Students from the Department of Social Work at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at Yalova University visited the tombs and martyr sites in the western region of Yalova as part of their Community-Oriented Social Work course, learning about historical sites and gaining awareness of the social importance of the concepts of homeland, martyrdom, and veteranhood.
Fourth-year students from the Department of Social Services at Yalova University's Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences visited important cultural and spiritual sites in Yalova as part of their education. The Department of Social Services continues to offer practical courses this year with the aim of preparing students for social life.
The trip, organized with the participation of fourth-year students as part of the Social Work for the Community course, was coordinated by Prof. Dr. Musa Şahin and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sema Sağlık. Sezgin Altınel, director of the documentary “Kocadere 1921,” which was a finalist at the 2024 Yalova National Film Festival, and editor-in-chief of the yalovagazetesi.com website, also accompanied the students.
The students visited the Şenköy Yaren Baba Tomb, the Şenköy Lighthouse, the Kocadere Martyrs' Cemetery, the Kocababa Tomb, and the Akköy Martyrs' Cemetery. The students had the opportunity to learn about the historical and cultural background of these places from experts in the field.
“Homeland is the most fundamental right of a person.”
Evaluating the trip, Prof. Dr. Musa Şahin stated that the students gained important experience by seeing historical sites firsthand through these visits. Şahin said in his statement:
“The purpose of this trip was to ensure that our students gained a deeper understanding of homeland, sacrifice, and historical awareness through visits to martyr cemeteries and tombs. Seeing the memories of our martyrs who gave their lives for the homeland in Yalova, from the Ottoman period to the National Struggle, was extremely important for our young people to learn the meaning of these values by experiencing them firsthand.”
Emphasizing the high level of satisfaction in the evaluation conducted with the students after the trip, Şahin continued:
"Our students' feedback showed that these visits were extremely effective. Patriotism and historical awareness can only be reinforced through such concrete experiences. For this reason, we see these kinds of trips as a meaningful part of our educational process. The homeland is the most fundamental right a person can have. Seeing how this right was won is one of the most important goals of our education."
“These visits strengthen our young people's values.”
Evaluating the trip, Associate Professor Sema Sağlık emphasized that the visits to the tomb and the martyrs' cemetery, carried out as part of the Social Work for the Community course, had a powerful impact on the students both academically and spiritually, stating:
"This visit we conducted with our students is not just a trip; it has turned into a learning experience that nourishes our young people's value system, social responsibility awareness, and historical memory. When you pause and breathe at the martyrdom sites, it is impossible not to feel the sacrifices made to make this land a homeland. Seeing our students stand in silent respect, forming both a deep awareness and a strong moral bond, was very valuable to us."
Sağlık went on to say that the martyrdom sites are like a “value education area” for young people:
"Martyrdom sites are places where sacrifice, loyalty, love of country, and human dignity are embodied. Our students learned firsthand that every stone and every piece of soil has a story. Seeing how the concepts we teach in class take shape in these places strengthened both their professional perspective and their human sensitivity."
We also commemorated the civilians and martyrs who lost their lives in Gaza
Noting that the visits commemorated not only our country's martyrs but also communities suffering in different parts of the world, Sağlık stated that commemorating the civilians and children who lost their lives in Gaza, in particular, fostered a universal conscience among the students:
“We also commemorated the innocent civilians and children who lost their lives in Gaza and the suffering of a wounded region. This commemoration enabled our students to gain a deeper understanding of universal values such as human rights, peace, justice, and social responsibility. It is very important for us that our young people feel a sense of responsibility not only towards their own society but also towards humanity as a whole.”
“We care about raising a youth that feels values and touches society.”
Saying that the trip had great meaning both academically and spiritually, Sağlık concluded his remarks as follows:
"These kinds of visits help our young people develop a stronger connection to their own history, roots, values, and the shared conscience of humanity. The look of awareness on our students' faces alone is enough to show how valuable this work is. We attach great importance to contributing to the development of a youth that knows what it means to be patriotic, that is sensitive both to its own society and to wounded regions. For this reason, we also wish to continue similar social work activities."
