Ahis

Painter portrays plight of quake survivors in watercolor

A painter living in the Central Anatolian province of Kırıkkale draws paintings of heartbreaking moments from the Kahramanmaraş-centered quakes and displays them on her wall, dedicating them to quake survivor children.

Şengül Otman, a 43-year-old painter living in Kırıkkale, paints historical structures and cultural assets in many provinces of the country with watercolor.

Organizing trade: The ahis and guilds of Anatolia

While guilds in the Ottoman Empire might never have had the same independence as their European counterparts, they still had an important role and also shared many characteristics with Sufi organizations The guild in Ottoman times can be defined as an association of craftsmen and tradesmen who dealt with the same products and who banded together for their mutual benefit.