Transforming Travels
Goluri's Story
The story of Goluri has been around for many years in the Eastern Black Sea region, in ecology, natural culture, traditional life practices.He has done research on topics such as; The story of a team that has realized conservation and improvement projects. Through our association Gola Culture, Art and Ecology Association, the years passed in the region have been a process in which ancient life knowledge, which is at the core of nature and shaped the traditional life of local people, has been recorded.In this process, we witnessed the life practices of people who establish strong ties with nature, understand and respect its functioning, and sometimes break away from nature. We wanted to convey the information and experiences entrusted from grandparents, shepherds, beekeepers, those who protect their seeds, water, mountains, people who see themselves as part of wildlife, wolf, bird and all kinds of creatures.
What does goluri mean?
Goluri means "high native", "highland", "mountainous" in Laz. We got this name inspired by the name of our non-governmental organization, Gola. Gola too; means high land, plateau, mountainis.
Transforming Travels
Goluri's "Transforming journeys" have a slow and calm sense of travel with few people.. Welcome to Goluri, to accompany our effort to allow transformation, to travel together, to understand together, to meet and try to multiply.
Among our motivations are to create a "responsible tourism model" in the Eastern Black Sea Region on a global scale, which is environmentally friendly, sustainable, fair, supportive of local development, in cooperation with the local people, and that this model is implemented all over the world.We want to mediate.
Sevilay Refika Kadioglu
Sevilay Refika grew up in an average urban culture in Gölcük. TOAfter receiving tourism education in Skişehir, he worked as a manager in business hotels in Istanbul.
His hometown is Fındıklı district of Rize. FatherShe is from Arılı/Pi3xala village, her mother is from Derbent/Trevendi village. Firstly, the Laz languageheard from his grandmother and grandfather. He followed his story through music. He participated in traditional laz music and dance compilations in Turkey and Georgia.He made the album “Ar Lazi Oxorca”, which consists of the songs he learned in this process, under the name Eka. Under the umbrella of Gola Culture, Art and Ecology Association of which he is one of the founders, Yeşil Yayla KültürHe was the coordinator of the Anat and Environment Festival. This process enabled him to get to know the Eastern Black Sea Region and the cultures it hosts.
He worked mainly on natural culture, traditional life practices, music and dance in the Eastern Black Sea Region. The ancient knowledge of Laz, the language of an autochthonous people for thousands of years, brought it closer to nature. over 25 yearscity where he lives Saying goodbye to Istanbul, he realized his childhood dream. He lives with his son Şina in a coastal town at the foot of the Kaçkar Mountains. Sevilay Refika is an informants artist who continues to collect under the umbrella of Gola Association and to share on the trips she designed through Goluri.
Gunes Aydemir
Your sun was born in Ankara. Founder and coordinator of Çamtepe Ecological Life Center and the idea of School of Life. In the Wheat Association since its establishmenthe works hard. He is also one of the founders of Bir Tohum Foundation. Güneşin Aydemir, who studied biology, devoted herself to the science of ecology. Working for nature conservation in civil society for over 25 yearsto nature, to the natural, and to the human species that is a part of nature; he looks and observes as a human being again. According to Güneşin, Man's greatest grief is that he has cut himself off from other beings by defining himself as "other". This bond is not broken in its essence, a person is mentally disconnected. For this reason, for the last 10 years, it has been curating training and workshops and creating learning spaces with the mission of restoring this bond and bringing people closer to nature. He is part of the Gola Association family and an informants artist who inspired Goluri with the School of Life.
Tamer and Caner Karataş
They were born as twins in 1986 in Fındıklı district of Rize. As the sons (Osman Karataş) of a wonderful darkroom photographer father, they experience the advantages of being born in a wonderful village in their educational and professional work. After working as regional representatives for national news agencies, they took part in performing arts shows along with their current and main profession of theater acting. They added energy to the festivals they attended, from stage director to presenter, from children's workshops to dances and finally with art performances.They keep adding .
They achieved high viewing rates by publishing the video works they prepared for awareness in the society on their social media pages.
In videos; They worked on issues such as violence against women, substance abuse, child brides, animal rights, education and training awareness. Tamer and Caner are volunteers of the Gola Culture, Art and Ecology Association. They also share their experiences and knowledge on Transforming Travels with Goluri. They turn Ali Rıza Bey Mansion in Hopa into NOVELİ Culture and Art Space and conduct artistic productions, activities and drama workshops for children.
Evolution Aykan
A minimalist Industrial Product Designer sensitive to environmental issues. His professional experience spans a wide variety of space design. He spent 12 years of his working life in Istanbul, the last 5 year spent in Africa and India as a project/site manager for various NGOs. It carries out sustainable development projects (water, energy, agriculture, education) projects in coordination with local governments, contractors, suppliers and local communities. Sometimes for his personal journey and sometimes for mission purposes, his travels to 4 continents and 10 different countries around the globe taught him to connect closely with our entire planet and all cultures. In this way, he saw that he could adapt to all living conditions. His experience has given him a versatile personality, including world-class leadership and collaboration skills.
He is closely interested in universal art and literature. A storyteller who loves to write stories and live the stories. He believes in the power of "creative visualization," an art of mental imagery, to produce positive changes in our lives.
In 2021, the year he decided to complete his journey, he went to the village where he was born in order to learn "the ancient knowledge of the geography and soil he was born in" from his farming family and to practice perm culture; He settled in Artvin . His acquaintance with Gola and the Goluri team began after this date. Today, he still works as a Design Consultant and Project Coordinator, sometimes part-time and sometimes full-time, in Turkey and abroad.