In Sivas' Doğanşar district, eastern Türkiye, antique stone hand mills once used to grind flour and bulgur around 100 years ago are now being displayed as charming accessories in local gardens.

Hand mills became obsolete with the widespread use of modern mills. The stone mills, once found in every household, are now usually only found in memories and museums. However, in the village of Çatpınar, some citizens have displayed these historic items in their gardens, reminding people of the challenging living conditions of the past and the value of manual labor.

'Stone-milled food beats machines'

Kamil Kurt, the headman of Çatpınar village, mentioned that the stone hand mills were made decades ago from stones transported from the local mountain slopes.

"We call this stone 'seten.' We used to put cracked wheat and bulgur inside this stone and grind them by rotating the stone. Nowadays, with technology advancing, these stones are left as antiques. We decorate our gardens with them. People who see them ask about them, not knowing how we used to rely on them," he explained.

"I am 65 years old, and up until 35 years ago, we were still using them. Grinding took a whole day. We would tie them to animals, and as the animals turned, we would feed grains into the stone from behind, grinding them that way. It completely removed the bran from grains, resulting in a delicious taste. Nowadays, machines grind by burning and removing the bran, losing the flavor that stone mills provide. It may not interest the younger generation, but for us who lived those days and used these stones, it brings back memories of the past," he added.