A four-day festival of culture came to life in the Kurdish city of Dersim on Thursday.

The Dersim Culture and Nature Festival, is aiming to promote local beliefs, culture and languages through panel discussions, concerts and other cultural activities.

Dersim is considered to be the heartland of the Alevis - a religious sect whose followers believe in the mystical teachings of Imam Ali. Its inhabitants mainly speak Zazaki, a distinct branch of the Kurdish language.

The area hosting the festival is named after Seyid Riza, a political leader from Zaza origin who fought for Zaza Kurdish rights during the Dersim rebellion of the late 1930s.

Its opening day was attended by local officials and lawmakers, including some from the pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (HDP) and the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP).

The HDP were the ruling party in Dersim, but as in most HDP-governed areas, Turkey’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) government appointed trustees or administrators to govern following a failed coup attempt in July 2016. 

The festival had not been held since, reportedly due to a ban from the pro-government administrator.

Fatih Macoglu, incumbent mayor of Dersim from the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP), told Rudaw that the festival was dedicated to the memory of Ayaz, 8, and Nupelda, 4, two local children killed in mid-July by a mine.

“We saw it significant to dedicate this festival to Ayaz and Nupelda, who unfortunately were killed by a mine. Most of the activities of the festival are dedicated for children,” Macoglu said.