WATC (Los Angeles)

WEST AMERICA TURKIC COUNCIL (WATC) is serving 21 affiliate organizations representing 12 states in the West, namely, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, California, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming and Hawaii. WATC mission is to promote the cultural, educational, academic, business, social, and arts relations and to organize events and to bring together the American and Turkish, Turkic and Eurasian communities within the US.

The Anatolian Cultures and Food Festival was one of the events organized. Los Angeles based Pacifica Institute is the main sponsor of the festival and plans to make this an annual fixture in California. Other participants were the California Turkish American Chamber of Commerce (CATA) and the Organization of Istanbul Armenians (OIA).

A full sensory experience of the history of this region was provided. Visitors literally ate the food, saw the sights and heard the sounds that an ordinary Byzantine or Ottoman citizen experienced thousands of years ago. The festival showcased five major cities and 11 arches including a reconstruction of the Trojan Horse.

The sets were constructed in Istanbul over a six month period by a team of 50 carpenters under the guidance of historians and archeologists. They used 60 tons of steel, 20,000 square meters of vinyl and other materials to recreate landmarks such as Rumi’s Museum in Konya.

12228 Venice Blvd. Suite 496
Los Angeles, CA 90066
Tel (949) 421 7676