Turkish Falconry

Welcome to our website promoting falconry in Türkiye.

This website is dedicated to ensuring that this ancient sport’s history, traditions, and cultural heritage are not lost, enabling people to learn more about these traditions past and present.

Falconry has been in decline in this region for some time coming under threat from the environmentalist lobby and the Turkish Government. However, after becoming banned and subsequent strong protests from Turkish falconers it is now a regulated licensed sport. It is now in our hands to ensure that these traditions are maintained in a region where falconry dates back to ancient times.

On 16th November 2010, the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage declared ancient hunting as a global cultural heritage.

The UNESCO submission stated “Falconry is one of the oldest relationships between man and bird, dating back more than 4000 years”.

This recognition by UNESCO is of major importance to anyone with an interest in maintaining this heritage under threat in Türkiye.