The Turkish Ambassador to South Korea helped kick off an exhibition featuring world-renowned Turkish and South Korean photographers at the Sejong Center in downtown Seoul on Wednesday.

“Istanbul, connecting Europe and Asia on the western side of the Silk Road, has been the capital of three different world empires ― the Eastern Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman ― for almost two millennia, creating an imprint on ancient, medieval and contemporary history,” said Arslan Hakan Okcal, Turkey’s top diplomat here in South Korea, during the exhibition’s opening in Seoul.

“On the other side of the Silk Road, Gyeongju had been the capital of the Shilla Kingdom for a millennium, enriching the Korean culture and identity,” Okcal said. “Any cultural event combining these two cities is a tribute to those great periods of human history.”

Work was on display by four Turkish photographers ― Izzet Keribar, Halim Kulaksiz, Ercan Aslan, Kamil Firat and Ara Guler ― along with eight South Korean photographers ― Kim Jong-man, Kang Woon-gu, Ko Bohn-chang, Park Jong-woo, Seo Heun-kang, Oh Hein-kuhn, Yook Myong-shim and Lee Gap-chul.

The exhibition, entitled “Blooming Silk Road,” ends its run at the Main Exhibition Hall of the Sejong Center on April 1. After that, the exhibition will be held at the Daegu Art Factory from April 4 to 17.

The Istanbul-Gyeongju World Culture Expo Organizing Committee helped bring the exhibition to the Sejong Center.

(ephilip2011@heraldcorp.com)