In the Seydişehir district of Konya, Şakir Cırık, who practices beekeeping using the methods he learned from his grandfather, makes a living by selling the honey produced in the rock crevices of the bees.
Şakir Cırık, who lives in Ortakaraören Village, a part of Seydişehir, applies resin obtained from tar trees to the crevices he has previously identified among the rocks in Sayalı Plateau in the Toros Mountains, encouraging bees to build their hives there. Cırık collects the natural honey produced by the bees that settle in these crevices when they are attracted by the scent of the resin during the autumn.
Şakir Cırık, explaining that he has been practicing beekeeping in the highlands for years using the methods he learned from his grandfather, said, "I've been obtaining natural honey in the Toros Mountains for years using this method. I collect honey made by bees in their own combs, without any additives. This honey is 100% natural. It is made from essences gathered from flowers that have no chemical substances, located at an altitude of 1,700 meters, far away from settlements and factories."
Cırık mentioned that they harvest honey from approximately 10 rock crevices in the highlands every year, and he explained, "The amount of honey we collect varies depending on the seasonal conditions. Natural honey has its special customers. Primarily, people with diabetes, those with coughs, lung patients, asthma and bronchitis sufferers, those with growth problems, children, and people experiencing weakness come to me to buy honey. Just like our elders, we also take a spoonful of this honey every morning. It keeps our sugar and cholesterol levels in check, and we can live without visiting a doctor. Those who try it for the first time say they've never had honey like this before and come back to buy more the next year. I can say it's a remedy for many ailments."
