Barbaros Village hosts 10th annual Oyuk Festival in Urla

The 10th annual Oyuk Festival was held in Barbaros, a village in the Urla district of Izmir, Turkey. Recognized by the UN Tourism Organization as one of Turkey’s best tourism villages, the event aimed to preserve local cultural identity, protect agricultural lands, and strengthen the local economy.

The festival featured various activities, including traditional competitions, concerts, workshops, and folk dances. This year’s theme was ‘Yazma’. The name ‘Oyuk’ refers to the local term for scarecrows used to protect crops from wildlife, which has since become a symbol of the village.

Organizers stated that the festival serves to encourage production, prevent rural-to-urban migration by attracting youth back to the village, and ensure that local products reach visitors directly. Selçuk Balkan of the Urla Municipality emphasized the importance of maintaining the ecological balance and passing production culture to future generations.