An opening and information meeting was held within the scope of the “Geometric Dance of Wood Kündekari” project, supported by Mevlana Development Agency under the Tourism Technical Support Program and carried out by Selçuklu Science and Art Center, under the coordination of the T.R. Ministry of Industry and Technology in the TR52 Konya-Karaman Region.

Mevlana Development Agency Secretary General Dr. İhsan Bostancı, Selçuklu District Director of National Education Sami Sağdıç, Selçuklu Science and Art Center Director Mehmet Ali Gürel, Turkish Education-Sen Konya Branch No. 2 President Bayram Güneş, Selçuklu Science and Art Center teachers, and guests attended the program held at Konya Metropolitan Municipality Kapsül Technology Platform.  

Speaking at the opening of the program, Mevlana Development Agency Secretary General Dr. İhsan Bostancı said, “Development Agencies are development units that continue their work to contribute to the development of their responsible regions in every aspect with the understanding of “Development Starts Locally”, bringing together public, private sector, and non-governmental organizations. As Mevlana Development Agency, we continue our work with various activities we carry out and support mechanisms we implement in order to develop the Konya and Karaman Region, for which we are responsible, in every aspect and to activate its potential. This project, which we will open today, was also submitted to our Agency by Selçuklu Science and Art Center and is supported by our Agency within the scope of the Technical Support Program. With the project to be implemented, it is aimed to transfer the kündekari art, which is a traditional Turkish handicraft and unfortunately among the crafts that are about to disappear, to future generations through trainings. Within the scope of the project, trainings will be given to the participants on the promotion and historical background of kündekari art. Afterwards, workshop studies and technical trainings will be carried out, and after the trainings, the implementation phase will begin, and after the works are completed, its promotion and presentation will be made with an exhibition. While increasing the recognition and awareness of kündekari art and ensuring its transfer to future generations are among the ultimate goals of the project, the fact that an innovative production will be realized by blending kündekari, an ancient art, with new technologies makes the project even more valuable. In addition, creating interest in kündekari, one of the traditional Turkish arts, in our high schools, creating a trained workforce in this craft, and producing entrepreneurs in this field are also among the goals of the project. On this occasion, I would especially like to state that the “Revitalization of Seljuk Wooden Toys and Kündekari Products” project, submitted to our Agency by the Konya Chamber of Furniture Makers and Artisans within the scope of the Social Development Support Program (SOGEP) Anatolians, coordinated by the Ministry of Industry and Technology, General Directorate of Development Agencies, and implemented locally by development agencies, was entitled to receive support, that we signed its contract last week under the supervision of our Konya Governor, that 2 million 600 thousand TL was allocated to the project by our Agency, and that a “Seljuk Wooden Toys and Kündekari Center” will be established within the scope of the project. With these feelings and thoughts, I express that our support for all projects that will contribute to the production, employment, and preservation of the historical and cultural heritage of our city and region, like these projects, will continue to increase, and I thank the entire team, especially Selçuklu Science and Art Center Director Mehmet Ali Gürel, who contributed to the preparation of the project, and Kapsül Technology Platform, which hosted us today, and I wish the project to be beneficial,” he said.

Afterwards, Selçuklu Science and Art Center Director Mehmet Ali Gürel also said, “As a Center, we have implemented many projects both for our students to receive education in better conditions and to contribute to science and art. With this project supported by Mevlana Development Agency, we aimed to reveal new products by blending the Traditional Turkish Handicraft Kündekari, which is among the crafts that are about to disappear, with new technologies, and to transfer this art to future generations by reviving it in tourism vocational high schools and other vocational high schools. Within the scope of the project, in the first stage, trainings will be given to our center’s teachers by Kündekari masters who are in the very kitchen of the job, and then this experience gained by our teachers will be transferred to our students. We have full faith that this art will be revived with the completion of the trainings and our students starting to receive these trainings. We thank Mevlana Development Agency for their support for this project, to which we attach great importance as an institution,” he said.

After the speeches, within the scope of the project, a detailed training was given to the teachers of Selçuklu Science and Art Center on the history, techniques of kündekari art, and how this art can be integrated into educational materials.