The town of Avanos is located 15 kilometers from Nevsehir. In antiquity, the place was called Vanessa, which is „the town on the river“ in Latin. People here made ceramic objects, pitchers, plates, large jars, and other household utensils. Today, the locals still carry out this ancient tradition and the town is famous for terracotta products.
I have joined the group of tourists to take the tour around one of the shops where those utensils were sold and hand made. Beautiful plates, pitchers, jars were displayed in the store, in all shades of blue. Small lovely patterns were designed by hand. Then – the workshop, the wheel for pottery was there.
„Anyone wants to spin it?“, the guy at the store asks.
Well, why not, I thought, have never done it anyway. And I was right – I would remember it as one of my travel anecdotes!
That wet clay was bursting all around, moving on one side and the other, appearing as some shape of a jar. But by the time I got excited by „the thing I have made, myself“, it just collapsed and turned into, well, let’s say – a bowl.
Was confused by the colorful pants I was given before I have sat at the wheel, but when I have started spinning it, it became clear – the clay was wet and „alive“, jumping all around onto my clothes and shoes. Anyway, I’ve made some kind of a jar and they have promised (as they do to all the tourists) to put it in those clay ovens so that my „masterpiece“ would be preserved.
„Funny experience“, I thought going out of the store, with pieces of clay in my hair!
Next: FORERUNNER OF A MODERN BUILDING (14)
The full Cappadocia SERIES
11 responses
That sounds like fun. And a recognition of the skill required to make something beautiful.
It was fun, thanks! 🙂
Such a nice experience. I did not visit cappadocia yet, but was in a similar place called Kandovan in Iran, but no potteries there.
It was fun to do it since pottery is a traditional craft in this small town. 🙂 Btw, have seen some of your posts on Iran, loved them!
I love the pottery places near Cap. The whole area is just amazing. I used to go a couple times per year!
Couple times per year? That sounds like fun and enough time to see it all! 🙂
This looks like a lot of fun! And incidentally I love terracotta products – I find that they have such a rustic look to them and often makes food look more inviting!
You’re so right, great meals to be prepared in those dishes! Love to use terracotta dishes too, just never tried to actually make one. Until Cappadocia! 😀
I’d love to have a go at this it looks so fun! The dishes are beautiful. Heard great things about Cappadocia I hope we can make it there soon.
Liked them too, I was hooked when I saw so many blue jars! Fingers crossed for you to go soon. 🙂