Anatolian woodwork has an important place in Turkish art with its characteristic ornamental features. Wood carving and kündekari techniques are used in the carrier or auxiliary elements of architecture such as doors, window covers, pulpits, columns, column capitals, beams, ceilings; and also It has been applied as an art in different daily usage items such as chests, lecterns and furniture. Istanbul, the project area, is home to uniquely beautiful examples of this heritage. However, the city’s pace of life, modern approaches and financial difficulties have overtaken the awareness of valuing and protecting cultural assets. Technological productions have reduced costs by saving time and labour. As a result of the fast and cheap production of wood works with mass production, woodworking workshops started to close and the craftsmen were faced with leaving the production cycle. In this case, wooden works and traditional woodworking lose their document quality and become practices copied by different people for visual, touristic and hobby purposes. The same situation is true for Thessaloniki, as in many other regions. One step of the project is the search for sustainable solutions to the conservation problems of woodworking through Turkey and Greece that have cultural relations. Joint activities will be organized to raise awareness about this subject. Ensuring the implementation and maintenance of the education model developed within the scope of the project, raising awareness of cultural value and artefact protection at the high school level, as qualified personnel with the infrastructure suitable for the vocational education of the students; undertaking the mission of protecting the art of wood; that will enable them to graduate who love and value their profession. In this context, Zincirlikuyu ISOV Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School contributes to our project as a pilot application area.

The subject of traditional wooden handicrafts and preservation, which is the target of the project, especially matches the cultural heritage, conservation and restoration sectors. In addition, the proposal of the new training method of the project concerns the education sector closely. Keeping wood handicrafting and kündekari art alive means introducing this art at national and international level and supporting the cultural and creative sector. Historical wood handicrafting and kündekari arts are considered as the carriers of traditional identity. Raising young carvings and kündekari masters will create new professional areas in the furniture, architecture, culture and creative industry sectors. Improving and increasing the awareness on this issue, international presentation, where the wooden artefacts in Turkey will provide this art to an increase and visits from the region to domestic and overseas will positively affect the tourism sector.