“Fire of Anatolia” (Turk. Anadolu Ateşi) is a world-renowned Turkish dance ensemble, famous for its large-scale performances and exceptional choreography. The group has toured in more than 85 countries — fr om the United States to China and Japan — performing before an audience of nearly 20 million people.
The ensemble holds two Guinness World Records: one for the fastest dance performance (241 steps per minute) and another for the largest audience — 400,000 people in Ereğli.
The creator and artistic director of the project is Mustafa Erdoğan.
The main idea behind “Fire of Anatolia” is the meeting of civilizations through dance. It is a cultural portrait of Anatolia that unites Eastern and Western traditions, conveying a universal message of peace and harmony.
By blending folk dances, ballet, and modern dance, the show creates a spectacular performance of world-class level.
The project draws inspiration from the thousand-year mythology and culture of Anatolia, involving thousands of dancers and musicians representing almost every region of Türkiye.
The project began in 1999, when Mustafa Erdoğan launched it under the name “Sultans of the Dance.” Newspaper ads invited dancers, and from 750 applicants, 90 were selected. The group trained intensively for one and a half years, practicing up to 16 hours a day.
Dancers worked with choreographers, dietitians, and fitness experts, studied Anatolian rhythms, ballet, and modern dance.
The premiere took place on May 3, 2001. Initially planned as just a few shows, it quickly became a sensation, leading to an international tour in 2002.
Since then, “Fire of Anatolia” has performed over 8,500 shows in 109 countries, reaching more than 50 million spectators.
The ensemble has performed at world-famous venues such as Madison Square Garden in New York, Bercy Arena in Paris, the Kremlin Palace in Moscow, the Chinese Parliament, and near the Pyramids of Egypt.
The performances have been attended by presidents, prime ministers, and royal families.
Since 2001, the group has visited Israel, Germany, China, Russia, Japan, Qatar, Egypt, France, the USA, Malaysia, Greece, Dubai, Ukraine, Italy, and many other countries.
More than 10,000 news articles have been published about “Fire of Anatolia” worldwide.
Today, the ensemble consists of about 250 dancers and can perform simultaneously in three different countries.
Aspendos — The Open-Air Stage
During the tourist season, from April to November, the legendary show takes place near the ancient city of Aspendos, not far from Antalya.
The performances are held in Gloria Aspendos Arena, a modern open-air theater that can seat up to 5,000 people, located next to the ancient Roman theater from the 2nd century AD, which once hosted 17,000 spectators and is considered one of the best-preserved theaters of the ancient world.
Aspendos (Greek: Ἄσπενδος) lies in the village of Belkıs, 35 km from Antalya, near Serik. In antiquity, it was one of the wealthiest cities of Pamphylia, in southern Türkiye.
Although not yet included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, Aspendos has been on the Tentative List since 2015.
Attending the “Fire of Anatolia” show in Aspendos is more than just an evening of dance — it is an immersive journey into the history and spirit of Anatolia, wh ere ancient culture and modern art meet in harmony.