With its theme, ‘Digging into History for Future Food,' and set up on an area of 4,000 square meters, the Turkish pavilion at EXPO Milano 2015 shows the peculiar place of food and agriculture in Turkey's long history Welcoming its guests with the motto of "Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life," EXPO Milano provides significant opportunities to exchange ideas in the food and nourishment industry, promote cultural and historical heritage and collaborate with 145 participating countries for the sustainability of the planet. It is a unique platform, allowing many countries to share their traditions, cultures and contemporary technologies to draw attention to two of the world's most significant subjects - food and energy. Currently on display in Milano since May, EXPO Milano also introduces Turkey's 1,000-year-old cultural heritage and rich values to the world. As a participating country, Turkey principally targets not only to present its extraordinary and longstanding food traditions but also share its vision and ideas on these fields. Located in the northwest of Milano, the Turkish Pavilion which consists of three main divisions - indoor, semi-outdoor and outdoor venues - extends across a total area of 4,170 square meters. Turkey set the main theme for the EXPO project as "Digging into History for Future Food." The pavilion's visual motto is pomegranate ("nar" in Turkish), which signifies abundance in many religions and cultures, like in Turkey. Creatively enough, the image of the pomegranate can be seen in the entire architectural and contextual design as well as in the main formation of the pavilion. The Turkish Pavilion has seven semi-outdoor chambers. Five of these chambers were designed for theme-related events, while the two other serve as a Turkish restaurant and souvenir shop. At the entrance of the outdoor area, visitors can see a modern perforated roof in the shape of the popular "Seljuk star" figure. Ottoman-style fountains, a world-famous Turkish traditional house and traditional glasswork called "Çeşm-i Bülbül" (The Eye of Nightingale) are the next items that make the pavilion more attractive. There is also a genuine indoor space where visitors can enjoy Turkish tea and coffee. Besides, a bazaar, kiosks and the "Anatolian Food Table" are available at the outdoor area. Aside from these, the indoor area features an office building and a library bearing the traces of traditional Turkish patterns with a contemporary architecture interpretation. Visitors are recommended to attend cultural events taking place in the pavilion area. Some of last month's theme-related events included "The World Miracle Hazelnut" workshop on the Hazelnut Taste Week, "The Unique Flavor of Fresh Water" workshop on the Turkish Aquaculture Week and "A City in Love with Her Fish: Istanbul" talk delivered by Defne Koryürek. Among all EXPO Milano countries, the China Pavilion, which covers more than 4,500 square meters in terms of space, stands out with examples from the country's agriculture and food culture. The China platform consists of four parts, all of which promote the country's centuries-long traditions. The pavilion was constructed with large bamboo panels to create a roof which evokes the appearance and texture of golden wheat fields swaying in the wind. The China Pavilion's theme is "The Land of Hope," expressing the idea that "hope" will exist if the nature and the city survive in harmony. The name of the pavilion sections are "Heaven," "Human," "Earth" and "Harmony," all of which represent the relationship between Chinese people and their food. For those planning to trip to Italy, EXPO Milano pavilions are advisable locations for a short visit until Oct. 31.

• published: 02 Aug 2015
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