The “Symposium on Healing in Anatolian Culture” began, where Anatolia's long-established medicine and healing tradition was discussed with a multidisciplinary approach.

In the program, which will continue at our Mustafapaşa Campus between 24-26 September, the history of medicine, traditional and complementary medicine practices and folk medicine practices are comprehensively covered with the participation of academicians and researchers who are experts in their field.

At the opening session of the symposium, our Rector Prof. Dr. Hasan Ali Karasar, Mustafapaşa Mayor Mustafa Özer and our University's Associate Professor Dr. Şükran Ünser addressed the participants.

“We consider it a responsibility to carry cultural heritage into the future”

In his speech, our Rector Prof. Dr. Hasan Ali Karasar stated that the University of Cappadocia considers it a responsibility not only to protect the cultural heritage, but also to carry it into the future through scientific research. “As the University of Cappadocia, we are a university dedicated not only to preserving the past, but to understand it, to research it and to carry the cultural heritage into the future.” said.

Noting that the concept of healing has a broader meaning beyond physical healing, Karasar used the words “Healing; healing, repairing, getting back on your feet and reconnecting with oneself, with life.”

Referring also to Cappadocia's multi-layered heritage stretching from the Hittites to the Ottomans, Karasar stressed that the region has a rich accumulation of culture and healing civilizations.

“Every piece of information shared is very valuable for new research.”

Mustafapaşa Mayor Mustafa Özer pointed out the importance of the symposium in terms of knowledge sharing and preparing the ground for new research, saying, “Two things multiply as they are shared; one of them is love and the other is knowledge. Any information you share is very valuable to us.” Özer stated that he believes that the works to be presented at the symposium will contribute to new research and roadmaps.

“Our goal is to build a bridge between disciplines and institutions”

Prof. Dr. Şükran Ünser pointed out the multilayered structure of healing culture in Anatolia, which is shaped by different sources and experiences. “The starting point of this meeting was that we realized how closely intertwined meanings that seemed so distant from each other were under the same soil,” Unser said, emphasizing the importance of oral and everyday knowledge outside of written sources. Unser said that this information is at risk of being lost, “Saving it in a place where the record cannot reach everywhere becomes a liability, no longer a method.”

“Healing in Anatolia is not a narrow enough field to be understood in the language of a single discipline,” said Ünser, who also mentioned the structure of the symposium, which brings together different disciplines. Ünser stated that the meeting was intended to lay the groundwork for new research rather than to provide definitive answers, “We as organizers of this meeting are not here with the intention of claiming an answer, but with the intention of establishing a ground where this answer can be talked about. Our goal is a bridge: between disciplines, between institutions, between the recorded and the recorded,” he continued.

The first day of the symposium, in which researchers from different disciplines will present their papers and will continue for three days, was completed after the presentation of the question-answer section and the presentation of thank-you documents.