We are in pursuit of ancient traces to document Turkey’s cultural heritage elements before they are lost.
The Traces of Women project was developed to document and preserve Turkey’s vanishing cultural values and heritage, traditions and customs, and folkloric practices before they disappear, and to pass them on to future generations. Considering the rapid pace of globalization and digitalization in the world today, it is well known that societies face the threat of homogenization in many aspects.
Recognizing this threat and aiming to take precautionary steps to protect our values, we developed the Traces of Women project and carried out an oral history study across various regions of Turkey, focusing on topics selected according to regional characteristics. Due to its rich sociocultural diversity, we chose the Southeastern and Eastern Anatolia regions as pilot areas.
Based on written sources and oral cultural compilations conducted in the field, we carried out recordings in Mardin and Konya under the theme “Colors of Ramadan.” These recordings included the daily lives, life experiences, memories, and cultural practices of our interviewees. We conducted interviews with 40 individuals from various social, economic, and cultural backgrounds over a period of 10 days.
We also involved our students in both the theoretical and practical stages of the project. With their academic training and hands-on experience in the field, our students continue their preparations and work to carry out different phases of the project.
Click here to access the views of our Chairwoman of the Board, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Fatmanur Altun, on the Traces of Women project.↗
