Folk medicine in Van and the surrounding region in Turkey in the context of applied folk science

Folk medicine considered to have emerged along with the onset of human history came into existence as human beings turned to individuals, spaces, or certain methods that were believed to have an attribute that cured diseases in primitive periods. In this direction, several rituals and practices emerged from the past to the present and were utilized for centuries. The geography, beliefs, history, traditions, customs, and cultural approaches of societies became effective in the formation of these practices that reached the present day through oral transfer. Folk medicine practices, the basis of which was laid by the attitudes adopted by primitive humans toward supernatural incidents, contributed to the birth of modern medicine as well. The folk medicine that is a part of the folk culture rests on the people's knowledge and experiences. Along with innovations and changes in modern life, folk medicine is practiced by still maintaining its objective and true essence. Today, traditional folk medicine is described by names such as alternative medicine, complementary medicine, and holistic medicine. The Turkish folk medicine that originated from Shamanism and the old Turkish belief system reached the present day upon being transferred from one generation to another via the oral culture. Observing its practices is possible in the province of Van and the surrounding region in Turkey. Van is one of the significant settlements that hosted numerous civilizations in the past and accordingly had a rich culture of folk medicine and healing hearth. The healing hearth tradition and folk medicine practices are still acknowledged and continued in the region. In this study, in light of the data collected from written and verbal resources, the folk medicine in Van and the surrounding region was addressed and analyzed in the context of applied folk science. The study covered the topics of the place of folk medicine in popular culture, its contribution to the cultural economy, and the protection of the sustainability of the cultural heritage in the framework of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (SOKUM). Keywords: Van, Disease, Folk Medicine, Applied Folk Science, Cultural Economy.