 Visiting Kars
As I write this, I am in the North Eastern city of Kars, and I can assure you about one thing: It is freezing! A group of us students came here a few days ago as part of the "Festival on Wheels, DocuTravel" project. So far, we have shot two documentaries about Kars, with a third most likely on its way.
Kars is a city that has really evolved to become quite modern over time. The architecture of the buildings is very interesting, and is part of a rich history. Just one of the fascinating buildings a visitor to Kars can find is a mosque, constructed in 937 and opened in 1918
The people who live in and around the city come from a combination of different nations and cultures, with Armenians and Germans living in villages nearby. I was told that there is a German village, formed many years ago, that has remained ever since.
We had a chance to go to a place called Çıldır Lake. There we met women who were fishing by themselves, or with a brother. An old lady, Gül Ana, who was the first woman to start fishing in the lake, told us that she believed men and women are equal and both have a right to contribute to a family’s living. Now that she has retired from that job and has started feeding birds. She has a domestic "craw" named Kral (which means King), which never leaves her shoulder; a pelican named Arzu who lives in the garden and likes to eat fish, and several geese and chickens.
So to keep it short, along with the filming we have been doing, discovering the city of Kars has been a great learning experience.
Hope you had a great week too...
Alev Değim (COMD/IV)
contactinspector@yahoo.com
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