A Folkloric Investigation of Saffron Plant and Saffron Culture in Safranbolu District

Abstract

Saffron is a bulbic cultural plant in the Iridacea (imynegiller) family, the above-ground part of the genus Crocus L. is a single-year sub-earth part, which is perennial. The saffron plant, which spreads in the tropical and subtropical climate belt in the northern hemisphere, now grows in Italy, Spain, Greece, Morocco, Egypt, Israel, Turkey, Japan, China, India, Pakistan, Iran and Azerbaijan.        

Saffron, the world's oldest spice and medical plant, has been used in religious rituals, folk medicine and folk cuisine since antiqui age. Safranbolu district of Karabuk province is one of the most important centers of saffron plant, whose production dates back thousands of years, to be farmed in Anatolia.  Safranbolu, where quality saffron onions are produced, has been home to saffron plant for centuries with proper growing conditions. 

Re-remembering the saffron plant, which lost its importance for a period in Safranbolu; ecological, economic, touristic and aesthetic evaluation efforts are remarkable. In our study based on the awareness of the saffron plant that gave the district its name; "It is aimed to examine the past/present status of the saffron plant and to determine the cultural structure that has formed around it.

This study was conducted in 2018-2020 in the light of the materials and data obtained as a result of the field research conducted in Safranbolu District Upper Farm Village Linen Production Farm and Safranbolu District Center and the material obtained was evaluated with folk-specific techniques. Observation and interview techniques were used during the research and in the ongoing stages; Interviews with saffron producer Ismail YILMAZ were recorded by video recording and the growth process of the plant was documented by photo.