Cumalikizik

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x0x Cumalikizik

By EMEL CELEBI

The street was in pursuit of a mystical time, twisting and
turning, but not hurrying, for it was not pressed by time. The only
experience it had was of the sunrise, sunset and the blessings that
came with the seasons: raspberries, walnuts, strawberries, cherries
and citrus fruits. Especially when the raspberries ripen. In those
days the scent of raspberry jam and syrup overflows from the houses
into the street.

The street was at one with nature: the rain washed over its steep
stones; fresh grass grew by the walls of the houses, freezing spring
water flowed from its fountains. It was wide enough to make way for a
horse cart. However,
two people could hardly walk along
it side by side.

ONE OF THE SEVEN "KIZIK"

Today it seems as if time has stopped in Cumalikizik. The village is
set on the lower slopes of Mount Olympus, to the east of Bursa, 12
kilometres from the city centre.

The 700 years old village still reflects the Ottoman period with its
houses and narrow streets with no sidewalks. It is like a pathway to
another age.


There are still people living a traditional way of life in these
houses which symbolise a cultural heritage. Their touristic attraction
has been realised; the guest houses are open all year round. The
friendly villagers welcome you as soon as you arrive at the village at
their stands on the streets, selling homemade food, herbs, vegetables
and
fruits.

Cumalikizik is one of the seven villages founded by the Kiziks, an
Oguz Turkish clan. After a short time Ottoman rule was established,
and Bursa was captured. Today only Cumalikizik, HamamKizik, DereKizik,
DegirmenliKizik and FidyeKizik survive.

The villages that are only a stone's throw away from each other were
named after their particular characteristics. The one closest to the
river was called `DereKizik', the one which payed ransom `FidyeKizik'
and the one that received visitors from all the other villages to say
their prayers, was called `Cumalikizik'.


IT EVEN HAS ITS MUSEUMS

180 of the 270 houses in Cumalikizik, which in 1981 was declared a
conservation area to protect the architectural profile, are still
lived in. Restoration work is still being carried out on some of them.

The 300 year old Cumalikizik Mosque contains beautiful wood carvings.

The Turkish bath with its dome reflects the Ottoman architectural
style and the gravestones in the graveyard, which is no longer in use,
are witnesses to the Ottoman past. The remains of the church in the
Ihlamurcu region are exhibited at the Bursa Archaeological Museum. In
the Ethnographical Museum, you can see a deer's horn of extraordinary
proportions, that once lived on Mount Olympus and some artefacts used
in daily life.

A SECLUDED LIFESTYLE

The houses in Cumalikizik, just like in all the other Kizik villages,
are very close to each other.Families related to each other live in
houses which are connected to each other by narrow passageways.

In the old days, one could save one's life by going from one
house to another using those passageways. Generally, the houses have
two or three floors and they are designed in such a way that the
residents were protected from external dangers and family life could
be private. The big, walnut door stands like a boundary between the
street and the confidentiality of the inner world. It is a barrier
which is almost impossible for strangers to pass. The door handles
made of wrought iron are still in use today.

The latticed and bay windows, which allow for the intrusion of light,
are set at regular intervals in the upper storeys where the rooms and
halls are located. The latticed windows enabled women, who had very
little connection with life outside the home, to observe the daily
comings and goings.

ARCHITECTURE RECONCILED WITH NATURE

In the Cumalikizik houses, which have been designed without
ostentation, everything is functional and arranged in accordance with
the needs of family life, especially for the woman.

The hall is the common living area, used the most. It is
where you can sit, rest or work. Wedding ceremonies take place in this
area, and products from the fields, vineyards and orchards are sorted
and stored, again in this area. You can pass to the other sections of
the house; to the inner court where you can find the oven, in which
food like bread, pastries, and buns are baked and jams prepared; to
the hen coops; to the shed, depot and to the stairs. In Cumalikizik
you can find neither smooth streets drawn with rulers nor the symmetry
of modern cities, which overwhelm you with reinforced concrete
buildings. Culture has shaped the yellow, white, purple and blue
coloured houses in Cumalikizik, respecting the harmony of nature and
man, living side by side. The eaves projecting from the roof tops is a
small detail neglected today. The eaves protect the houses from being
damaged by rainwater and people walking along the street from getting
wet.