DIYARBAKIR, Turkey - The Diyarbakır Watermelon and Culture Festival was held on Wednesday, aiming to promote the quality of the local fruit, and its unique culture in the Kurdish-majority city.
Taking place since 1960, the festival was organized by the Diyarbakir Governor’s Office. The festival started with a march that included camels loaded with watermelon from Ekinciler Street to Dagkapi Square, festival organizer Adil Aydin, told Rudaw.
The one-day event also featured a Kurdish traditional dance performance. Afterwards, a watermelon eating competition was held among the festival-goers.
"I won first place," Siyar Erzen, watermelon enthusiast, told Rudaw. "It was very good. I knew I would come out first. Its taste was very pleasant. It was like sugar and lokum [Turkish delight]."
As part of the festival, the owners of the heaviest watermelons in Diyarbakir were announced. Female farmer Ikram Atli came first with a 45.5 kilos watermelon.
Translation by Zhelwan Zeyad Wali
Video editing by Sarkawt Mohammed
