Istanbul, Sep 28 (IANS): Istanbul's Culture Route Festival opened, offering more than 500 events across the city over nine days.

Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy launched the festival at the Ataturk Cultural Center in Beyoglu district with a "Carmina Burana" performance by the Istanbul State Opera and Ballet, Xinhua news agency reported.

The festival will use over 110 venues, including stages at landmarks such as Galataport Clock Tower Square on the Bosphorus Strait.

Events include concerts, film screenings and exhibitions by international artists. Refik Anadolu's "Earth Dreams: Anatolia" will showcase photography, digital art, painting, sculpture and traditional arts.

Ersoy said that the festival is expected to boost tourism, noting that Istanbul received a record 12.27 million visitors in the first eight months of this year.

The Culture Route Festival, launched in Istanbul in 2021, now includes 15 other Turkish cities.