YORUKS

Yoruks are villager people. They live in the mountains away from the city. If you look at their faces you will see the effects of the cold winds and hot sun. This shows that life is not very easy for them. You can see the reflection of their lifestyle on their faces. Yoruks lived the nomadic life until the 17th century. This means, they traveled all the time and lived in different places. They stopped this in the 17th century. Most of them went to Turkmenistan, Kirghizstan, Kazakhstan, Iran and Turkey nearly 300 years ago, and stayed in those places.

Yoruks in Turkey have continued their traditions and cultural values. In the mountain villages of the Yoruk tribes, the women wear special dresses with traditional motifs on them. Yoruk men usually wear belts and boleros without motifs. Yoruks have their own traditional food made from local crops and spices. Yoruk tribes do not use money. They exchange objects. This is called bartering. They have their own local music and dance that they perform on special occasions such as wedding ceremonies.

Generally, Yoruks live around Aydın, Muğla and Balıkesir provinces in Turkey. They lead a simple life away from modern society. They have a minimalist and pastoral life style. They are also very well known for their hospitality.