Turan Bahadur

If leather was once the source of life for ancestors, now it has become a symbol of Kazakh culture in a modern style. According to our hero, art is embedded in the blood of nomads. His ancestors made a living by selling leather clothing after moving from Altai to Afghanistan. In Kashmir, the production and sale of leather clothing has been suspended. Let's go back a little to history.

Turan Bahadur with Turkish President Recep Erdogan

Speaking about East Turkestan and Altai evokes special feelings among Kazakhs. These sacred lands, which have become the object of the political situation, are the homeland of most Kazakhs living in Turkey today. Kazakhs, forced to leave their lands, crossed the Himalayas on foot, lived in India and Pakistan, experienced hunger and disease, and finally settled in Turkey. Unfortunately, not all of those who set out on the journey safely reached their destination. Nevertheless, in different parts of Turkey you can find descendants of Kazakhs who moved from this region. Among them there are those who still practice their ancestral profession and preserve their culture and traditions.

However, many elderly people who witnessed the migration have already passed away. Their descendants now live in the Zeytinburnu districts of Istanbul and Kemalpaşa of Izmir. At first, most Kazakhs came to the village of Salihli in Izmir. In addition, near the city of "Nigde" there is the village of "Altai", where a small number of Kazakhs live. If you are looking for Kazakhs in Turkey, you will find them in these regions.

Turan Bahadur was born in Turkey. He has a small leather shop in Zeytinburnu and a factory in the Aljuar district. He receives an order for at least a hundred items of clothing a day. The factory has a wide range of leather products, but the vast majority are interested in headdresses - "tymaks".

The profession, which originally began in Kashmir for survival, today occupies a special place in the fashion and art industry. For Kazakhs, who were engaged in animal husbandry in East Turkestan, processing wool of livestock is not alien. However, the Turks have also made progress in this matter. Even if you look into history, it turns out that modern leather processing technologies originated in Istanbul during the time of the noble Sultan Fatih. To win the war, the Sultan built many factories for sewing leather clothing. There were special craftsmen. Subsequent sultans continued the tradition of their ancestors and supplied the army with leather clothing and leather weapons. This same tradition has continued from generation to generation. The proof of this is the Harbiye Military Museum in Istanbul, which contains ancient leather goods, clothing and weapons. So how did Turan Bahadur succeed in this business in Turkey, where there are high rates and quality of leather processing? How did he interest the Turkish film industry?

The series "Dede Korkut hikayeleri". Headwear sewn by Turan Bahadur.

"Kazakhs and Turks are tribesmen. Ancient history, the food they ate, the clothes they wore... that is, they have a lot in common. But over the years, in the course of history, there are moments when someone moves forward and the other is behind. Since childhood, I grew up observing the peculiarities of my ancestors' work in the leather business. I worked with craftsmen who mastered various methods. As a result, my work progressed, and most importantly, I wanted to create something national and modern, without losing its historical value. Perhaps this was the reason for contributing to the Turkish film industry," says master Turan Bahadur. Now he teaches his profession and the art of leather to children.

The series "Delli Dumrul"

The series "Direniş Karatay"

For the first time, there was an order from the series "Dede Korkut hikayeleri". Then special clothes were sewn for actors of such famous films as "Delli Dumrul", "Kuruluş Osman", "Direniş Karatay", "Hürküş", etc. For example, Turan Bahadur created the leather jackets for pilots from the last film. In addition, singers, including Alperren Kekili, famous in Turkey, order their stage costumes from master Turan. "Sometimes I see an order made by ordinary people in some series. No matter how they try to trick us, we immediately recognize our work," - laughs Turan Bahadur during the conversation.

Currently, in Turkish films, you can also find examples of clothing characteristic of the ancient Turks. Over time, orders began to come from other film companies. In recent years, the demand for leather products has increased not only in Turkey, but also around the world. Today, Bahadur has clients in the USA, the United Arab Emirates, Russia, Canada, Australia, Ukraine and other European countries.

Author: Serikgul SULTANKAZHI.