TRADITIONAL WEDDING DRESSES IN KOCAALI (A TURKISH YORUK VILLAGE IN MACEDONIA)

After Ottomans invaded Balkans in 14th century, Yoruks and Turks settled in cities around Skopje, and they have been living in many urban centers since then. Radovis is one these urban centers. Kocaali is a village on the skirts of Mount Blacgovica in Eastern Macedonia, where yoruks from Karaman have been living for the last 600 years, maintaining their culture, language, traditions and lifestyle. One of the most obvious examples of this culture is the use of wedding dresses. The use of flamboyant and pretty dresses in wedding ceremonies has always been a common practice in all periods and in all cultures, and the forms of these special dresses vary in in various cultures with different connotations of colors, symbols and accessories. While the color and form of wedding dress vary according to the bride’s culture, religion and tradition, the accessories have symbolic meanings, and indicate status. The sector of wedding dress design and production has been altering the process due to production technologies, various design approaches, and changing demands of the clients. In earlier periods, red was the traditional color in Turkish wedding dresses, however, white wedding dresses have long been dominant. As the yoruk community in Kocaali village have maintained most of their traditional practices, their wedding dresses still reflect their local culture. The present study focuses on a sample set of wedding dress from the yoruk village Kocaali, and analyses the items in terms of material, color, ornamentation technique. The aim of the study is to record and transfer the present tradition to the future generations

Keywords

Yoruks of Macedonia, Kocaali Village, local wedding dress, accessories, ornamentation