5,000 YEARS LATER, ANCESTRAL KAVILCA WHEAT RETURNS TO ESKIŞEHIR SOIL!

With its vision to preserve agricultural heritage and promote natural farming, Eskişehir Metropolitan Municipality has launched a significant project. Mayor Ayşe Ünlüce, together with her team, has reintroduced Kavılca Wheat--one of Anatolia's oldest known wheat varieties, dating back 5,000 years and discovered in the Küllüoba excavations--to the fertile lands of Eskişehir. Mayor Ünlüce stated, "From here, we will sow hope for the future."

Through the efforts of the Department of Agricultural Services, the municipality has revived Kavılca Wheat, a heritage grain with a 13,000-year history. Cultivated mainly in the Kars and Ardahan regions, this ancient wheat is non-genetically modified and highly nutritious. The first planting took place on 11 decares of municipal land, with the participation of Mayor Ayşe Ünlüce, Küllüoba Excavation Director Prof. Dr. Murat Türkteki, Süpüren Neighborhood Head Osman Atan, and local women and children from the community.

"We Are TakIng the FIrst Step After 5,000 Years"

Speaking on the municipal land in Süpüren Neighborhood, where the planting began, Mayor Ayşe Ünlüce expressed her great excitement about the project. "The bread, one of the most essential foods in human history, has been an indispensable part of both our tables and our culture for thousands of years," said Ünlüce. "We are here today to follow the traces of this ancient history. What makes us so excited is that, after 5,000 years, we are once again bringing Kavılca Wheat together with the fertile soil of Eskişehir."

EmphasIs on Natural FarmIng and Local Seeds

Highlighting the importance of the project for agricultural sustainability, Mayor Ayşe Ünlüce drew attention to the resilience of Kavılca Wheat against environmental challenges. "Kavılca Wheat is resistant to climate change. It will be cultivated through dry farming methods, without the need for fertilizers, pesticides, or irrigation. This project will make a valuable contribution to our vision of natural farming and to the preservation of local seeds. Today, we are sowing hope for the future," she said.

Mayor Ünlüce also reminded that the 5,000-year-old Küllüoba Bread, discovered by Prof. Dr. Murat Türkteki and his excavation team, had previously attracted great interest, and noted that it was produced using Kavılca Wheat. She added that the ancestral wheat harvested from this project will once again be used to bake Küllüoba Bread and shared with the people of Eskişehir.

Prof. Dr. Murat Türkteki, Head of the Küllüoba Excavation, stated, "The 5,000-year-old bread unearthed during last year's Küllüoba excavations attracted great attention and was even reproduced. This special bread received high demand not only in Eskişehir but also from various provinces across Türkiye. Through this process, the vital importance of wheat -- the main ingredient of bread -- became even more evident. In this context, Kavılca Wheat was brought to Eskişehir for the first time, and pilot production has begun. We are delighted to revive this historical and local value.

Süpüren Neighborhood Head (Mukhtar) Osman Atan also noted that the local climate in the area is colder than in central Eskişehir, making it suitable for cultivating Kavılca Wheat, which naturally grows in the Kars and Ardahan regions. He expressed his gratitude to Mayor Ayşe Ünlüce for her support and interest in the project.