Mehmet Artukoğlu, the last blacksmith who has been trying to make a living by shaping iron for 42 years in Mardin’s Artuklu district, defies the years and tries to keep the profession that is about to disappear.
Şehmus EDİS (MARDİN NEWS)
Mehmet Artukoğlu, known as the last blacksmith in Mardin, defies years. 51-year-old Mehmet Artukoğlu, who has started his blacksmith business with his father at the age of 7 for 42 years, has been producing ax, sickle, cutters, and blacksmithing materials based on agriculture.
The profession of hot iron is also becoming history
Mehmet Artukoğlu, Mardin’s only hot iron master, said that he took over this job from his father for 70 years and continued as a hot blacksmith for 42 years.
He started this profession at the age of 7 with his father and for 42 years without interruption. Stating that he continues, Artukoğlu said, “I work as a blacksmith for farmers and for sickle and ax animals. There is no other blacksmith in Mardin doing this work, I am the last blacksmith. It looks like there will be no blacksmithing after me. ” said
Artukoğlu, who stated that fabricated products reduced our product sales by 90 percent, said, “I produce rows, sickles, hammers, axes, pickaxes, hoes, stone breaking products. I produce it on the order given by the villagers. We are now roasting in our own oil. ”
