Melikgazi hosts traditional Heybe exhibition

As part of the Turkey Culture Route Festival, the Melikgazi Municipality has opened the ‘Carried Memory of Culture: Heybe Exhibition’ at the Sanat Melikgazi art center. The exhibition features a collection of traditional saddlebags, or ‘heybes’, curated by collectors Berna and Lütfi Özden.

The collection includes pieces gathered from various Turkish provinces, including Çanakkale, Balıkesir, Manisa, Aydın, Fethiye, Konya, Niğde, Çorum, Mersin, Malatya, and Sivas. Many of these items served as dowry bags and have been well-preserved, with some dating back 110 to 120 years. Collector Berna Özden noted that these textiles were historically used along migration routes from Central Asia to Anatolia.

Melikgazi Mayor Palancıoğlu emphasized the importance of preserving these handmade artifacts as vital links to cultural history and Islamic heritage. The exhibition is open to visitors daily from 10:00 to 17:00 until September 13, 2026.