"Carmen," which is one of the most staged operas in the world, will be presented to art lovers at Atatürk Cultural Center (AKM) on Oct. 1 as part of the Beyoğlu Culture Road Festival.

Created by the French composer Georges Bizet, the work will be staged by the Istanbul State Opera and Ballet. Ludovic Halevy and Henri Meilhac wrote the libretto of the play, based on Prosper Merimee's novel of the same name.

When "Carmen" was first staged in Paris in 1875, it was derided by many critics. After Bizet's death, interest in "Carmen" picked up, eventually making it one of the world’s most-staged operas.

Zdravko Lazarov will conduct the orchestra in the opera staged by Italian director Vincenzo Grisostomi Travaglini.

The story of the opera, which took place in the city of Seville, Spain in the 1830s, revolves around the passionate love between a gypsy girl who works in a tobacco factory and a soldier named Don Jose.