Turku

Turku ({{IPA2|ˈturku}}, Swedish: {{Audio|sv-Åbo.ogg|Åbo}}), founded in the 13th century, is the oldest and fifth largest city in Finland, with a population of 174,824 (as of 2004). Located at the mouth of the Aura river in the southwest of the country, it is the capital city of both the region of Finland Proper and the province of Western Finland, as well as being the centre of the country's third largest urban area, with around 300,000 inhabitants. Turku has one of the largest Finland-Swedish population in the country. The Finnish word for the inhabitants of Turku is turkulaiset (singular: turkulainen). Due to its location, the Port of Turku is considered one of the most important seaports in Finland.

Culture

Cultural venues in Turku include several theatres, cinemas, and art galleries, and a city philharmonic orchestra. The city's cultural centre organises a number of regular events, most notably the Medieval Market in July each year. Turku is also the official Christmas city of Finland, and 'Christmas Peace' in Finland is declared on every 24 December at the Cathedral of Turku. The Turku Music Festival and the rock festival Ruisrock (held on the island of Ruissalo) are among the oldest of its kind in Scandinavia. The city also hosts another rock festival, Down by the Laituri, and boasts a vibrant nightlife.

Related Topics:
Cultural venues - Theatre - Cinema - Art galleries - Orchestra - Medieval Market - July - Christmas - 24 December - Cathedral of Turku - Turku Music Festival - Rock festival - Ruisrock - Ruissalo - Scandinavia - Down by the Laituri

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There are also numerous museums, such as the Turku Art Museum, and the Wäinö Aaltonen Museum of Art. The Åbo Akademi University maintains the Jean Sibelius museum, which is the only muesum in Finland specialising in the field of music. Apart from these, there are also several historical museums that display the city's medieval period, such as the Turku Castle, which has been a functional historical museum since 1881, and the Aboa Vetus museum, built in the late 1990s over the 14th century archaeological site. The Luostarinmäki handicrafts museum, converted from residential buildings that survived the Great Fire of Turku in 1827, was the first Scandinavian venue to receive the "Golden Apple" tourism award.

Related Topics:
Museum - Wäinö Aaltonen - Jean Sibelius - Turku Castle - 1881 - Aboa Vetus - 1990s - 14th century - Archaeological - Handicrafts - 1827 - Scandinavia

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