Ayşen Belkıs Şen, spouse of Turkish Ambassador with Naglaa Abdel-Salam, spouse of the Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abd
The event came as part of the centennial celebrations of diplomatic relations between Turkey and Egypt, commemorating the 100th anniversary of diplomatic Turkish-Egyptian ties.
The cultural events organized under the Welcome to Egypt initiative, sponsored by Mrs. Naglaa Abdel-Salam, the spouse of Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, included the fashion show “We Have a Wedding” and an accompanying exhibition titled “The Wedding Bouquet.”
The fashion show took place under the patronage of Abdel-Salam and was hosted by Mrs. Ayşen Belkıs Şen, spouse of Turkish Ambassador in Egypt Salih Mutlu Şen.
Spouses of Egyptian and foreign ambassadors residing in Egypt also attended the show.
The event was held in collaboration with the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Turkish Ministry of National Education, the Ankara Institute of Music and Fine Arts, the Ottoman Music Research and Application Centre at Istanbul University, the Egyptian Diplomatic Spouses Association (EDSA), and Turkish Airlines as the main sponsor.
The fashion show and exhibition were presented to guests amid the melodies of classical Turkish music and the iconic voice of Egyptian diva Um Kolthoum in the 50th anniversary of her passing.
The fashion pieces were created by the Izmir Development Institute, affiliated with the General Directorate of Lifelong Learning at Turkey’s Ministry of National Education.
The institute contributes to preserving and redesigning wedding gowns and bouquets in a way that reflects Anatolia’s time-honoured wedding traditions and passes them on to future generations through the “We Have a Wedding” project.
The fashion show showcased wedding dresses from various regions of Anatolia, designed with intricate craftsmanship and historical significance.
Mrs. Ayşen Belkıs Şen noted that despite local differences, wedding traditions, including the bridal bouquet, remain prevalent in Egypt.
She emphasized that customs such as the bridal dowry trunk represent a unifying cultural element stretching from Asia to Europe and the Middle East to Africa.
"These shared traditions reflect the cultural depth and social memory of both Turkish and Egyptian civilizations, which both place high value on family," she added.
She further highlighted that the “Strong Women, Strong Families, Strong Turkey" principle lies at the heart of the “Century of Turkey” vision announced by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Based on this concept, Turkey has declared 2025 as the “Year of the Family.”
Belkıs Şen also said Turkish musicians performed Um Kolthoum’s iconic song Alf Leila wa Leila (One Thousand and One Nights) during the fashion show.
She revealed that collaborative Turkish-Egyptian musical projects are planned for 2025, which Egypt has declared the “Year of Um Kolthoum.”
The fashion show was met with great admiration and received warm applause from the attendees.
On a related note, Turkish Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy visited Cairo earlier this month to attend the meeting of tourism ministers from D-8 member states.
During his visit, he met with Egyptian Minister of Culture Ahmed Hanno, where they discussed organizing joint musical performances that celebrate the shared musical heritage of both nations.
Ambassador Salih Mutlu Şen confirmed that plans for such cultural collaborations are underway.
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