A 120-year-old profession: The lowest price starts at 4,000 lira, and there is high demand from abroad.
Rıza Akbalış, whose family's signature can be found on the finials on the domes of many historical buildings in Bursa such as the Ulu Mosque, Orhan Mosque, Muradiye and Yeşil Mosques, also sends his products to the Balkans, Germany, Greece and the USA.
Made from metals like copper, bronze, and brass, the finials undergo 18 different processes and take one and a half to two days to produce, depending on size. Available in single, double, triple, or quadruple batches, the smallest of these finials are sold starting at 4,000 lira.
Akbalış says that this craft, which, like many traditional arts, is passed down from father to son, from generation to generation, and requires patience, is a challenging process for those who want to practice it. He requires that those new to the profession complete a 6-7 year apprenticeship period after a year of observation.
Akbalış, noting that the number of alem masters has decreased due to this challenging period, said, "As far as I know, four people make them in Türkiye, but now they're slowly disappearing. I'm the only one in the Marmara region. Apprentices are running away because it's such a difficult, demanding profession. Of course, our children, our apprentices, our grandchildren aren't very inclined to the profession. Of course, I'm saddened. Over time, this profession will probably gradually disappear."
Rıza Akbalış said, "The globe is the symbol of the mosque. When a mosque is built, the first thing they look at is the globe. It's a visual inherited from the Ottoman Empire. This visual has been around for about 400-500 years. In conclusion, let me put it this way: if the cross is the symbol of churches, then the symbol of an Islamic country is these globes, the crescent."
Akbaliş said, "When I set out on a long journey, I feel very proud and honored when I see the ceremonies we have created. Because those ceremonies will remain for 300-400 years after I leave this world. That ceremonies will still be there and will not be forgotten."
ntv
