Pigeons, not missing from the skies of Mardin, are a passion for their owners. So much so that Veysi Paketli rented four historical houses for her pigeons. He took us to these houses, where he did not even let his family touch the evil eye for the first time and gave surprising information about the pigeons.
ŞEHMUS EDİS (MARDİN NEWS)
Veysi Paketli from Mardin, four trillion dollars for 400 pairs of pigeons. He made his historical home a host for pigeons. A head of the Mardin Pigeon Protection Association and the headman, Paketlı has been breeding pigeons for 58 years. Pigeons consume three tons of wheat, one ton of millet and one ton of mixed feed a year. The reason that he rents four separate houses for pigeons is because he wants to feed different races in different places. He spends about 25 thousand lira a year for his pigeons on feed, maintenance and house rents.
The value of the pigeons that he makes such expenses is quite high. Therefore, it needs to be protected from thieves. For this reason, Paketlı keeps secret the location of the mansions where pigeons feed. He surrounded his house with fences to protect the pigeons he raised in the garden. There is also a kangal dog brought from Sivas in the garden. Not satisfied with this, Hedeflı has now set up a camera system.
Paketli, who currently feeds nearly 400 pigeons including 200 pairs of breeding pigeons, does not even show these pigeons to his brother so that the evil eye does not touch them. He said that he opened the pigeon coops to us for the first time and said, “I keep the pigeons like a secret so that the evil eye does not touch them. I divided the three floors of the four-story apartment I live in for pigeons. I did not even let my children live in these houses. I look at the pigeons like my eyes. Because protecting your race is very important. 150-year-old tumbling pigeons are protected without spoiling their race. ”
2 OF 5 HOUSES FEED
Expressing that Mardin cannot imagine a pigeon without a pigeon, he said,“ Today, all of the long-established families in Mardin feeding pigeons. Abdulkadir Pasha family, National family, Shahtanars, Mungans, Ansaris, tribes, Christian families feed the Mardin pigeon. There is definitely a pigeon coop on the roofs of historical houses in Mardin. It is a love to have pigeons in this city. He said, “I look for pigeons in the air while walking on the street with my wife.”
He said that nearly 30 thousand people feed pigeons in Mardin and said, “Pigeon is the only remedy for stress. People living in the city center are bird sick. Pigeons fly on the roofs in the late afternoon of summer. Each roof has its own pigeons. ”
UP TO 200 THOUSAND LIRA
Its pigeons are invaluable, according to Hedeflı:“ Currently, the pigeons of Mardin are the most expensive. the bird is the somersault pigeon, the game bird. A pair of eggs of these pigeons start from 10 thousand lira. Today there are 100 lira pigeons as well as 200 thousand lira pigeons… But the most popular pigeons find buyers up to 200 thousand lira. I have the best quality pigeon breeds in Mardin. However, I definitely do not sell it because I am a pigeon fan. I don’t have a bird for sale either. ”
Well-kept, he started feeding pigeons at the age of six thanks to his father. His father also kept pigeons until the age of 105. “When he saw me, he wouldn’t ask me about the condition of the pigeons.” says. But he tried to keep his children away from the love of pigeons.
Pigeon lover Veysi Paketlı said that there are 30 types of pigeon breeds unique to Mardin. Thinking that the new generation does not know much about the breeds and families of pigeons, he listed the names of the pigeons unique to Mardin as follows: “Yusufi, crushed, bluish, asfar, fizzi (silver), body, crushed pepper, dragonfruit, longs, rosebuds, musk, ahmar. He says that there are 15 types of pigeons. There were such pigeons that their pedigree was known until 150 years ago. The characteristic of the tumbling pigeon is that they can tumble 50-60 when they rise to the sky and stay in the air for 5-6 hours. They lay their eggs under the mail pigeons so that the tumbling pigeons don’t wear off. Because the pigeons are very good stepmothering for them. “
THE MESSI AND RONALDO OF THE DOGS
People do not come to Mardin only to see its historical and cultural texture. This city is also frequented by pigeon lovers from all over the world. Pigeon lovers from America, China, Dubai and many Arab countries make their way to Mardin. Veysi Paketlı said, “An enthusiast from China recently bought pigeons at a high price from Mardin. I have pigeons like Messi and Ronaldo. It is invaluable. ”
How is Veysiiyeli. If the apple of Amasya, the cream of Afyon, the kangal of Sivas, the baklava of Antep, the apricot of Malatya are registered, it decorates the sema of Mardin and almost beats its wings. He explained that the registration application was made for pigeons, which are treasure.
His father, 103-year-old Veysi Paketli, who was deceased, took possession of his father, who was chasing pigeons until his death.
Pigeons, which are not missing from the skies of Mardin, are also for their owners. it has turned into a passion. Veysi Paketlı, who was caught in this passion and spent half of his capital on pigeons, stated that they applied for the registration of pigeons unique to Mardin and said, “We applied to the Turkish Patent Institute to obtain a patent. If a patent is given to Sivas’s Kangal dog, why not give Mardin’s pigeons? Mardin’s pigeons deserve to be registered. ”
I DESCRIBE MY PIGEON 20 YEARS LAST
She has named all her pigeons and knows them one by one. So much so that he can distinguish his own pigeons from among the dozens of flapping wings in the sky when he releases them to fly. In fact, we do not know if this is possible, but he says that if he disappears, he will recognize a pigeon 20 years later, even when he sees it by chance.
The hawks, which constitute the second most important color of the Mardin skies after the pigeons, are the greatest nightmare of Shirli. Because the well-fed and healthy pigeons mean a unique feast for the hawks floating over the Mardin castle. When the hawks haunted the pigeons, the only loss was not the pigeons that feed them. While one or two of the pigeons were bait, the others were walking away from Mardin skies in fear and did not come back. He went to Syria once in 2009 and bought a special type of baby pigeon for 3,500 Euros. After introducing and educating him about the environment for a while, he flew with other pigeons. However, as a result of the hawk attack, the known pigeon fled back to Syria with its own flock. Upon this, he went back to Syria, to the herd owner from whom he bought the bird, and had to pay an additional 700 Euros to bring that pigeon back.