Cappadocia Pottery

When you go to Cappadocia, the things that will remain in your memory and enrich your memories are not only fairy chimneys, underground cities, and vast valleys. When the ‘Land of Beautiful Horses’ Cappadocia is mentioned, although the fairy chimneys and flying balloons that are synonymous with its name come to mind at sunrise, there are also many experiences where you can experience the best in Cappadocia. Experience in the pottery workshops of Cappadocia is one of them. Cappadocia pottery-making experience, where you can combine the miraculous aspects of the soil with art, is possible in Avanos, one of the 3 touristic centers of Cappadocia.

Cappadocia Pottery – Avanos

The history of pottery in Avanos dates back to the Hittites. This tradition has been passed down from generation to generation for centuries. Natural conditions are what make Avanos an important center for pottery making. Of course, this is the artistic spirit of people combined with natural conditions. The clayey soft soils collected from the Kızılırmak beds form the raw material of the pottery. The minerals and materials in the soil are the elements that make it suitable for pottery making.

The soil on the banks of the Kızılırmak, which has flowed for hundreds of years, is gold for pottery making in Cappadocia with its content. Avanos district is 16 km from the center of Nevşehir. stays in the north. The history of the district also dates back to the Hittite period. The name of the district comes from the ancient name ‘Venessa’. Archaeological research shows that the pottery made when settled life in the region was used by the people living here at that time.

In the Seljuk and Ottoman periods, the pottery made here was used in trade. It is known that especially if the roads of passing caravans fall here, they buy a lot of pottery. We can say that the fame of Avanos pottery started with the first Turkish settlement in Anatolia. Even in the Ottoman and Republican eras, pottery making became interesting. Men began to seek the condition of knowing this craft for marriage. When this is the case, Avanos pottery, which has a good reputation and quality, has emerged. You can see these historical items and the works of recent artists in the ceramic museums in Avanos. It shows examples of products used for pottery making in Cappadocia.

How To Make Avanos Cappadocia Pottery?

Although it may seem easy from the outside, making Avanos pottery requires attention and effort. Even though years have passed, you will not forget the pottery that you made with your own hands by touching the mud and soil here. Because while witnessing the production stages, you shape it with your own hands. Let’s take a look at the stages of this work, also known as ‘Avanos Art’. Those who want to learn about the pottery making of Cappadocia will also want to learn the details of this experience.

Avanos Cappadoica Pottery Features

The raw material is prepared like the dough we know. The clayey and soft Avanos soil collected from the Kızılırmak bed is first finely sieved and turned into clean soil. After the sifted soil, the dough is brought to the bride with water. The use of the dough material can take up to 1 week. Therefore, if you are going to use ready-made dough when you go, you can still witness the process of sifting the soil and sorting it according to its content in the pottery workshops of Cappadocia.

Avanos Cappadoica Pottery Making

Your working style changes depending on the shape of the product you will make. If it is desired to make a wide plate, machines with large molds are preferred, especially in mass production. However, a material called plaster of Paris is used in individual productions. This material is made of plaster and stands ready carved inside. After you pour the dough into this plaster and wait for 45 minutes, you empty the dough you poured again.

Afterward, the plaster absorbs the water of some of that dough and keeps the mud in its reservoir until it becomes a plate for you. After a certain amount of waiting in this mold, you can get your large plate from the mold. The working style, which has the most fun, is shaped by hand on a pottery lathe. Here, while you adjust the rotation speed of the wheel with your foot, you first press with your thumb to make the dough rise. Then you determine the form of the product you will make with your hands.

Touching the mud and creating a work of art out of it calms the human soul. When you see Avanos pottery, you will understand that the people of this region, which seems dignified with the wisdom of the past, are artists coming from their ancestors, in short, from the gene. Even seeing it will not be enough, maybe you will pass the wheel, you will want to try it too.
For you to taste this unique experience, as MDC Hotel, we also spare time for Cappadocia pottery making in Avanos, among the tours we organize. If you want to book this experience before your trip, you can reach us from this link. You can click this link for a reservation.