International Çorum Hittite Fair and Festival
The International Çorum Hittite Fair and Festival (Uluslararası Çorum Hitit Fuar ve Festivali) is a multi-day culture, entertainment and fair event held by Çorum Municipality in the city centre and named after the Hittite civilisation. This page summarises its history as told by the book Çorum Tarihi (History of Çorum) and by local and national press; where the sources differ, each is given separately. For the months in which this and other events in the province are held, see Çorum festivals.
The first festival, according to the book
According to Çorum Tarihi, the first festival in Çorum was held under the name “Hitit festivali” (Hittite festival) on 15-16 October 1981. The book lists its aims as strengthening social harmony, promoting the Hittite civilisation, which it describes as one of the three great empires that arose in Anatolia, and building tourism potential. In later years the festival, which centred on culture and entertainment, moved to the second half of September (Çorum Tarihi, p. 328).
The book says most of the festival’s costs were met by the municipality and the special provincial administration (özel idare), with contributions from the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Alongside the programme in the city centre, guided tours were organised to the Hittite capital Hattuşaş (Boğazkale), Yazılıkaya and Alacahöyük, introducing the region’s archaeological heritage and historic surroundings to Turkish and foreign visitors. The book adds that during the festival, which had taken on an international character, Çorum lived its liveliest days for entertainment and shopping (Çorum Tarihi, p. 328). The same book’s information on the city’s cultural institutions is summarised on our arts and culture in Çorum page.
The festival committee’s book
Çorum Tarihi is itself connected to the festival: the name “5. Hitit Festivali Komitesi” (5th Hittite Festival Committee) appears on its first page and in its page headers. According to the foreword signed by Çorum Mayor Halil İbrahim Aşgın, the work was written by the 5th Hittite Festival Committee, formed in 1986 by the then governor Fikret Koçak and mayor Necdet Diken, together with academics of the Middle East Technical University (ODTÜ) (Çorum Tarihi, p. 3). Its third edition was prepared for publication by the Çorum Municipality City Archive in February 2020 (Çorum Tarihi, p. 2). The book’s section on the festival is headed “Uluslararası Çorum Hitit Festivali” (International Çorum Hittite Festival); today the municipality and the press announce the event as “Uluslararası Çorum Hitit Fuar ve Festivali” (International Çorum Hittite Fair and Festival).
First year and numbering
The sources differ on the year in which the festival began:
- Çorum Tarihi dates the first festival to 15-16 October 1981 (p. 328).
- A July 2015 report by İhlas News Agency (İHA) describes the festival as an event that had “continued without interruption for 34 years”.
- According to a July 2019 report in Çorum Hakimiyet, Mayor Halil İbrahim Aşgın said the festival had run without a break since 1981 and that in 2015 it was cancelled even though its tender had already been held.
- According to ÇorumTime in the same month, AK Party Çorum MP Ahmet Sami Ceylan said the festival had begun during the term of mayor Turhan Kılıçcıoğlu.
- At the opening of the 37th festival in 2022, two agencies reported Aşgın’s words differently: according to Anadolu Agency (AA) he said the festival began in 1986, according to İHA that the first one was held in 1987.
Breaks and revivals
According to press reports, the festival was interrupted several times in the last decade:
| Year | Edition | What the source says |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 35th | Due to start on 22 July; after the bombing in the Suruç district of Şanlıurfa, first the concerts and entertainment and then the entire programme were cancelled (İHA). |
| 2019 | 36th | Held on 12-14 July after a four-year break (Çorum Hakimiyet, ÇorumTime). |
| 2022 | 37th | Opened with a procession in July after a two-year break caused by the coronavirus pandemic (AA, İHA). |
| 2026 | 38th | Held on 21-26 July; at the opening Aşgın said the festival had been paused for a while for reasons such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the 6 February earthquakes (AA). |
In July 2026 Çorum Haber also wrote that for many years the festival had been one of Anatolia’s festivals that “made a stir”, but that in recent years it had often been postponed for reasons such as terrorism and natural disasters.
Procession, folk dances and the fair
Reports from 2022 and 2026 describe the festival opening with a procession (kortej). According to AA, in 2022 Governor Mustafa Çiftçi spoke before the procession at Hürriyet Meydanı (Hürriyet Square), after which the participating groups passed through the ceremony area with mehter (Ottoman military band) and folk dance performances; İHA writes that tradespeople and craftsmen also marched in the same procession. In 2026, according to DHA, the festival began with folk dance groups performing on Gazi Caddesi, followed by a procession accompanied by a band, starting in front of the Clock Tower; AA and İHA reported that 11 folk dance groups, 5 of them from abroad, took part. For the region’s dances see Çorum folk dances.
One example in the press of the “fair” in the festival’s name is the Industry and Trade Fair opened as part of the 36th festival in 2019 (ÇorumTime). In 2022 Aşgın said they had started the funfair (lunapark) a few days earlier (AA), and at the 2026 opening Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism Gökhan Yazgı stressed that besides the concerts the festival was “also a fair” (AA).
2026: the 38th festival
The tender for the festival’s organisation services was held in June 2026 at the Çorum Municipality service building as an open tender under Public Procurement Law No. 4734; seven firms submitted bids through the Electronic Public Procurement Platform (EKAP) (Çorum Haber). The festival took place on 21-26 July 2026; the programme announced by HititTV included concerts, competitions, exhibitions and sports events. The opening on 21 July was attended by Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism Gökhan Yazgı, Governor Ali Çalgan and Mayor Halil İbrahim Aşgın (DHA); in his speech before the procession at Hürriyet Meydanı, Governor Çalgan said the festival showcased the city’s economic and tourism potential (AA).
