Iğdır women revitalize üzerlik tradition through modern design

In Iğdır, a traditional practice involving the collection and use of üzerlik plants is being revitalized through modern design and social media. Local women gather the plants from rocky, high-altitude areas during the early morning hours, a process described as laborious and exhausting.

Literature teacher Nurcan Tuna has introduced a new approach to this tradition by purchasing the collected plants, specifically the buds, from rural women and transforming them into unique decorative designs. Under her social media brand, ‘Iğdır Yöresel’, these handcrafted products have gained significant international interest, receiving orders from locations as far as Canada and the Netherlands.

What began as a hobby to support a friend has evolved into a small-scale economic venture. The initiative now provides supplemental income for several local women, helping to contribute to their family budgets while preserving the region's cultural heritage.