Halay ....

.... is one of the most popular traditional Turkish dances ... men and women form a circle or a line, intertwining their hands or fingers. A person who closes the circle or the line, holds a handkerchief called mendi. All dancers make identical steps, moving in a circle in time to the music. The tempo is slow in the beginning and speeds up at the end.  Halay is an ancient dance style dating back to the time of Assyrian dominance, and other countries in the Middle East have a similar dance. However, Turks believe it is linked to Central Asia pagan rituals, which often included circular dances around a fire. Today, Turks still dance a Halay around a fire on certain occasions and holidays. It’s also the most common Turkish traditional wedding dance. Halay might derive from “Alay,” meaning “many people” and alluding to unity and cooperation.
information taken from - advantour.com/turkey

A large crowd gathered to dance and watch the live music at the Belediye (town council) Art and Culture stage by the harbour tonight - presumably celebration for tomorrow's Victory Day bank holiday.  Nigel, Bev, Rufus and I had just finished our meal at Pasa Restaurant and strolled over to watch for a while.  

If you fancy giving the Halay dance a go, click here for a 30sec demo :)