Skopje, 9 March 2026 (MIA) — To mark International Bagpipe Day, March 10, the Macedonian Cultural Center in Istanbul will host an event Tuesday at 8 pm celebrating the shared musical traditions of the Macedonian gajda and the Turkish tulum. 

According to organizers, the event will feature a panel of experts discussing the history and ethnomusicology of the two instruments, which were added at the same time to UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in late 2024.

“This recognition is a significant example of successful cultural cooperation between Macedonia and Türkiye,” the cultural center said in a press release. It added that the panelists will give special attention to the multinational nomination file, titled "Traditional bagpipe (Gayda/Tulum) making and performing," submitted by the two countries to UNESCO.

The evening will include a technical presentation on the differences between the two instruments and on the specific regions where these traditions are still practiced.

Speaking about the Macedonian gajda will be Cultural Heritage Protection Office director Vesela Chestoeva and folklore expert Ivona Opetcheska Tatarchevska. They will focus on its international protection status and its role in modern Macedonian culture.

Concluding with live performances, the event officially launches the center’s 2026 cultural calendar, aimed at strengthening ties between the two nations, the release said. mr/