Yayla craftsman keeps Cyprus’s galbur tradition alive

Hüseyin Burat continues to make galburs — traditional sieves associated with Cyprus’s shared cultural heritage — at his workshop in Yayla near Güzelyurt, according to a report by Yeniduzen.

Burat said he is the only person still producing galburs in both northern and southern Cyprus. He told the newspaper that he began helping his father with the craft when he was 12 and took over the work in 1986.

Galburs were traditionally used for tasks including sifting flour, cleaning wheat, whitening sesame and preparing tomato paste, Burat said. He added that they were once important items in brides’ dowries, while today they are often kept as decorative objects or souvenirs in North Cyprus.

The craft requires between about 1.5 and two hours to complete, depending on the size of the sieve, according to Burat. Decorative patterns punched into the metal take additional time and patience.

Burat said the metal used in the galburs is produced in Cyprus. The wooden frames, however, are sourced from Istanbul because they are no longer made locally, he said.

Born in 1945 in a village called Yayla near Paphos, Burat said his family moved to the Yayla near Güzelyurt after the 1974 events. His account links the craft to communities on both sides of the island and to older household practices.

He called on the Education and Tourism ministries to introduce young people to galbur-making and promote the craft to visitors. Burat also invited young people interested in learning to visit his workshop and discover the craft as part of Cyprus’s cultural heritage.