Kalecikkaya Tepreş Festival
Kalecikkaya, a village in the Alaca district, is home to a community of Crimean-origin Tatar Turks; every July, the village holds a Tepreş Culture Festival that keeps its origins and culture alive.
Kalecikkaya’s Crimean Tatar Roots
According to the official village profile of the Alaca district governorship, Kalecikkaya’s first residents arrived from the Crimean peninsula and settled the village roughly 200 years ago. Villagers today still speak Crimean Tatar, one of the languages spoken in Crimea, alongside Turkish; this cultural tie has also been recognised from outside, as the village has been visited by the President of Tatarstan. The Alaca district governorship also notes that the village has a historic mound (höyük) and that its income depends on agriculture and animal husbandry, particularly its well-known potatoes.
The Tepreş Tradition
Tepreş is a long-standing spring/summer gathering tradition among Crimean Tatar communities, and similar festivals under related names are held in various Crimean Tatar settlements across Turkey. According to a Çorum Municipality project report, the Kalecikkaya Village Association holds this spring-themed Tepreş event every year; the Alaca district governorship’s village profile likewise states that “traditional festivities are held every year.”
How It Is Held Today
The event is listed on the official local-events calendar of the Çorum Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism as the “13th Kalecikkaya Crimean Tatar Tepreş Culture Festival,” held in July, with the organising body given as the Kalecikkaya Village Culture, Social Aid and Solidarity Association of Alaca district. The festival continues as a local cultural gathering aimed at keeping the village’s Crimean Tatar identity and tradition of solidarity alive.
Sources
- T.C. Alaca District Governorship — Kalecikkaya Village
- Çorum Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism — Local Events
- Çorum Municipality — An Ethnoarchaeological Approach to Hattian-Hittite Influence in Çorum’s Cultural History (project report)
Frequently asked questions
Who lives in Kalecikkaya village?
According to the official village profile published by the Alaca district governorship (kaymakamlık), the village's first settlers arrived from the Crimean peninsula roughly 200 years ago; residents today still speak Crimean Tatar alongside Turkish.
When is the Tepreş Culture Festival held?
On the official local-events calendar of the Çorum Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism, the event is listed in July as the '13th Kalecikkaya Crimean Tatar Tepreş Culture Festival', organised by the Kalecikkaya Village Culture, Social Aid and Solidarity Association.
What is Tepreş?
Tepreş is a long-standing spring/summer gathering and solidarity tradition in Crimean Tatar culture, celebrated under similar names in various Crimean Tatar settlements across Turkey. The festival held in Kalecikkaya is intended to keep the village's Crimean Tatar heritage alive.
What else is Kalecikkaya known for?
According to the Alaca district governorship, the village has a historic mound (höyük); its income relies on agriculture and animal husbandry, and it is particularly known for its potatoes.