Neighborhood solidarity among women from Bayburt
Gathering in a corner of the neighborhood, the women of Şingah begin by lighting a samovar and brewing tea. They roll up their sleeves, enjoying the hot tea, and then begin their winter preparations together. Large cauldrons are fired up for pickled chard (beet), a staple of Bayburt . The cleaned and sorted beet stalks are boiled, rinsed in cold water, and then packed into canisters. All steps are carried out according to traditional methods, and the warmth of conversation and cooperation is palpable in every task.
Due to the high demand for wool pillows and quilts in Bayburt, the washing, beating, and plucking of wool are carried out collectively during this time each year. Women, taking on their neighbors' jobs, pick the wool one by one and prepare it for beating. Thus, a task that would take one person days is completed in a matter of hours.
Şefika Dursun, who was helping her niece prepare pickles, said, "Today we pulled wool, cleaned beets, pickled vegetables, lit a samovar, and drank tea. We worked really hard. Tomorrow, we'll pick rosehips." Sona Yazıcı, who moved to another neighborhood after living in the Şingah neighborhood for years, came to help her former neighbors. Yazıcı said, "I sit down, pull wool, and clean beets. I'm making friends with my neighbors. I'm very happy with my neighbors. My aunt and sister-in-law are always around. I spend a lot of time with them." Yazıcı added that they spend their summers this way, adding, "We light a samovar and do the work collaboratively."
Neighborhood resident Sultan Demir emphasized that everyone is working together. Demir explained that the work is done through a collaborative effort, saying, "We've gathered with the neighborhood and are making our winter preparations. We're boiling beets and picking wool. We're diligently working together with our neighbors. Everyone is working together, and we're continuing."
Another neighborhood resident, Sevgi Yazıcı, emphasized that they work together in pleasant conversation, saying, "We have a good time with our neighbors here. We pick wool, boil beets for pickling in preparation for winter. We all sit together and chat, socialize, and chat."
These women's collaborative efforts strengthen neighborly relationships and speed up winter preparations. The long-standing tradition of collective work continues to live on in the Şingah neighborhood thanks to the women's efforts.
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