05.09.2026 15:02
Emre Aydın, who turned his childhood curiosity into a professional gold prospecting career in nature in Bursa, left his military personnel job and now searches for gold in different regions of Turkey. Working with machines he produced himself, Aydın spends his summers searching for gold in Turkey's streams and his winters establishing gold facilities in Africa. Aydın, who also produces the machine he uses, drew attention to the İnegöl and Orhaneli districts of Bursa.
Emre Aydın, who learned gold prospecting from his elders in Bursa at the age of 15 and turned it into a profession over time, has been extracting naturally occurring gold from streams full-time for about 7 years. Aydın, who continues his work on social media under the name "Emre Aydın Gold," left his military career to dedicate his life to gold prospecting.
Aydın, who developed himself in this business that started as a childhood curiosity, said that in the early days he struggled to find even gold dust, but as he gained experience, he reached a level where he could extract a few grams of gold daily.
"WE DON'T GO BELOW 3-4 GRAMS A DAY"
Aydın, stating that gold prospecting is not a job that can only be done with machines, emphasized that one must first know the terrain and rocks. He said that correctly identifying quartz rocks that can carry gold and spots in streams where gold can accumulate is of great importance.
Aydın said, "In the beginning, we couldn't find even a gram, let alone dust. But over time, by improving ourselves, we started to get 4-5 grams of gold daily. Now, the gold we get from our machines doesn't fall below 3-4 grams. Of course, this entirely depends on the work and the terrain."
Aydın, noting that their annual average varies depending on work intensity, said they can obtain between half a kilogram and 1 kilogram of gold.
HE IDENTIFIES SPOTS WHERE GOLD CAN ACCUMULATE
Aydın, explaining that during field studies they especially examine spots where grass roots and debris accumulate, said that they begin working if scans in these areas detect sufficient amounts of gold.
"Spots where grass roots and debris accumulate can be places where gold settles and builds up. We scan those areas meter by meter. If we find 5 pieces or more of gold in every shovel, we determine there is at least 0.10-0.20 grams of gold per square meter. Based on this, we sit down with the team and decide whether to work or not," he said.
HE PRODUCES HIS OWN MACHINES
Aydın, stating that they also produce the systems they use in Turkey themselves, said the machines they developed over the years have reached different capacities. Aydın, noting that they started with the panning system, stated that today they produce systems with capacities ranging from 10 tons to 100 tons.
Aydın, stating that those new to gold prospecting should first develop themselves with the panning system, said, "They start with panning first. After developing themselves, they learn about quartz and the spots where gold can accumulate. Then they move to sluice systems, followed by motorized and portable systems. In larger systems, we can separate the gold with fewer shovelfuls using a vacuuming method."
HE TRAVELS TURKEY WITH A CARAVAN
Aydın, saying they do not have a fixed work location, explained that they explore different regions of Turkey with their own caravan and the equipment they produce. Aydın, stating that they carry out their work almost like civil servants, said they are in the field about 5 days a week. Aydın, noting that rainfall and water conditions are also important in their work, stated that they move to other areas from regions where efficiency drops.
IN WINTER, HIS ROUTE IS AFRICA
Aydın's work is not limited to Turkey. Continuing his gold prospecting in Turkey during the summer months, Aydın goes to the African continent in winter to establish larger capacity gold facilities. Stating that they establish facilities from 10 tons to 100 tons, Aydın said he generally spends the winter months in Africa due to orders coming from abroad.
"BURSA, İNEGÖL AND ORHANELİ ARE MORE VALUABLE REGIONS"
Aydın, stating that Turkey's geological structure offers significant opportunities for gold extraction in some regions, especially drew attention to Bursa and its surroundings. Aydın said, "Geologically, there are very productive regions. There is a lot of gold in Turkey, but exploration efforts are limited. Generally, I see the potential of Bursa, İnegöl, and Orhaneli regions as more valuable in terms of gold. You can extract gold more easily there."