During our visit to Avanos, in the Cappadocia area of Turkey, we were struck by the fact that pottery is made using ancient techniques and that there are so many families who have maintained the tradition for several generations.
Pottery has been produced in Avanos since 2000 BC, in the time of the Hittites, more than 4000 years ago. It was then and still is today the main livelihood in the area. In the Hittite period, if a child did not master this art, it meant that he would not be able to earn enough to support his family. So much so that when asking for a woman's hand, her future father-in-law might ask for a demonstration of his talent with pottery to decide if he would be a worthy husband for his daughter.
In the city, you can find numerous artisan workshops that have been working pottery for several generations in the traditional way: they dry it in the sun, then leave it in the shade, and finally fire it in a kiln at between 800 and 1200°C. This whole process gives the ceramics more shine, resistance and a better overall finish.
Many of the Avanos workshops are located in caves dug into the stone that have been in the same families for hundreds of years. The clay is obtained directly from the Red River (Kizilirmak, in local language) and with almost no additional work - by sifting it and adding water - they get the raw material they need to produce the pottery. The artisans use a wheel that they turn with their foot to make authentic Avanos pottery, which they always make from scratch.
The skill they have to do their work takes many years of training, always under the guidance of a master who teaches them the profession. The women are in charge of the design and painting, as they consider that they have a better eye for detail.
Over the years the interest in this art has been lost, but tourism is helping to keep it alive and preserve this ancient tradition.
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Негізгі бет LEARN POTTERY to get a WIFE - An old TURKISH tradition
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