arts

Adana is one of the most dynamic and lively cities in terms of arts & culture events and festivals in Türkiye.

Adana’s art scene is supported by leading institutions such as the Adana Municipality Theater (Adana Büyüksehir Belediyesi Şehir Tiyatrosu), the Adana State Theater, and the Çukurova State Symphony Orchestra.

The plays staged by the Adana Municipality Theater at the Adana Metropolitan Theater and the Adana State Theater in the Hacı Ömer Sabancı Cultural Center throughout the season attract the interest of audiences.

The Çukurova State Symphony Orchestra is another significant art institution that has contributed greatly to the cultural and artistic scene of Adana since its establishment in 1988. It welcomes many Turkish and international conductors and soloists at its concerts that take place throughout the season. In addition, the orchestra gives many concerts across Türkiye and abroad.

Museums and Arts & Culture Centers

The Hacı Ömer Sabancı Cultural Center, which hosts many arts & culture events in Adana, has been playing an active role in the cultural and artistic life of the city since 1976. The theater hall hosts the Adana State Theater, various other theater companies, and offers its stage to the Sabancı International Adana Theater Festival. The center also houses a library, a fine arts gallery, and an exhibition hall, which hosts various exhibitions throughout the year.

Other important centers of cultural and artistic activities in Adana are the Adana Cultural and Art Center, the Çukurova University Ramazanoğlu Konağı Cultural Center, the Yüreğir Cultural Center as well as the Orhan Kemal Cultural Center and the Yaşar Kemal Cultural Center, which are named after two great Turkish writers. The Yaşar Kemal Cultural Center stages the plays of the Seyhan Municipality Theater (Seyhan Belediyesi Şehir Tiyatrosu), while the productions of the Çukurova Municipality Theater (Çukurova Belediyesi Şehir Tiyatrosu) are staged at the Orhan Kemal Cultural Center. The Turhan Selçuk School of Arts, named after the famous cartoonist Turhan Selçuk, where training in photography, caricature, and drawing is held, is also located within the Orhan Kemal Cultural Center.

Inaugurated by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Karacaoğlan Literature Museum Library, one of the first literature museum libraries in Türkiye, welcomes visitors in its historical building.

The Adana Cinema Museum, which was opened in Seyhan in 2011, hosts visitors who are interested in the history of Turkish cinema. The museum features Turkish movie posters, photographs, sculptures, and other objects that shed light on the history of Turkish cinema. Special emphasis in given to the great Turkish film starts, directors, and producers who were raised in Adana, who are remembered and introduced through their works.