Assoc. Prof. Dr. Evren Dasdag's book titled "(Bitlis) Kavakbasi and Gunkiri Pottery with Woman Masters" documents the great efforts of the women who bring the local pottery into being. Like in many places around Anatolia, women making pots contribute to their town's economy.
Pottery and tandoori making in the Kavakbasi and Gunkiri towns of Bitlis, are the almost extinct cultural heritages of Anatolia which are not studied on well with all aspects. The woman potters of these towns dedicate their life to all the difficulties of this profession and are able to create various proper and functional forms and tandooris fast with primitive methods. Undertaking all the housework and child care and on the other hand patiently and labor-intensively working in their professions, these women take a great part in their towns' economy with what they produce.
An academic member of Istanbul Medeniyet University Faculty of Arts and Humanities Art History Department Assoc. Prof. Dr. Evren Dasdag, in his book titled "(Bitlis) Kavakbasi and Gunkiri Pottery with Woman Master" published recently, shed a light to this local pottery. The first chapter of the book includes general information on the location and history of Bitlis, Kavakbasi and Gunkiri towns. In the second chapter; the history of the primitive pottery and the Anatolian pottery are mentioned in brief. What's mentioned about in the third chapter are the history of the Kavakbasi pottery and in the fourth chapter are the methods and tools used in pottery, pot varieties, areas of use, decorations and subjects of drying, lining, fuels, pot kilns, firing and sales are mentioned. And the last chapter of the book includes the history of the tandoori, tandoori in Anatolian culture and the importance of tandoori use and looks into the process from the supply of soil to tandoori making techniques, setting up of tandoori to cooking of tandoori breads in Kavakbasi and Gunkiri towns.
Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University Ceramics and Glass Art Major Department Graduate Evren Dasdag's book has an important documentary value by means of narrating pottery and tandoori making, two of our traditional handicrafts that's being kept alive in Kavakbasi and Gunkiri towns, to future generations with all their aspects.
