Ayşe Özkaraca

Ayşe Özkaraca was born in Aksaray in 1945. She finished Ağaçlı primary school in the district of Gülağaç. She weaves traditional handicraft baskets. Basketry and mat making are some of the oldest handicrafts in Anatolia. They are becoming sparse and are being forgotten in time.  Baskets have been woven with different plants and techniques in every region in Turkey and used for many functions: collecting plants, preservation of food supplies and carrying objects. Basket-making skills are being forgotten, and vanishing, but a few craftsmen like Ayşe Özkaraca are still preserving this craft.