ROJEVÎN RÛBA

Makhmur- Thousands of Kurdish people, who were forcibly displaced from their homeland in Northern Kurdistan in the 1990s, live in the Makhmur refugee camp. Despite having lived in exile for decades, the women living in the camp continue to preserve their culture.

They planted grapes in their new living space

These people stayed in different parts of the Kurdistan Region for years; however, they were displaced due to oppression faced by them. In 1998, they rebuilt their lives in the Makhmur refugee camp and planted grapes in their new living space. Today, they grow grapes and make grape molasses for winter. Kewê Tunç is one of these women.

“We used to make molasses in our village”

Speaking about the benefits of grape molasses, she said that grape molasses are good for all diseases. “We used to make molasses in our village,” she said that she has not forgotten the taste of the molasses they used to make in their village although years have passed.

They make molasses several times in a year

Indicating that they have a large vineyard and that they make molasses several times in a year, Kewê Tunç said, “It takes at least two days to make molasses. First, we wash grapes and then start making molasses. We spend days and hours making molasses.”

 They are the first people, who made grape molasses in the camp

 

Kewê Tunç told us that her family is the first family who made grape molasses in the camp. “Actually, nobody in the camp had tried it until then, so we decided to make molasses and succeeded in making it. Then, all the people living in the camp started making molasses,” she said.