At Ondokuz Mayıs University (OMU) Ladik Vocational School (VS), students of the Hemp Weaving Department are learning and transferring traditional motifs to future generations. The once-forgotten hemp looms in the Ladik region have been revived at the Ladik VS.

This year, for the first time, students enrolled in the Hemp Weaving Department are learning to create yarn from hemp on these looms and to produce various products from these yarns.

Rector Ünal: "We want to revive the culture of Anatolia"

OMU Rector, Prof. Dr. Yavuz Ünal, informed an AA correspondent that a department focusing on hemp carpet and kilim weaving, central to Turkish culture, has been established at Ladik MYO. He emphasized their aim to revive and reintroduce traditionally worn and used products in the Ladik region, aligning with Turkish-Islamic motifs. "Our students are currently in the learning phase. We desire that while still students at the vocational school, they find employment or even establish their own businesses. These are products and home goods inherent in our culture," said Ünal.

Highlighting the innovative spirit at OMU, Ünal noted, "We're equipped not only to educate students but also any interested citizens. Its primary feature is to lift the culture of Anatolia back to prominence. Even though the looms have changed, they are equipped with new technology capable of fulfilling the same mission. We aspire for each of our students to graduate as proficient masters."

"Our effort here is to merge the old with the new, the past with the future"

Prof. Dr. Ünal also mentioned that student internships are arranged in suitable facilities within the region's organized industrial zones, where students can comfortably start their own businesses.

He highlighted the historical proficiency in loom weaving in Ladik, where traditionally, every house had a loom. "Ladik has unique products like Ladik kilims and flannels. Our goal here isn't just to revive these kilims, carpets, flannels, and other products but to preserve their historical value. These can be produced as nostalgic or touristic items. There's a strong culture related to the past in Ladik, but it's at risk of disappearing with changing generations if not cultivated. We must not allow them to vanish; we must keep them alive. Our effort here is to merge the old with the new, the past with the future, bridge the two, nurture generations that know their past, are proud of it, and carry its values into the future. This is the fundamental purpose of education," he added.

Student Yasemin Karaahmet from the Hemp Weaving Department shared her learning experience: "We transfer the motifs we learn to kilims on hemp looms. You must be careful while winding the hemp yarn because it's powerful and can cut your hand. If done carefully, beautiful patterns emerge, and we love doing it."