We’re going for a walk in Bozcaada where we’ll follow the traces of the past through a playful journey. Bozcaada, a place where Turks and Greeks lived together until recently, now with a Greek population of barely 100, carries numerous traces of interaction between these two cultures in areas such as cuisine, architecture, entertainment, and craftsmanship. In Lavarla’s specially designed route ‘Ada Müşterek’ for the festival, we’ll trace these imprints and seek commonalities in memory spaces. In this short tour with five stops, we’ll comprehend the culture of coexistence between Turkish and Greek communities on the island, through sites of memory…

Stop 1: Alaybey Mosque (Craftsmanship): Starting from the mosque, the traditions of the Turks on the island will be discussed, along with the crafts inherited from the Greeks, such as viticulture and winemaking.

Stop 2: Çınaraltı (Social Life): Once a creek that separated the Greek and Turkish neighborhoods and served as a boundary, today it is covered and forms the main street of the island. Along this street, the festivals, celebrations, and social lives of the Turkish and Greek communities on the island will be described. Additionally, the settlement arrangement of Turkish and Greek neighborhoods will be covered.

Stop 3: Simyon Salto Preserves (Food and Drink): The flavors born from the collaboration between the Turkish and Greek cultures on the island and the stories behind these flavors will be shared: Ada mantı (dumplings), tomato jam, sea urchins, etc.

Stop 4: Virgin Mary Church (Common Life): Through the church, the traditions of the Greeks on the island, along with what they learned from the Turks, will be explained. Additionally, the historical narrative of Greeks from, including their departure from the island, will be covered.

Stop 5: Sokrat’s House (Architecture): Briefly touching upon the story of Sokrat, a Greek captain, Turkish and Greek architecture on the island will be explained through examples.