The current situation of Oltu stone processing

Some of the problems related to the preservation and development of traditional handicrafts in Turkey include artisans migrating to large cities, advancing age, or passing away, leading to a shortage of skilled personnel to continue these crafts. Nowadays, many handicrafts have begun to decline or even disappear due to both the aforementioned reasons and the changes brought about by technological and scientific advancements. In this study, the current situation of Oltu stone artisanship, one of the Turkish handicrafts that greatly contributes to regional development, and the changes it has undergone from past to present were examined. For this purpose, visits were made to manufacturing and sales workshops in the province of Erzurum and the district of Oltu, and interviews were conducted with 72 Oltu stone artisans to determine the raw materials, tools and equipment used, production techniques, decoration techniques, produced items, and marketing information of this handicraft. Additionally, the reasons for the changes in Oltu stone artisanship from past to present were determined through research. In identifying the changes, the results of field research as well as the study titled "Characteristics of Oltu Stone Processing and Some Products Produced in the Region" by Alpaslan (2009) were relied upon. According to the results of interviews with Oltu stone artisans and relevant literature, it was observed that there have been no changes in raw materials, but modern technological tools and machines have replaced traditional tools during raw material extraction. Alongside the tools used in artisanship in the past, modern technological tools such as CNC machines and diamond saws have also begun to be used. It was determined that production techniques continue traditionally, and decoration generally involves the use of silver, brass, turquoise, and coral, with gold being used only upon request due to its increased cost. It was found that decoration techniques such as filigree and wirework are not applied today, and filigree products sold are sourced from the Mardin region. It was also observed that the most produced items are various types of prayer beads, and the products are generally marketed to local residents and domestic tourists in store environments. Because of the economic crisis in 2010, increased costs in raw material extraction, excessive cost increases in the minerals used for decoration, and increased labor costs led to a significant downturn. Factors such as the desire of the younger generation for education and a more comfortable modern life, current economic conditions, orientation towards modern professional fields, and economic reasons have hindered the training of artisans in Oltu stone artisanship, as in many other professions. With the entry of technological tools developed after 2016 into the market, the increase in underground production has led to the production of low quality and cheap goods. After 2019, the increase in auctions and marketers of prayer beads marketing products made from cheap and low-quality (Russian-Georgian) stone under the name of Oltu Stone has been observed, and it was seen that the COVID-19 Pandemic in 2020 brought Oltu stone artisanship to a standstill. This also harms traditional Oltu stone artisanship. Preserving Oltu stone Turkish handicraft is important as it contributes to both local employment and the preservation of cultural heritage, thus promoting sustainable development.