The dombra resonated across Istanbul. Kazakh students, members of the Kazakh diaspora and Turkish admirers of Kazakh culture performed traditional kuis near the Galata Tower, in Ortaköy Square and in the Fatih district, DKNews.kz reports.
The concert program marking National Dombra Day was organized at the initiative of the Consulate General of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Istanbul.
Kazakh kuis reached Istanbul’s landmark tourist sites
The organizers chose locations frequented by both local residents and international visitors. Instead of limiting the program to a concert hall, small performances were staged at several of Istanbul’s best-known public spaces.
The audience heard well-known traditional Kazakh kuis. Visitors were also introduced to the role of the dombra in Kazakh culture and its spiritual and educational significance.
According to the organizers, traditional Kazakh music drew strong interest from Istanbul residents and foreign visitors.
This allowed the music to reach well beyond the Kazakh diaspora. Tourists and locals near the Galata Tower, Ortaköy and Fatih were able to encounter the sound of the dombra through live performances.
Dombra classes have been running in Istanbul for three years
The outdoor concerts are part of a longer-term cultural initiative in Türkiye.
According to Kazakhstan’s Consulate General, a dombra class was opened in December 2023 at the Abai Kunanbayuly School in Istanbul’s Zeytinburnu district. Over three years, around 130 citizens of Kazakhstan and Türkiye have taken part in its activities.
Around 30 people are studying in the class during the 2025–2026 academic year. Its aim is to introduce Kazakh culture through the dombra and give interested participants an opportunity to learn the national instrument.
Students of the dombra class also performed at their annual year-end concert, presenting traditional Kazakh kuis and demonstrating the skills they had developed over the past year.
The event brought together representatives of local authorities, public figures, members of the intelligentsia and Kazakh diaspora, Kazakh students studying in Türkiye, and local residents.
National Dombra Day has been celebrated since 2018
Kazakhstan marks National Dombra Day every year on the first Sunday of July. The holiday was established in 2018 to preserve and promote the country’s national culture and identity.
The Istanbul program gave the celebration an international dimension. Kazakh students, diaspora representatives and Turkish citizens interested in Kazakh culture performed together as part of one creative group.
For young Kazakhstanis living abroad, such initiatives help maintain ties with their language, music and cultural traditions. For Turkish audiences, they offer a direct introduction to Kazakh art through live performance.
Two years ago, we wrote about how National Dombra Day was celebrated in Istanbul and how Kazakh music was introduced to local residents and tourists.
