In Samsun, northern Türkiye, citizens line up to have their turn with Dursun Yıldız, the oldest umbrella repairman in the country and the only one in the city. Yıldız has been a tradesman in Samsun's Bedesten Bazaar for over 70 years.
At 95, he remains in good health and passionately practices his craft. As the last representative of this profession in Samsun, the father of four does not use glasses and repairs an average of five umbrellas per day. Citizens even wait patiently in line for their turn with 95-year-old Yıldız.
Expressing that today’s youth do not appreciate work and are drawn to easy money, Yıldız stated: "Business has increased. Samsun has come alive and people are coming here. There is no one else repairing umbrellas. Repairing umbrellas is very difficult. If it were easy, everyone would do it."
"Some umbrellas take half an hour to repair, while others can take up to two hours. Right now, I can repair a maximum of five umbrellas a day. Young people do not appreciate work. They find jobs difficult. Instead of working on these, they prefer to chase easy money. I have never smoked in my life. I eat normally and avoid overeating. My retirement from this repair work is near.”
Citizens who come to have their umbrellas repaired by 95-year-old Dursun say: “There were two masters who could repair umbrellas in Samsun. One has passed away, and only Dursun uncle is left. I will also get my umbrella repaired. It’s commendable for him to work at 95 years old. He is a very honest person. He tells us if an umbrella cannot be repaired, and he works on those that can be fixed.”
