In an almost deserted region.
In the Anatolian highlands, where summers are dry and winters are long, lies Sivas – a region characterised by barren fields and endless steppes. Agriculture here follows the rhythm of the weather, not the calendar. Wheat and barley dominate the fields, while flocks of sheep and goats graze on hillsides where the grass is already straw-coloured in August. Many farms are small, often family-run businesses where manual labour is still part of everyday life.
The people of Sivas live with a certain harshness that matches the landscape. Income is often scarce, young people are drawn to the big cities or abroad, while the older ones stay and work the fields. Those who live here share a quiet knowledge of how to save water, how to survive the frost and how to stick together despite migration. The smell of freshly baked bread from wood-fired ovens mixes with the dust of the village streets – a quiet everyday life, far from the fast-paced headlines.
Historically, Sivas has long been a hub between East and West. Caravans on the Silk Road stopped here, and in the Middle Ages, the city was an important centre of Seljuk and Ottoman administration. Sivas also played a role in more recent history – in 1919, the Sivas Congress, a milestone in the Turkish independence movement, was held here. Today, these events are part of the collective memory, even though everyday life has long since returned to being dominated by harvest times and cattle drives. | Turkey
