Women in Manisa preserve 50-year-old Ramadan yufka tradition

In the Karaoğlanlı neighborhood of Manisa, a group of 11 women aged between 60 and 80 are preserving a 50-year-old tradition of making Ramadan yufka (flatbread). Working through the 'imece' system—a method of collective labor—the women gather in a garden to prepare dough, roll out thin sheets, and cook them over a wood fire.

The group divides tasks among themselves: several women roll the dough, one person manages the wood fire to cook the bread, and another stacks the finished products for storage. These flatbreads are specifically prepared to be consumed during sahur (the pre-dawn meal) during the month of Ramadan.

Despite their efforts, the women expressed concern that they may be the last generation to uphold this custom. Sebiha İnan, 62, noted that younger generations are increasingly unable to participate due to changing lifestyles, work commitments, and educational demands, leading to the potential disappearance of this cultural practice.