The "On the Trail of Yuruks" photography exhibition, which is about the life of Yuruks from Sarıkeçili, opens in Vinkovci, Croatia. 

A JOURNEY FROM MERSIN TO KONYA AND KARAMAN

The exhibition organized with the collaboration of Yunus Emre Institute, Zagreb Folklore Festival, Meraja Art Gallery, Travno Cultural Center and Vinkovci Photo Club opens on October 5, 2021. The exhibition, that will be opened with the support of the Croatian Ministry of Culture and Zagreb Municipality, showcases the back-and-forth journey of the Yuruks from Mersin to Konya and Karaman from the lens of the photographer Mustafa Gümüş. 

The exhibition that tells the story of the last nomads of the Taurus Mountains will remain open for the art lovers in Croatia for three weeks.

LIFE CYCLE OF A TURKMEN TRIBE IN TAURUS MOUNTAINS

The Sarıkeçili Tribe, the main theme of the exhibition, are a Yuruk-Turkmen group that is a member of the Kayı tribe of the Bozoks of Oghuz. This tribe, which came from Central Asia to Anatolia, lives dispersed to many regions of our country today. However, some of the tribe continues their ancestors' way of life, nomadism, in the Taurus Mountains thanks to the suitable climate of Mersin, Karaman and Konya. Sarıkeçili tribe descend to the shores of the Gülnar District of Mersin and its surroundings during winter and depart in the spring months to migrate to the highlands of Konya and Karaman. After this journey, which lasts for almost 45 days and sometimes reaches a distance of 500 km depending on the location, the Sarıkeçili Tribe establishes their yurts and many members of the tribe continue a settled life.