Sources
- Çorum Tarihi (History of Çorum), 5. Hitit Festivali Komitesi; ed. Çorum Belediyesi Kent Arşivi, 3rd ed., Çorum Belediyesi Kültür Yayını, Çorum 2020, ISBN 978-605-84272-4-2, pp. 2-3 and 328 (the festival section is within İlhan Tekeli’s chapter “1950-1980 Döneminde Kentin Faaliyetlerindeki Gelişmeler”, Developments in the City’s Activities in the Period 1950-1980). https://www.corum.bel.tr/public/uploads/2026/01/corumtarihi.pdf
- İhlas Haber Ajansı, “35. Uluslararası Hitit Fuar ve Festivali İptal Edildi” (35th International Hittite Fair and Festival Cancelled), 21.07.2015 (Haberler.com). https://www.haberler.com/yerel/35-uluslararasi-hitit-fuar-ve-festivali-iptal-7528463-haberi/
- Çorum Hakimiyet, “Hitit Fuar ve Festivali 12 Temmuz’da başlıyor” (Hittite Fair and Festival Starts on 12 July), July 2019. https://www.corumhakimiyet.net/hitit-fuar-ve-festivali-12-temmuzda-basliyor
- ÇorumTime, “Çorum imrenilecek bir şehirdir” (Çorum Is an Enviable City), July 2019. https://www.corumtime.com/corum-imrenilecek-bir-sehirdir.html
- Anadolu Ajansı, “Çorum 37. Uluslararası Hitit Fuar ve Festivali başladı” (Çorum’s 37th International Hittite Fair and Festival Begins), 21.07.2022 (TRT Haber). https://www.trthaber.com/haber/guncel/corum-37-uluslararasi-hitit-fuar-ve-festivali-basladi-696224.html
- İhlas Haber Ajansı, “37. Uluslararası Hitit Fuar ve Festivali başladı” (37th International Hittite Fair and Festival Begins), 21.07.2022 (Habertürk). https://yerel-haberler.haberturk.com/corum-haberleri/37-uluslararasi-hitit-fuar-ve-festivali-basladi-98492824
- Çorum Haber, “38. Hitit Fuar ve Festivali 21-26 Temmuz 2026’da” (38th Hittite Fair and Festival on 21-26 July 2026), 25.06.2026. https://www.corumhaber.net/38-hitit-fuar-ve-festivali-21-26-temmuz-2026da
- Çorum Haber, “Hitit Festivali, görkemli yıllarına dönüşü arıyor” (The Hittite Festival Seeks a Return to Its Glory Years), 09.07.2026. https://www.corumhaber.net/hitit-festivali-gorkemli-yillarina-donusu-ariyor
- HititTV, “38. Uluslararası Hitit Fuar ve Festivali Başlıyor! Çorum 6 Gün Boyunca Festival Coşkusu Yaşayacak” (The 38th International Hittite Fair and Festival Begins: Six Days of Festival in Çorum), 20.07.2026. https://www.hitittv.net/38--uluslararasi-hitit-fuar-ve-festivali-basliyor--corum-6-gun-boyunca-festival-coskusu-yasayacak-151866.html
- Anadolu Ajansı, “Çorum 38. Uluslararası Hitit Fuar ve Festivali başladı” (Çorum’s 38th International Hittite Fair and Festival Begins), 21.07.2026 (Habertürk). https://yerel-haberler.haberturk.com/corum-haberleri/corum-38-uluslararasi-hitit-fuar-ve-festivali-basladi-42033009
- DHA, “Çorum Uluslararası Hitit Fuar ve Festivali başladı” (Çorum International Hittite Fair and Festival Begins), 21.07.2026. https://www.dha.com.tr/yerel-haberler/corum/corum-uluslararasi-hitit-fuar-ve-festivali-basl-2913636
- İhlas Haber Ajansı, “‘38. Uluslararası Hitit Fuar ve Festivali’ kortej yürüyüşüyle başladı” (The 38th International Hittite Fair and Festival Opens with a Procession), 21.07.2026. https://www.iha.com.tr/corum-haberleri/38-uluslararasi-hitit-fuar-ve-festivali-kortej-yuruyusuyle-basladi-457446630
Frequently asked questions
When was the first Hittite festival held in Çorum?
According to the book Çorum Tarihi (History of Çorum), the first festival in Çorum was held as the 'Hitit festivali' (Hittite festival) on 15-16 October 1981. Press statements give other years: Mayor Halil İbrahim Aşgın was reported in 2019 as saying the festival had run since 1981, while in 2022 Anadolu Agency quoted him as giving 1986 and İhlas News Agency as giving 1987.
Which edition was held in 2026, and when?
The 38th International Çorum Hittite Fair and Festival, organised by Çorum Municipality, took place on 21-26 July 2026 and opened with a procession (kortej).
In which years was the festival interrupted?
According to İHA, the 35th festival was cancelled in 2015 after the Suruç bombing; the 36th was held in 2019 after a four-year break. The 37th, in 2022, followed a two-year break caused by the coronavirus pandemic. In 2026 Mayor Aşgın said the festival had been paused for a while for reasons such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the 6 February earthquakes.