The Ertaş family, living in the district of Ağlasun in Burdur, near the foothills of the ancient city of Sagalassos, has transformed a rose oil and rose water production tradition inherited from their ancestors into a modern enterprise reaching international markets.
The family continues the production of rose water and rose oil that began in the 1930s by their great-grandfather Mehmet Ali Ertaş, who processed roses in copper cauldrons over wood fire. Today, the fourth generation carries on the tradition in modern facilities.
Fourth-generation rose producer and agricultural engineer Sefa Ertaş said the family business was passed down through generations, from his great-grandfather to his grandfather and father, and now to him and his brothers.
He noted that the family, which has long earned a living from natural rose oil production as a key raw material for the cosmetics industry, has expanded into 21 different products under its own brand.
Explaining the family history, Ertaş said:
“We are a family that has been producing rose oil for four generations. Our story began with my great-grandfather Mehmet Ali Ertaş’s love for roses at the foothills of Sagalassos. In the 1930s, he started growing roses in small gardens, and encouraged those around him to do the same. People who saw him began planting roses in their own gardens. In those years, rose oil was produced through a long process of boiling in copper cauldrons over wood fire.”
Ertaş noted that after Mehmet Ali Ertaş, the family business was taken over by his grandfather Sefa Ertaş, during which time a rose oil factory was established and rose gardens were expanded to increase production capacity.
He added that his father Yüksel Ertaş taught them the intricacies of the profession, and today the family produces under its own brand. After gaining regional recognition, they joined the “Scent Academy” established with the support of the Governor’s Office of Burdur, and later had the opportunity to study in France.
Ertaş said, “I have always had a special interest in scents. After receiving training at the Scent Academy, we were sent to France by our governor’s office. There, we visited perfume houses and had the opportunity to observe industry practices on site. Learning that perfumes were being produced from roses grown in Burdur made us even more proud. Based on these experiences, we transformed the rose oil produced in our region into value-added products and developed our cosmetics line. Today, we both produce and provide perfume design training.”
He said the family produces an average of 15 tons of roses annually and aims to expand its product range and strengthen its position in export markets.
The family’s third-generation representative, father Yüksel Ertaş, said they transitioned to factory-based production in 1989 and work intensively during the 30–35 day rose harvesting season.
He added that they export rose oil and rose water primarily to France, Japan and Saudi Arabia.
