Köklü Miras is a 12-month documentary and digital archiving project designed to record and preserve Anatolia’s oral traditions that have been sustained for centuries through lived experience and intergenerational transmission. Implemented in Artvin, Sivas, Mardin, and Kırşehir, the project focuses on cultural bearers aged between 35 and 95, transforming their knowledge, memories, and practices into permanent digital records. In a time when migration, urbanization, and weakening intergenerational ties threaten the continuity of oral heritage, Köklü Miras offers a sustainable model for cultural preservation.

In this project, Yasin Yavuz played an active role in developing the conceptual framework, coordinating the project structure, and shaping the overall content strategy. The project approaches culture not as a static element of the past, but as a living, evolving value that continues to shape collective memory. Field research, in-depth interviews, and audiovisual documentation processes were carried out with a strong emphasis on ethical storytelling and cultural sensitivity.

The documentary narrative is structured around the four elements—fire, water, earth, and air—each associated with specific cities and traditions. Rituals of blacksmithing, communal tandır gatherings, women’s oral narratives, and aşık minstrel performances are explored through the lens of humanity’s relationship with nature in Anatolia. This thematic structure creates a powerful visual and narrative language that conveys culture as lived experience rather than abstract knowledge.

Beyond documentation, Köklü Miras aims to foster public awareness and collective ownership of cultural heritage. All produced content is archived on the Köklü Miras digital platform, making it accessible to researchers, academics, and the broader public. Through Yasin Yavuz’s coordination, the project establishes a secure and sustainable digital space that ensures Anatolia’s endangered oral heritage is transmitted to future generations with integrity and depth.