Ahilik Culture Week Celebrations

The word Ahi comes from the Arabic word "Ahi", which means "brother". In addition, there are those who argue that the word Ahilik comes from the Turkish word "Akı". The word Akı means "generous, generous, brave".

Ahi order, which forms an important dimension in the economic and cultural life of the Anatolian people; It is the combination of honesty, love, friendship, cooperation, tolerance, knowledge and solidarity with art. In this sense, we can say that Ahiism is the symbol of the worker, the worker, the producer, honest earnings, honest trade and honest management.

We can list the basic principles of Ahiism as follows:

- Ahilik is a public-oriented institution. A person who does not prioritize his own business interests over other colleagues seeks happiness in serving and being useful to the public.

- It aims to establish a apprentice-apprentice-journeyman-master hierarchy, which is matured by staying at a job level for a certain period of time, and to establish art on solid moral and professional foundations by being devoted to the teacher at these levels, like a father-son relationship.

- It arranges the interest relations between producers and consumers, which is an important problem in tradesmen and craftsmen, in a way that does not cause conflict with each other.

- Respect for work and diligence, cooperation and punishment of injustice are among the basic principles of the Ahi institution.

According to the Ahi tradition, an Ahi

- His forehead should be open,

- Open-handed; Must be generous, helpful,

- His table and door should be open, and he should share everything he has with his guests.

Besides these, an Ahi;

- One should keep one's tongue free from lies, backbiting and slander.

- He should tie his eyes from looking for shame and tie his hands from what is haram,

- He should tie his waist and not covet anyone's honor.

Our Ahi institution, which existed with such beautiful principles, continued as guild and gedik organizations during the Ottoman period, but unfortunately disappeared at the beginning of the last century; With the establishment of our Republic, our tradesmen organizations continued their work in accordance with legal regulations. Today, diplomas are given instead of wearing loincloths, and the social security of tradesmen and working people is provided through the Social Security Institutions of our State. The rights of tradesmen and their employees are protected by Unions and Confederations of Chambers of Tradesmen and Craftsmen. The main principles laid down by the unions of tradesmen and craftsmen established by the Ahis formed and should form the basis of the laws and regulations prepared later in this field.

Today, institutions formed by tradesmen and craftsmen; It benefits from the basic principles of Ahiism, which values people, encourages solidarity and aims for justice, and attaches importance to values such as love, knowledge, friendship, justice and solidarity, which are the common virtues of humanity.

In 1988, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism established the Ahi Order Festival, which was previously held only in Kırşehir, in order to spread it throughout the country and celebrate it under the name of "Ahi Culture Week", in order to transfer and teach these aspects of the Ahi order, which has always embraced "the good, the right and the beautiful", to new generations. This meaningful day has been celebrated for 15 years, based on the Regulation prepared by.

Symposiums are organized in order to research and promote the Ahilik institution on a scientific platform. The first one was held in Ankara in 1993, the second one was held in Kırşehir province in 1999, and the third one was held in Kayseri between 11-13 October 2004. The papers presented in the 1st and 2nd Symposiums have been published and the 3rd International Ahilik Culture Symposium will also be published in a short time.

Since 1988, when the regulation was issued, 13 books have been published by our Ministry, and it is aimed to introduce the Ahi Culture to the public and to keep the sublime values of the Ahi order alive through both publications and organized panels and symposiums. For this purpose, Assoc. Mehmet Şeker's "Social-Cultural and Economic Life of Anatolia and Ahi Order According to Ibn Battuta", "Ahi Order Culture and Fütüvvetnames in Turkish-Islamic Civilization" prepared by Cemal Anadol, prepared by Yaşar Çalışkan and M.Lütfi İkiz II of the works titled "Ahi Order in Our Culture, Art and Civilization". Prints were made.

In 2000, the Akhism Culture Archive and Documentation Center and Library was opened in Kırşehir and documents related to the Akhism were collected in a single center. For this purpose, the written material obtained as a result of the interviews with all the Central Executive Board Members was collected in this center.

Ahi culture, which was traditionally celebrated by Kırşehir Governorship and non-governmental organizations until 1988, gained an official qualification with the regulation prepared by our Ministry on 02.07.1988 and published in the Official Gazette numbered 19860 and entered into force every year by the provinces included in the week.

The moment is officially celebrated with a week-long celebration starting on the 2nd Monday of October, and this year the celebrations were held in 22 provinces between 11-17 October 2004.

Ahilik Culture Week Celebrations are carried out by the Celebration Committees established in the provinces under the supervision of the Central Executive Board, and the Ahilik Culture Central Executive Board consists of representatives of the following institutions and organizations:

- Prime Ministry (Directorate of Social and Cultural Affairs)

- Ministry of National Education (General Directorate of Apprenticeship and Non-Formal Education)

- Ministry of Labor and Social Security (Bağ-Kur General Directorate)

- Ministry of Industry and Trade (General Directorate of Tradesmen and Craftsmen)

- Ministry of Culture and Tourism (General Directorate of Research and Education)

- Ministry of Culture and Tourism (General Directorate of Fine Arts)

- Ministry of Culture and Tourism (General Directorate of Libraries and Publications)

- Ministry of Culture and Tourism (General Directorate of Promotion)

- Atatürk Culture, Language and History Supreme Council Presidency

- Presidency of the Council of Higher Education

- General Directorate of Turkish Radio and Television Corporation

- General Presidency of Turkish Tradesmen and Craftsmen

- Turkish Trade Industry, Maritime Commodity Exchanges Association

- General Presidency of Ahilik Research and Culture Foundation