Tahtakuşlar Village

Tahtakuşlar Village offers a special introduction to ethnographic culture and local traditions. The Tahtakuşlar Ethnography Gallery opened in 1991 and was founded by Alibey Kudar. It is considered Turkey’s first private ethnographic museum. In addition, the gatherings and customs of the Tahtacı Turkmen shape the cultural character of the area. If you are looking for a holiday apartment for a culturally focused stay, these themes can help guide your choice.

The gallery and its cultural focus

The gallery is a tangible starting point for exploring ethnography. Its founding and status as Turkey’s first private ethnographic museum make it a distinctive cultural destination in Tahtakuşlar. The story is not limited to that of a single institution: the traditions of the Tahtacı Turkmen also offer a distinct way to experience the area. You can therefore give your stay a thematic focus and decide whether you would primarily like to discover the gallery or are particularly interested in communal customs.

Tahtacı Turkmen from the districts of Burhaniye, Edremit and Ayvalık gather in Tahtakuşlar. This connection spanning several districts is important if you are interested in the people and traditions of the area. It complements the perspective offered by the gallery with gatherings and communal practices. When planning your trip, you can distinguish between these two different cultural themes without combining them into a single offering or event.

Annual customs and shared meals

Every year on May 7, Turkmen clean the cemetery in the Tahtakuşlar neighbourhood, decorate it with roses and pray there. The recurring date and the actions described give this custom a specific place in the annual cycle. If you plan your trip around local traditions, this date is a useful point of reference. The roses and the prayer are as much a part of the custom as caring for the cemetery together.

Another tradition is Hıdırellez at the Tahtakuşlar cemetery. The Tahtacı Turkmen eat food they have brought with them and share coffee, snacks and sweets prepared over a wood fire. Residents of the surrounding area also show great interest in this tradition. Unlike the cemetery cleaning on May 7, the focus here is on eating and sharing together. These details illustrate the communal side of local customs without suggesting that the two traditions are the same.

Remembering Ali Ekber Çiçek

The memory of Turkish folk musician Ali Ekber Çiçek is also part of Tahtakuşlar’s cultural life. A memorial event was held at his grave in the Tahtakuşlar neighbourhood on the 20th anniversary of his death. His songs were performed there, after which carnations and roses were placed on the grave. At a memorial service organised by the Municipality of Edremit at the grave, Ender Balkır and Adil Asker Yıldız also performed songs by the artist. These memorial events differ from the recurring annual customs: they commemorate the musician and his memory.

Getting there and choosing where to stay

From Akçay, the route described reaches the road to Çamlıbel after 6 km. Tahtakuşlar is another 1 to 2 km farther on, and the Ethnography Gallery is at the entrance to the village. This information provides clear guidance for travelling from Akçay. When looking for a holiday apartment, you can first consider whether you would like to make Tahtakuşlar itself the focus of a culturally oriented stay. The gallery, the traditions of the Tahtacı Turkmen and the remembrance of Ali Ekber Çiçek offer different thematic starting points.

More local pages for your research: Belkıs Village, Demirkapı, Pamukçu, Çelebiler Village, Ayvalık, Saraylar, Edremit and Bandırma.

For the main travel overview: Balikesir.