Yalçın greets tourists who pay a visit to the museum in a traditional Yörük outfit. While taking them on a tour of the Yörük Museum, he gives them information about traditional tools, decorations and furnishings. Visitors are shown old plows, hayforks and oxcart wheels.Yalçın explains that his reason for opening the museum was to educate visitors about Turkish culture and point out the waste that takes place in our lives. “People don't know all of the stages that bread, whose excess gets thrown into the garbage, goes through before it makes it onto their tables. It gets plowed, beaten in harvesting areas and taken to mills from silos. After it turns into flour there, it gets transformed into bread through the hardworking hands of our mothers. People who are not aware of this process waste bread. My desire is to share this eight-month process with people.” This voluntary ambassador of agriculture has a total of 2,500 items used by Anatolian farmers on display. He demonstrates to tourists how bread is baked, allowing them to experience part of the process by having them sift wheat and grind corn.
As for the tourists who are given a chance to wear Yörük clothing and grind corn, they are very happy. Michael Adkin, Klaine Adkin and Jenny Shaw of England, all first time visitors to the Yörük Museum, said they enjoyed the authentic atmosphere there. While the museum allows tourists to sift wheat and mix up an ayran drink, Shaw's favorite part of her visit was carpet weaving. She explained that she enjoyed becoming acquainted with Turkish culture. “This is really a fantastic museum,” she said, adding that it was nice to have a chance to look at old utensils and see the stages of how bread is made.
The Enver Yalçın Yörük Museum also includes a hotel for visitors looking to stay overnight. The 12-room hotel allows visitors to experience the comfort of their own homes while staying in Fethiye. Daily fees are TL 50. For more information, e-mail: info@yalcinapart.com, Tel: (0252) 623 95 58
