The third annual Chicago Turkish World Festival took place at the city's Navy Pier Aug. 15-16, gave Chicagoans a chance to experience a celebration of lands thousands of miles away and offering a peek into the historically rich Turkish, Balkan, Mediterranean and Central Asian cultures.

This two-day event features a variety of activities that represented the heritage of countries including Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Participants have had the opportunity to experience different flavors, sounds and smells that invaded the pier in the form of fresh Turkish delicacies, Ottoman-era marching bands, whirling dervishes and world-famous Turkish coffee.

“The festival offered Chicagoans a unique opportunity to experience an infusion of rich culture from seven countries without leaving the city,” said Süleyman Turhan, spokesman of the Turkish American Society of Chicago (TASC) and the Niagara Foundation, which are sponsoring the event. “Our guests were able to see, smell, taste and fully envelop themselves in each element of these countries, which have thousands of years of history and have been home to hundreds of civilizations.”

Entertainment included time-honored folk dancing and live concerts from performers including a mehter, or Ottoman janissary band. Mehter bands were founded several centuries ago and has played a significant role in shaping music and tradition in Europe and Asia. Mehter was the source of inspiration for many European musicians, including Mozart, whose “Rondo Alla Turca” was inspired by mehter. The yearly mehter performance at the festival is a rare treat for attendees, who are able to witness one of the world's oldest musical traditions brought to life.

The Turkish traveling troupe “The Whirling Dervishes of Rumi” also put on captivating demonstrations of the mystic religious ceremony known as sema, which features dervishes majestically whirling to the sounds of flutes and drums. The tradition, which dates back to the 13th century, is a well-known aspect of the Mevlevi order, a branch of Sufism.

The festival also featured a vast array of handcrafted artwork and souvenirs, most of which are not typically available outside of Europe and Asia. Exhibitions included hand-woven textiles, handcrafted tiles and ceramics, detailed stone and wood carvings, ebru (water marbling) and hand-drawn calligraphy.

Guests did savor some of the extraordinary cuisine the region had to offer, including traditional recipes that date back more than 1,000 years. Partner organizations such as the Black Sea Exporters' Union, the Hazelnut Promotion Group and the Aegean Exporters' Union has distributed samples of regional agricultural products. Turkey is known for producing some of the finest coffee and tea available, and guests at the festival have had the opportunity to try these world-famous beverages.

An interactive portion of the festival included two cultural tents replicating an Ottoman imperial tent and a Kyrgyz tent. Festivalgoers have had the opportunity to sit inside and took pictures wearing traditional Ottoman-era costumes.

The Chicago Turkish World Festival was free to the public and ran from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 15 and Sunday, Aug. 16. More information is available at www.TurkishWorldFestival.com.