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The year 1973 marked the opening of the Bosphorus Bridge, the first bridge to link the European and Anatolian sides of the city of Istanbul, the only city in the world that spans two continents. The same year, the first Istanbul Festival took place from 21 June to 15 July to help celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the Turkish Republic. The festival included Western orchestral, opera, and chamber music, dance, theatre, and Turkish music. The festival was the idea of businessman Dr. Nejat Eczacibaşi, who gathered thirteen other Turkish businessmen to form the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İstanbul Kültür ve Sanat Vakfi), a non-profit, non-governmental organization, abbreviated İKSV.