HANDICRAFTS IN GAZİANTEP       

 

Handicraft, while some call it art (sanat) and some call it as craft (zanaat) is a creative adventure sourced from humans’ keening on beauty and it can reach today with lifestyle changes by being transferred from one generation to the other. Plants, stones, mine even “air, water, fire, soil” which are called as “anasır-ı erb’a” which are obtained from nature are basic and raw materials of handicraft. It is possible to find out in an Antep rug (kilim), dreams of its weaver, lifestyle of Gaziantep’s public, plant, ecological structure, customs and traditions, human relationships of the region, briefly whole Anatolia. In Gaziantep, a city which carries our cultural values to the future, we have some cultural values such as the art of Kutnu, Aba works, yemenicilik (authentic shoemaking), Antep hand embroidery, Silverwork, Antep kilim and rug weaving, cube art, jewellery, semercilik, zurnacılık, musical instruments and they greet the next generations. Handicraft works as a bridge between the past and present through lifestyle taken from the culture, it carries past experiences and shows them to the new generation. Gaziantep is not only famous for its success in industry and trade but also for its potential success in handicraft field.