TARİHSEL SÜREÇTE SAFRAN (Crocus sativus L.) VE SAFRANIN GÜNÜMÜZDEKİ DURUMU

The first thing that comes to mind when saffron (Crocus sativus L.) is mentioned is that it is the most expensive agricultural product & spice in the world. Since this statement is correct, it should be accepted as normal to attribute various values to such a valuable product in many parts and cultures of the world. So much so that, in the Middle Ages saffron was seen as value up to the level of being punished with the death penalty for those who cheated on it. Saffron has been used by different civilizations since ancient times, and it has been taken advantage of in many areas from folklore to eating and drinking habits, from textiles to cosmetics. Saffron has been used by different civilizations since ancient times, and it has been taken advantage of it in many areas from folklore to eating and drinking habits, from textiles to cosmetics. With the discovery of the usage areas of saffron, there has not been a serious change in the activity since the first years of culture. As a matter of fact, since saffron is not suitable for mechanized agriculture even today, almost all of its stages are made by hand, which increases the market value of the plant. The fact that saffron, which has been used in folk medicine for centuries, has shown promising results in cancer researches, has increased the value and demand for the plant one more time. Today, besides the major producers such as mainly Iran, Afghanistan, India (Kashmir), Spain, Italy, Greece, and Morocco; the cultivation of this product is in question also in several countries (Turkey, Israel, Algeria, like France) engaged in the production of local scale. In this study, saffron has been examined in the focus of Agriculture Geography and also stages in the historical process, botanical and agricultural features, economic situation and usage areas, as well as sectoral problems and saffron as a geographical sign, have been studied as a whole. Based on this broad perspective, the things to be done nationally and internationally for this very valuable agricultural product are listed.