Taraklı appears in a new TTNet commercial in which renowned actor Şener Şen acts as the mayor of the town, called Mümkünlü.
The town of Taraklı has been taken over by special excitement these days. From the general store to the barber, retailers are in a hurry to change the name on their signs and replace it with “Mümkünlü” (Possibly).
The town appears in TTNet’s new commercial in which renowned actor Şener Şen acts as the mayor of the town, called Mümkünlü.
The streets of the town exude history, and the Ottoman-style houses and happy faces around give the impression that it is a movie set created by the producers. The village in the ad actually exists; the town called “Mümkünlü” in the TV commercial is actually a 700-year-old settlement in the province of Sakarya.
In order to get to Taraklı from Istanbul, one has to take the Adapazarı-Bilecik exit on the highway and make a turn at the Bilecik next, pass the town of Geyve and then take the Taraklı exit.
Joined to the Ottoman Beylik (principality) between 1289 and 1293, the town’s center preserves the area’s historical fabric. Located on the Silk Road, Taraklı’s first-ever neighborhood, Yusufbey, is known for a 700-year-old plane tree. It is an Ottoman custom to plant a tree after conquering a settlement unit.
Taraklı was one of the busiest stops along the Silk Roads until the 1950s. Following the construction of the Bolu Highway, the town split from the trade line and was left alone, which allowed it to maintain its historical fabric for centuries.
The population of the town used to be 10,000 but dropped to 3,000 as young people left the town. Now, it is almost impossible to see any young people in the streets.
For people living in Taraklı, the TTNet ad campaign is a turning-point. Until a year ago, the town was not known much even in Sakarya, but now all of Turkey knows about it.
‘How can I get to Mümkünlü?’
Locals say some tourists still ask them “How can I get to Mümkünlü?” They all are pleased to have some more tourists after the ad campaign and seem sure many more will come to town in the spring.
Locals have rolled up sleeves to transform the opportunity into cash. Many retailer signs in the town read “Mümünlü Pastry House” or “Mümkünlü Barber,” while many others have already put orders for new signs starting with “Mümkünlü…”
The biggest characteristic of Taraklı is its preservation of its Ottoman texture. A natural and archeological site, there are a total of 300 Ottoman-style houses, 155 of which are already registered. The Taraklı houses were built in line with typical Ottoman architecture and are an average of 250-300 years old.
In the last five years, 70 buildings were restored. Only local masters are working on the restorations. Taraklı Municipality was awarded by the Historic Cities Association for meticulous works done here in the town.
Happy indeed
In the absence of a young population, the elderly look happy enough. People in Taraklı are mostly retirees while the income source of the town is agriculture and stockbreeding.
Taraklı became a town in 1987. Barley, wheat and oat are produced in the town.
“Here is like a kingdom. We don’t struggle to earn a living. Let alone incentives or retirement salaries, we have neighbors who earn 8,000 Turkish Liras from poultry. Our animals are fed by oregano in the mountains. You buy meat at a very expensive price. But the meat you eat and the one I eat is not the same. We also have good relations with neighbors here. No annoying incident takes place. No one locks the door. Who knows we might have an unexpected guest and if the door is locked this is impolite,” ,” 77-year-old İsmail Yüksel said.
