By Mia Baki—Founder of Laughing Birch Herbals
The village “aunties” have always carried forth the wisdom of Traditional Turkish herbalism, yet unfortunately waning interest of the younger generations is putting this cultural treasure at risk of being lost.
Over the past decade, I’ve had the fortunate opportunity to travel to Turkey every year to visit my Turkish friends and be welcomed into their communities. We first met through my interest and study of the ney (a traditional flute of the Middle East, Anatolia, North Africa and Persia), and I’ve enjoyed many musical collaborations together, including participating in the sacred Sufi Sema (Ceremony of the Whirling Dervishes) which first began in the 13th century with the mystic poet Rumi in what is now Konya, Turkey.
My travels have been an eye-opening experience of beautiful cultural exchange and shared human camaraderie. There is one family in particular in which we have “adopted” each other, and it is through this loving inner circle that I have learned so much and which has allowed me the opportunity to work toward fluency in the beautiful Turkish language. I feel it is only through listening to stories in their own native language and cultural context that we can begin to catch the rich nuances of meaning.
Turkey is the modern-day country which lies on the Anatolian Peninsula—one of the most culturally rich and ancient lands of our human history. What we know as “Greek Medicine” included Anatolia as well—as legend states that Hippocrates, known as the “Father of Medicine,” taught his theories of herbalism and physiology to his pupils under the shade of a giant sycamore on Kos, an island along the coast of Turkey, which was his birthplace.
In many ways, Turkish culture still retains an unbroken link with the wisdom of living interconnected with their land and expressing this through their traditional arts and daily life. Yet with many cultural treasures, it is in danger of being lost to the ages.
The West is experiencing a renaissance of interest in herbalism, yet Turkish herbalism is virtually unknown here in the United States. I am hoping to build a bridge between our cultures, so that traditional Turkish farmers and herbalists can share their cultural treasure. Providing opportunities for sharing and centering Turkish growers’ and herbalists’ stories and perspectives will be a top priority in this partnership.
We believe that if Turkish herbalists and harvesters realize that there is an international interest in their knowledge of herbs, it will create a new wave of interest and development which will compel younger generations to continue to sustain these herbal traditions into the future. It is with this hope that Laughing Birch Herbals is launching the “Turkish Line” which will include herbs and products made with traditionally used Turkish herbs.
Turkey is the modern-day country which lies on the Anatolian Peninsula—one of the most culturally rich and ancient lands of our human history. What we know as “Greek Medicine” included Anatolia as well—as legend states that Hippocrates, known as the “Father of Medicine,” taught his theories of herbalism and physiology to his pupils under the shade of a giant sycamore on Kos, an island along the coast of Turkey, which was his birthplace.
In many ways, Turkish culture still retains an unbroken link with the wisdom of living interconnected with their land and expressing this through their traditional arts and daily life. Yet with many cultural treasures, it is in danger of being lost to the ages.
The West is experiencing a renaissance of interest in herbalism, yet Turkish herbalism is virtually unknown here in the United States. I am hoping to build a bridge between our cultures, so that traditional Turkish farmers and herbalists can share their cultural treasure. Providing opportunities for sharing and centering Turkish growers’ and herbalists’ stories and perspectives will be a top priority in this partnership.
We believe that if Turkish herbalists and harvesters realize that there is an international interest in their knowledge of herbs, it will create a new wave of interest and development which will compel younger generations to continue to sustain these herbal traditions into the future. It is with this hope that Laughing Birch Herbals is launching the “Turkish Line” which will include herbs and products made with traditionally used Turkish herbs.
