Dowry tradition in Nevşehir and its region

Marriage, one of the transition periods of life, is very important for the formation and transfer of cultural values. Preparing a dowry in the context of marriage is of great importance, especially for young girls who are about to get married. Dowry, which contains very rich elements in terms of intangible cultural heritage, is a long and ritualistic process that extends from its preparation to being taken to the man's house, displayed and used. In the study, how dowry, which is an important element in terms of folklore, was prepared in Nevşehir, its place and importance in traditional practices were determined and its current situation was discussed in the context of sociocultural change. Based on the data obtained from written sources and oral resource persons as a result of field research, the change and transformation of the dowry tradition from past to present in Nevşehir, which was determined as the sample region, was discussed and evaluated. In this context, a compilation was made in Nevşehir center, Acıgöl, Avanos, Derinkuyu, Gülşehir, Hacıbektaş, Kozaklı and Ürgüp and 66 resource persons were interviewed. Due to the subject and scope of the study, attention was paid to ensure that the majority of the resource persons were women. The introduction part of the study is divided into three parts, and in the first part, information is given about the historical, geographical and demographic characteristics of Nevşehir and its districts, which are the sample region of the study. In the second part, the purpose, scope and method of the study are explained. In the third part, a literature review on the subject is included. In the first chapter, the definition and historical process of dowry is discussed. The second part examines the traditional context of dowry in Nevşehir. In this context, the place of dowry in the transition period of life practices; The concepts of bargain breaking, taking a bundle, dowry chest, dowry bill and dowry laying are discussed and evaluated. This section is also the section where dowry is examined under two separate headings: handicraft products and ready-made products. Embroidery, weaving and knitting are included under the title of handicrafts. Within the scope of ready-made products, products ranging from white goods to jewelry were examined. This section, which constitutes a large part of the purpose of the study, includes visuals of the scope and features of dowry products in Nevşehir and information about how these products are prepared. The third part is the section where the dowry tradition in Nevşehir is discussed in the context of sociocultural change. In this context, the factors affecting the change in the dowry tradition from past to present were discussed and the place of the tradition in dowry stores, TV programs and social media was evaluated with current examples. In the conclusion, a general evaluation of the findings obtained in each section was made, and the place and importance of this tradition in social life and its usage areas in daily life were analyzed based on the Nevşehir sample. Keywords: Dowry tradition, handicrafts, sociocultural change, Nevsehir.