On September 29, 2024, a sports and wellness event for Tatars, the “Gayaz Ishaki Swim,” was held at one of the beaches in Antalya, on the Mediterranean coast. This event is being organized for the second year in a row, with the first taking place in August 2023. This year’s swim was dedicated to the 146th anniversary of the birth and the 70th anniversary of the death of Gayaz Ishaki, a prominent leader, writer, and journalist of the Tatar people. The event was organized by the Society of Tatars in Turkey and Naíl Nabiullin, a journalist, activist, and head of the “Azatlyk” Tatar Youth Union, as well as the editor of the Ishaki portal (isxaki.com).
Around 300 people participated in the national gathering and the second Gayaz Ishaki Swim. The sporting event included a general swim, as well as separate races for Muslim men, Muslim women, and children. About 60 children took part in the children’s competition. All participants were given bags, T-shirts, magnets, caps, special national mirrors, and phone holders featuring the Tatarstan flag and a photo of Gayaz Ishaki before the race. At the finish line, participants received commemorative medals, and the winners in each category were awarded trophies. The event area was decorated with Tatarstan flags and balloons, and the start-finish zone and corridor were adorned with banners featuring Gayaz Ishaki’s photographs. Participants actively took photos at the various photo zones set up in the area.
After the swim, the organizers offered a rich cultural program: Tatar songs were played, poems were recited, and dances were performed. Representatives of related Turkic peoples, including Kyrgyz, Kazakh, Turkish, and Uyghur, also actively participated in the Tatar festival. The Kyrgyz ensemble performed traditional dances and songs.
Participants were treated to kebabs, fruits, chak-chak, as well as milk tea and thyme tea. The event took place in a warm, friendly family atmosphere and lasted until midnight.
Nail Nabiullin, the organizer of the swim, spoke about the goals of the event: “The main goals of the Gayaz Ishaki Swim are to develop the national consciousness of the Tatars, to unite our people, and to promote sports and a healthy lifestyle. This gathering is also held to honor and reintroduce the name of our great leader Gayaz Ishaki and to familiarize people with his works and life. Elevating Ishaki means elevating the Tatar people. Ishaki represents the soul and unbroken spirit of the Tatar people. Today, we are fulfilling his legacy and continuing to unite the Tatar people.”
The organizers emphasized the importance of finding new and unconventional approaches when working with Tatars: “The Tatar world needs new names and even more new brands. We shouldn’t be limited to sabantuy celebrations alone; we need to organize quality, innovative events that attract different layers of the Tatar community. The Ishaki Swim is a completely new breath of fresh air in the Tatar world, an unusual format for a national gathering. Its success, despite financial difficulties, shows that people are in need of novelty and diverse gatherings. The Ishaki Swim helps to strengthen national identity,” Nail Nabiullin added.
The second Ishaki Swim concluded with a group performance of Gabdulla Tukay’s song “Tugan Tel.”