Antalya to showcase nomadic Yörük culture at COP31

ANTALYA

This photo shows a frame from a documentary about the Yörüks.

Türkiye will showcase the traditional culture of the Yörüks, a nomadic Turkic community with a centuries-old way of life closely connected to nature, during the U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP31), which the country is hosting in the southwestern city of Antalya.

A two-story building that had remained unused for nearly a decade has been renovated and transformed into the “Antalya House” ahead of the November conference. The building has been furnished with objects reflecting Yörük heritage, including traditional clothing, lace curtains, household utensils and items inspired by the historic buttoned wooden houses of the Akseki and İbradı districts.

Ebru Şahin, project coordinator of the Antalya Blue Mediterranean Initiative, said the project introduces international visitors to a side of Antalya beyond its beaches and coastal tourism. The venue will also feature an outdoor area where visitors can taste traditional gözleme and bazlama (types of traditional flatbread) and burnt ice cream, a local specialty.

An exhibition space will provide information about regional products and cultural objects through QR codes offering explanations in English, including how the items are made and used.

Meanwhile, the COP31 presidency has released a documentary titled “The Yörüks,” highlighting the lives of Sarıkeçili Yörüks who inhabit the highlands of the Taurus Mountains. The film explores their centuries-old nomadic traditions and close relationship with nature, portraying how their way of life reflects a deep bond with the natural environment.

Sharing the documentary on social media, COP31 President and Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum said that, for the Yörüks, “home is not made up of four walls, but is beneath the sky, among the stars and in the embrace of the forest.” He said their way of life in the Taurus Mountains served as a reminder of a fundamental message ahead of COP31: “Our common home is the world.”