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Eight more traditions from Samsun, including a water buffalo yogurt, two types of flatbread, and a folk couplet-singing custom, have been added to Türkiye’s national inventory of intangible cultural heritage, bringing the city’s total to 30, a local official said.
The new entries are Susuz cloth weaving, woven basket-making known as "zembil," the tradition of singing "mani" folk couplets, Bafra water buffalo yogurt, Terme pide, Bafra pide, the tradition of making yufka (thin flatbread) and ugut molasses.
Suleyman Demirtas, head of Samsun’s provincial culture and tourism directorate, said that the effort aims to document the cultural riches of a region with thousands of years of history and pass them on to future generations.
"With the latest work, eight of our elements have been added to the list, and our total has risen to 30," Demirtas said.
Samsun previously had 22 entries on the national inventory. They include woodworking, ironwork, net-making, yarn spinning, samovar making, broom-making, stone carving, kilim and carpet weaving, needle lace, the Carsamba shoe, the Ladik undershirt and the traditional flat cap.
Festivals such as the Sele Sepet and Geyik Kosan celebrations, along with minstrelsy and wrestling commentary traditions, are also on the list.
The process is not immediate, however. Proposals must be reviewed by a commission under Türkiye’s Culture and Tourism Ministry, which meets twice a year.
"Right now, with the additions, we have 30," Demirtas said. "But what we send doesn’t get evaluated right away. The ministry’s commission meets at set intervals." He added that the total could reach 40 after the next meeting.
Demirtas said the heritage work could also boost tourism in Samsun. Travelers increasingly want more than sun, sand and sea, he said, and are looking to experience the culture of the places they visit. Local dishes, traditional crafts and cultural sites, he said, could offer visitors new experiences and help diversify the local tourism industry.
Samsun’s 30 listed elements cover its traditional crafts, regional foods, folk culture, celebrations and traditional sports.
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