Hulusi Deveci preserves traditional copper tinning in Adana

Hulusi Deveci, a fourth-generation craftsman in Adana, continues the traditional trade of tinning copperware despite declining interest due to technological changes and shifting consumption habits.

Deveci has been practicing the craft since 1970, spending 45 years in Kozan and approximately 15 years in Adana. He maintains the profession to honor a promise made to his father to keep the family tradition alive. Despite being retired, he continues to work in extreme heat, noting that workshop temperatures can be two to three times higher than the outside temperature of 38-40 degrees Celsius.

Beyond his manual labor, Deveci is also a composer and songwriter, blending his technical craft with his poetic interests. He views his work not merely as a source of income but as a way to preserve a vanishing cultural heritage, noting that many similar traditional trades are rapidly disappearing from cities.