Another Auburn Gallipoli Mosque Festival has come to a successful close, bringing together visitors from across Sydney for a weekend of culture, community, and connection.
Held on 15 and 16 May, this year's festival celebrated the rich traditions of Ottoman arts and culture while introducing a series of free workshops that allowed visitors to experience these traditions firsthand. From families discovering new skills to community members reconnecting with their heritage, the festival transformed the mosque grounds into a vibrant gathering place filled with learning, creativity, and hospitality.
From 10am each morning until late into the evening, the festival grounds remained alive with activity. Visitors explored market stalls, sampled traditional foods, participated in workshops, toured the mosque, and enjoyed conversations with people from all walks of life.
One of the festival's greatest strengths has always been its ability to introduce people from diverse backgrounds to Turkish culture. Local businesses and community organisations played a key role in making this possible, offering everything from traditional foods and handmade goods to books, Turkish lamps, clothing, and cultural displays. Popular favourites such as donner and gozleme were enjoyed throughout the weekend as visitors experienced the warmth and hospitality that Turkish culture is known for.
his year's focus on Ottoman arts reflected a tradition deeply connected to Islamic civilisation. Throughout history, Muslim artists developed forms of artistic expression that celebrated beauty while respecting Islamic traditions. Rather than focusing primarily on figurative art, many artists devoted themselves to calligraphy, geometric design, illumination, architecture, water marbling, and decorative craftsmanship. During the Ottoman Empire, these art forms flourished and became some of the most recognised expressions of Islamic culture, with many techniques continuing to be practised and preserved today.
To bring these traditions to life, a series of free workshops were delivered in collaboration with local Turkish businesses and community members.
Visitors had the opportunity to learn traditional calligraphy with skilled self-taught artist Mehmet Hatipoglu. Islamic calligraphy has long been regarded as one of the highest forms of artistic expression within Muslim civilisation, transforming written words into works of beauty. Throughout the festival, participants of all ages were introduced to the fundamentals of this ancient art and left with a greater appreciation for its history and significance.
Turkish lamp-making workshops were presented by Istanbul Grand Bazaar, allowing attendees to create their own colourful mosaic lamps while learning about a craft that has become synonymous with Turkish artistry and design.
Water marbling workshops were led by Sister Hatice Gurkaynak, who generously shared her passion for the traditional art of Ebru. Originating centuries ago within the Ottoman world, Ebru involves creating intricate patterns on the surface of water before transferring them onto paper. Participants enjoyed the opportunity to create unique designs while learning about the history behind this fascinating art form.
Traditional archery was another highlight of the festival. Maydaan Archery Club Australia delivered live demonstrations on saturday and welcomed visitors to learn about the history, techniques, and significance of traditional archery within Ottoman culture. Participants of all ages had the opportunity to try archery for themselves under expert guidance.
Reflecting on the experience, Ahmet Karat from Maydaan Archery Club Australia shared:
"We had a busy day with lots of children and adults learning about their roots. Community to us is like bees coming from different flowers to the hive to make honey. People from all walks of life come to the hub, which for us is the mosque, so when we come together there is a beautiful thing that happens."
The festival also featured volunteers dressed in traditional Ottoman attire, helping bring history to life for visitors.
Bayram, who provided traditional Ottoman costumes and displays, explained:
"We come to these events in our costumes to generate awareness of our history to people that don't know. Community is about celebrating together rather than having only minorities together."
A formal opening ceremony brought together leaders from across government, community organisations, and diplomatic circles. We were honoured to welcome:
- The Hon Jason Clare MP, Minister for Education
- Sally Sitou MP, Federal Member for Reid
- Mr Aftab Malik, Australia's Special Envoy to Combat Islamophobia
- The Hon Anthony D'Adam MLC
- Lynda Voltz MP, State Member for Auburn
- Julia Finn MP, State Member for Granville
- Charishma Kaliyanda MP, State Member for Liverpool
- Her Excellency Ms Ergüneş, Consul General of the Republic of Türkiye
- Clr Glenn Elmore, Cumberland City Council
- Clr Enver Yasar, Cumberland City Council (Regents Park Ward)
Following the formal proceedings, visitors enjoyed a traditional dance performance that celebrated Turkish cultural heritage and added to the festive atmosphere of the day.
The festival concluded with a charity auction supporting the mosque's ablution renovation project. Community members generously contributed towards the initiative, with donations continuing to be received following the event. The evening also featured a raffle draw made possible through the generosity of sponsors and donors including HaHa Mobile, Gallipoli Fitness, and Turkish Airlines.
Behind every successful festival stands a dedicated team of volunteers. Hundreds of hours were contributed before and during the event by community members who worked tirelessly to welcome visitors, manage activities, prepare food, facilitate workshops, and ensure the festival ran smoothly from beginning to end.
Among them was Saliha, a volunteer at the gözleme stand, who reflected on what the mosque means to her:
"We love the mosque. It's a sense of belonging to the community where we feel loved. It's about helping each other and creating a great place for our families and their children to feel connected to the mosque and Islam."
As another festival comes to a close, we extend our sincere thanks to every volunteer, workshop facilitator, stallholder, sponsor, donor, performer, and visitor who contributed to its success. Whether you donated, attended, shared a social media post, brought a friend, or volunteered your time, your support helped create a welcoming space that celebrated faith, culture, and community.
We look forward to welcoming everyone back for the next Auburn Gallipoli Mosque Festival and continuing our tradition of opening our doors to the wider community.
