Historical Saffron Production Revived in Sanliurfa
· Tarım Pusulası
In collaboration with the Sanliurfa Metropolitan Municipality and young agricultural engineers, the saffron production heritage from the Ottoman era is being brought back to life through trial plantings.
Trial plantings for the saffron plant have been officially launched in Sanliurfa through the initiatives of young agricultural engineers and the institutional support of the Sanliurfa Metropolitan Municipality. Mayor Mehmet Kasım Gülpınar, accepting the project proposal prepared by the young engineers, assigned the Department of Agricultural Services to ensure the rapid commencement of the work. The planting of saffron bulbs has been completed in special trial plots prepared within the Eyyübiye Enterprise. Throughout the process, the phenological development and climate adaptation in the field will be regularly monitored by the municipality's technical staff and the young engineers.
The connection of Sanliurfa's lands with the saffron plant dates back to very ancient times and the Ottoman Empire period. 16th and 17th-century archive records indicate that saffron, particularly grown in the Viranşehir region, commanded high value in the Istanbul market. With the ongoing trial study, the aim is to revive this ancient agricultural heritage. By measuring the plant's performance under local climate and soil conditions, it is planned to introduce an alternative and profitable model to regional agriculture.
Agricultural Engineer Salih Elğaç, speaking on behalf of the young agricultural engineers, emphasized their organization under the 'Mesopotamia Saffron' umbrella and made the following statement:
Touching upon the historical importance of Viranşehir, Agricultural Engineer Salih Elğaç noted:
Emphasizing the critical importance of the land support provided by the municipality, Agricultural Engineer Salih Elğaç concluded his remarks:
The main objective of the work is to offer an alternative product that will generate high income for small and family-type agricultural enterprises. Agronomic data obtained from the trial fields will determine the roadmap for saffron farming to be widespread throughout Sanliurfa.