31.12.2025 11:57
In the Hacılar district of Kayseri, at the foothills of Mount Erciyes, there are wells that date back 5 centuries and were originally built to meet water needs. Today, they are used to obtain cold water during the summer months. Citizens who continue this centuries-old tradition threw the first snows of the season into the snow wells they cleaned in November. A local resident said, "In order to preserve our tradition, we are filling the snow wells through a collective effort."
In the Hacılar district at the foot of Mount Erciyes in Kayseri, wells reaching a depth of 7 meters are filled with tons of snow during the winter months. The local people have started to throw the first snows of the season into the wells, which are cleaned in November. Especially in rocky and shaded areas, the locals bring clean and region-specific powder snow in bags and pack it into the wells, filling most of the wells in the area with snow masses through communal effort, and will close the lids until summer.
As the snow in the wells, which are opened at the beginning of summer and used like refrigerators, partially melts, the water obtained is drawn up with buckets and consumed. The snow taken out with buckets is eaten with yogurt, molasses, walnuts, and hazelnuts poured over it in plates and bowls. The district's residents cool off with the snow and ice-cold water from the wells in the hot summer weather, which reaches 35 degrees.
"WE THREW THE FIRST SNOWS OF THE SEASON INTO THE WELL" Ahmet Gengeç, who stated that they distribute snow for free to those who want it during the hot summer, said, "We fill these wells every year. We distribute it to those who come and go in the summer. We have been filling these wells for years. We have tap water. But, we fill the snow wells through communal effort to preserve our tradition. We threw the first snows of the season into the well. God willing, we will fill it completely and distribute it to those who come and go in the summer. Our generation is the last generation. The new generation does not take care of these wells. As long as our health allows, we will uphold this tradition."
"THE TEA MADE WITH SNOW WATER TASTES GREAT, WE EAT IT WITH MOLASSES IN SUMMER" Gengeç also expressed his sadness that the snow well tradition is not being preserved by the new generation, saying, "This tradition is an ancestral tradition. It is nostalgia for us. We have a group called the Aksu conversation group. When it snows, we come together and fill each other's snow wells. There are snow wells that are 300-500 years old. There are those who see us and congratulate us. Previously, there was no tap water in Hacılar. Water was drawn from streams to the wells. We currently have tap water. But, since we experienced the difficulties of those days, we want to always have water in our well. This work is a legacy passed down from our grandfathers and something we continue. This generation is now the last generation. There will be no continuation. No one else will come. We will do this work as much as we can. The tea made with snow water tastes great. In summer, we eat it with molasses poured over it. The yogurt drink is also very good on hot days," he stated.
"WE ARE CONTINUING OUR TRADITION FROM THE PAST" Mustafa Özdemir (80), who lives in the district, said, "We have accomplished many important tasks for the promotion of Hacılar. We are now the last generation. The generation that comes after us will not do this work. Snow water is very valuable. In hot summer days, people look for cold water. It is not available in every well. There are those who come here to bring water. There is tap water in Hacılar. But this snow water is different. We are continuing this tradition that has come from the past. We, along with the team here, always sit together in summer and winter. In summer we are in the highlands, and in winter we are here together," he said.