After the athlete’s and referee’s oaths by student skier Tugba Dasdemir from Izzet Baysal University and IIHF Referee Ece Esen respectively, the athletes take their places on the bleachers and the cultural program begins, which takes the audience back in time to learn about the history of Erzurum.

Big Bang and Torch fire

Snowflake, the Games’ Mascot takes the audience on a voyage through time. The double headed Seljuk eagle starts its flight over the stadium while Aysun Gültekin and other local singers take their place in the chorus to sing the ballad of Erzurum.

Silk Road Voyagers Arrive in Erzurum

A Silk Road convoy, which comes from the Far East on the Antique Middle East map, comes to Erzurum via the Silk Road as the audience passes through a time corridor accompanied with stories, legends and songs. They tell the geography that they pass through, all along the way in Kirghiz, Uzbek, Azerbaijani, Persian and Turkish stories and songs. The voyage ends when the convoy reaches Erzurum.

Gurcu Door

Caucasians and Black Sea people come, accompanied with the Cuff Mountain mythology zephyr and Nart legend views through the Georgian door. A Black Sea fishermen’s dance follows the Caucasians’ dance. Travelers and habitants meet at Erzurum for the first time.

Light and Propeller

The poet Mevlana Celaleddin-i Rumi enlightens the world since the 12th Century. This light spread from the east saves its actuality nowadays with its deep philosophical messages. Shams and the friendship of Mevlana is shown by a butterfly fluttering around a light. Mevlana and Shams dance away accompanied by melodies from Masnavi and Etme poems.

Ebru

One blood drop which drops while Shams leaves Mevlana paints the stage. Whirling dervishes on the road of Shams start to whirl. The whirl of the dervishes mixes with the Ebru painting of 7 dancers. The 7 dancers mix their colors on the painting until the red of Shams turns into the Ottoman tulip.

İstanbul Door

‘Miniature’ is an original picture technique that the Ottomans bestowed to the world culture history. While miniatures are unique art works with their original perspective abstractions, they also documented the period that they depicted. The audience witnesses magnificent live-like scenes of Ottoman Emperors, their ceremonies, their wars and their voyages to foreign countries. The most famous of all are the ceremonies at Sultanahmet square. A giant miniature visualizes on the ground. Dancers who make Thracia dances, western merchants who come to make trade, acrobats, çengs, drummers, and the sultan and the women in his harem completes the miniature. They end their journey with the highest rhythms.

Sarikamis and Nene Hatun

90,000 soldiers pass through the Allahuekber mountains while snowstorms and terrible blizzards rage. This is a story of a ghost army which moves to infinity without fighting. The army slowly freezes. When there is no more walking, the dance of Nene Hatun starts. Nen Hatun is one of the first heroines of Anatolia. She makes the soldiers alive again. The dance of the revived soldiers ends in front of the image of the Congress building.

Modern Times

Finally, the audience arrives in the modern times. Kuvay-i Milliye heralds the arrival of the republic. A map of Turkey spreads from Ankara to the whole of Turkey. Hundreds of people cover the colorful salon while dancing. Everybody accompanies the modern disco dance society which takes place on the stage. Then famous Turkish Pop-star Kenan Dogulu takes the stage to sing his song and the audience is treated to a grand fireworks show.

(Source: 2011 WU Media Dept. & C. Pierre, FISU Press Officer)

Turkish PM Erdogan

FISU President Killian

Turkish President Gül opens the 25th WU