Zeki Yılmaz, 80, has been repairing teapots in his small shop in Samsun, Türkiye, for 39 years. Despite his children urging him to retire, he continues to mend 5-6 teapots daily, preserving a craft he pioneered in the city.
Yılmaz expressed concern over the lack of interest in his trade, saying, “I’ve been doing this alone for decades. No one, not even from my village, wants to learn. If I die, everything will likely end up as scrap.”