The Mostra Carnival was colored with a hand of friendship extending from Izmir to Chios

• The Mostra Carnival was colored with a hand of friendship extending from Izmir to Chios.
• Giant puppets from Izmir became the center of attention at the carnival.

The Mostra Carnival hosted by Chios Island was held with international participation this year as well. Giant puppets from Izmir became the favorite of the festival, while the participation of a Turkish team in the procession for the first time increased the diversity and cultural richness of the carnival.

Chios Island, one of Greece’s popular tourist destinations, recently hosted a fun carnival. Mostra Carnival, one of the island’s most important carnivals, known also as the island of Homer and visited by tourists from all over the world, offered delightful scenes this year. Amidst various music and colorful people wandering the streets, the festival felt like a celebration. This year, there was an extraordinary guest at the carnival.

Turks participated in the carnival procession for the first time in history.
The 48th edition of the carnival was graced for the first time by Anatolia Organization, a Turkish event management company, with their giant puppets upon a special invitation. The history of Mostra Carnival, held in the village of Thymiana, famous for its red-stone houses, dates back to the Middle Ages when pirates roamed the Aegean Sea. The people of Thymiana, who defeated the pirates attacking the island, celebrate this victory with enthusiasm every year. In the carnival, where all kinds of costumes and masks are used, folk dances and special performances are showcased, and local delicacies are served, the cheerful giant puppets of Anatolia Organization from Izmir were met with the intense interest and affection of thousands of tourists. The enthusiasm of the nearly two thousand Turks who came to the village of Thymiana on Chios Island for the carnival and the realization that the flamboyant puppets carried in the festival procession were Turkish amplified the excitement. During the carnival procession, Greek national media frequently made announcements welcoming the Turks. The warm interest and hospitality shown by the people of Chios towards the Turkish team with their 4-meter puppets throughout the carnival strengthened the cultural bridge and friendship established between the two countries.

Ismail Gündüz, the owner of Anatolia Organization, who had been contacted by the Tourism Directorate, Municipality, and Cultural Affairs officials months before the carnival preparations began, expressed his pride in achieving a first by crossing the country’s borders with the Giant Puppet Procession. Gündüz, who added that it was gratifying to be the highlight of the carnival as a team, stated that they would increase cooperation between the two countries with the historical closeness of Turkish and Greek peoples, as well as positive steps such as warming official relations and granting visa-free entry to Turks.