Village Home Stay in Turkey!!!

I plan to stay at a village home in Kurdish region of Turkey… this place…. Some details about the place I am planning to stay at.

YUVACALI KÖYÜ

Situation and Geography

Yuvacali (pronounced Yoovajala) is situated right in the middle of what was Mesopotamia, with the Tigris to the North-East and the Euphrates to the South-West. This village of a couple of hundred inhabitants lies about four miles from the nearest town (Hilvan), and is situated just off the main North-South Diyarbakir-Urfa highway.

History

The village, which was known by its Kurdish name of Hilun until the 1970s, has been settled since the dawn of civilization. Evidence for this settlement has been found in the mound which towers over the present village. Whilst the mound has not been excavated it is reasonably assumed to be the site of the original settlement, being close to what was once an abundant water supply. Heavy rains bring archeological finds to the surface, and these have included Sumerian cuneiform tablets (the first examples of writing anywhere in the world, approx 3,000 BC). Since these cuneiform tablets have come to light only half way down the present mound it can be safely assumed that the lower layers of the mound are a good deal older. Indeed archaeological excavations in neighboring villages have indeed uncovered remains from 8,000BC. It seems safe to say, judging from the height of the mound and the position of the Sumerian finds that the settlement at Yuvacali is among the oldest in the area.

Its more recent history consists of settlement by Armenians and Kurds. The remains of an Armenian village can be seen when facing east from the top of the mound.

Yuvacali today

Today the population in Yuvacali is overwhelmingly Kurdish in ethnic origin and the lingua franca that you will hear is Kurdish and not Turkish.
The once abundant water supplies at the base of the mound dried up with the building of the Ataturk Dam on the Euphrates and the implementation of the GAP project. The village now suffers from severe water shortages, with water being brought from a depth of approximately 100m below the surface for irrigation, while household water is piped into the area. As for electricity, it came to Yuvacali in 1982, but power cuts are still frequent.

There is a primary school in the village which takes children from the age of 7, their secondary education being completed in the town of Hilvan. The pre-school unit, taking children from the age of 5, is currently closed due to the lack of teaching staff. Having said that, while literacy in the village runs at around 50%, school attendance is almost universal, and the literacy rate among children is relatively high.

Most people in Yuvacali work in agriculture and are self-sufficient in many foodstuffs. Some younger people work away and send remittances back to the village. However, the average income is still less than the ubiquitous ‘a dollar a day’, putting these people well below the poverty line.

The family with whom, I might stay…. Some detail about them…

HOME STAY IN YUVACALI

The House

Because of the extreme climate in the area, traditional dwellings were built of mud, providing heat in winter and yet keeping the house cool in the baking summer. Unfortunately, concrete arrived in Yuvacali 25 years ago, and while there are still many examples of traditional building in the village, the vast majority of dwellings are now constructed in concrete.

Alas, your home stay property is of the modern type. However, the original building was mud-constructed and the owners of the house did not destroy the older buildings when they modernized to concrete. Instead, one wing of the property is traditionally built (it is now used for the animals and for storage), and one wing of the house is modern.

As with all dwellings in the area, regardless of the size of the family, it consists of two rooms. One room is for daily family use (you will see school books, the families personal belongings, and piles of bedding in this room), and one room is for guests (here you will see an empty room, furnished only with a display cabinet which shows souvenirs, presents received, the household porcelain, and photographs).

The Family

The husband and wife are Halil and Pero, and they have three children: Faruk (17), Fatih (16), and Aylin (9). Although neither the mother nor the father received any education, they are keen that their children go to school, and in order to facilitate this, the oldest boy works away from home during the school holidays, providing his family with valuable extra income.

Their main income comes from farming, and they keep 7 cows, and 12 sheep, as well as 20 chickens and 3 turkeys. You are welcome to join in milking time (a ladies-only job in this part of the world).

The Food

Most of what you will be offered to eat will be home-grown and/or home-made. From the isot that flavors the food, to the vegetables from the kitchen garden, and from the bread in the morning to the cheese that goes with it, all of it is home-made. Even the bulgur rice peppered with pasta is painstakingly done by hand.

Amenities

There is no shop in the village. Should you wish to buy bottled water (large bottles 1TL) or cola (cans 1.5TL), please ask Pero. Nescafe is available at 1TL per cup. An ‘honesty bar’ policy is in operation, just ask for what you want, keep a note of it yourself, and hand the money over before you leave.

If you would like your clothes laundering, the use of the washing machine including washing powder and fabric conditioner is available at the cost of 5TL per load. Just sort out a load, and hand it to Pero, your wash will be returned to you dry in the morning before you leave.

Looks like a wonderful opportunity….