Hun-Turkic gathering opens in Hungary
More than 27 Hun and Turkic communities gathered in Hungary on Friday as the Great Hun-Turkic Convention opened for a three-day celebration of shared history, traditions and cultural heritage.
Organized by the Hungarian Turan Foundation, the event is being held in Bugac in the Bacs-Kiskun region, known for its vast steppe and grassland landscape.
The gathering features traditional horseback competitions, archery, mounted combat demonstrations and equestrian acrobatics, alongside handicraft exhibitions and cultural displays.
Traditional tents inspired by the Hun era have been set up across the festival grounds, while participants dressed in traditional clothing and carrying flags from Turkic states have contributed to the atmosphere.
Music, dance and food from across the Turkic world are also being showcased, giving visitors an opportunity to experience the traditions of participating communities.
Hun heritage takes center stage
One of the main attractions is the exhibition "From Ordos to Orseg: Treasures of the Huns, Turks and Hungarians," presented in the Attila Tent.
The exhibition features artifacts from recent archaeological excavations and newly uncovered discoveries displayed through cooperation between the Turkic Academy and the Hungarian National Museum. Advanced technology is also being used to present anthropological facial reconstructions at the event for the first time.
The program includes a performance by Arslanbek Sultanbekov and his orchestra, as well as the "Fiery Warriors of Turan" show, a military parade and an archery spectacle.
Winners of the various competitions will receive awards before the 2026 gathering concludes with the lighting of a traditional sacred fire.
Turkic officials expected
The official opening ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, with senior representatives from Türkiye and the wider Turkic world expected to attend.
Among those expected are Kürşad Zorlu, deputy chair of Türkiye's Justice and Development Party and head of its relations with Turkic states; Kubanychbek Omuraliev, secretary-general of the Organization of Turkic States; and Abdullah Eren, president of the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency.
Visitors from Türkiye said the event offered an opportunity to experience and strengthen historical and cultural ties among Turkic communities.
The gathering traces its origins to the first Turkic-Hun convention, held in Kazakhstan in 2007. Later events in Hungary attracted growing participation and developed into a regular gathering focused on preserving cultural links among communities with Hun and Turkic heritage.
Admission to the three-day event is free.
