Born on 6 May 1938 in the village of Sinde (İnönü) as the fifth child of a farmer-herdsman family, Ahmet Zorlu completed primary school in his village and then came to Famagusta to learn a profession. His professional life, which started with apprenticeship in construction in Famagusta, was shaped in 1957 when he was employed as a permanent restoration master at the Department of Antiquities and Museums. He learnt the subtleties of the art of restoration of historical buildings from his master Salih Konti, who had been working here for many years. His admiration for the construction methods of old buildings, the materials used in buildings and especially the stonework of the historical buildings of Famagusta was an important factor in the development of his art. He learnt how they widened the stone bridge in front of the land entrance gate next to Famagusta Akkule by chipping stones for days in order to eliminate the narrowness of the stone bridge, and how to make mortar with sand, quicklime and babutsa water while chipping stones to repair the collapsed parts of the churches in Famagusta that could not withstand the time, Moulding the windows of the Lala Mustafa Pasha (Saint Nicolas), Selimiye (Saint Sophia) and Haydarpaşa (Saint Catherine) mosques in Nicosia with reed and plaster, then carving them for days according to the motifs made by French Lusignan masters and inserting glass into them; Most people may not know that the repair of the walls outside Akkule, which collapsed, is thanks to Ahmet Usta's technical knowledge. He had been present at many archaeological excavations both in the south and the north of our island and had learned all the practical details of the work by living.
Master Ahmet, who knew every corner of Famagusta like the back of his hand, the caverns in the castle, the bunkers, the church basements, was also pruning and maintaining the historical date palm trees in the castle. From time to time, you would see him in his clean, tidy and formal clothes at the Canbulat Museum, Saint Barnabas Monastery or Salamis Ruins as a museum attendant and guide. With his English, Greek, German and Italian, which he learnt from practice, he was able to communicate with everyone, and he won the love of all Famagusta with his sociable personality and helpfulness. The imitation antiquities he created by casting plaster into the moulds he prepared in his own home or carving the stones with great delicacy and gifting them to his friends show how much he loved his profession. The stamp and coin collections he made are reflections of Master Ahmet's versatile and colourful personality.
He was one of those who chose to live with honour, without discriminating between language, religion and race, without losing his love for people, without losing his love for people, without making the service he provided in social existence a reason for pride and benefit, despite the traumas he suffered for years after being physically attacked in the Sakarya Region in 1958, when inter-communal conflicts began, and after the bomb attack he suffered in 1974 while fighting in the positions in Akkule.
His devotion to his family and his fondness for education was an important factor in the education and upbringing of his six daughters as successful and socially useful individuals. Ahmet Usta's helpfulness, the importance he attached to his work, and his sincere friendships were the most important reasons why he was very popular both in his business and throughout Famagusta.
His black leather jacket, blue jeans, gleaming boots, combed black hair and well-groomed bushy moustache, his entrance to Istiklal Street from Akkule Gate on a Matchles motorbike, his witty banter, and his impromptu manis have made a permanent place in the imagination of all Mağusalılar.
At the end of November 1986, on a Sunday, he passed away at a young age (48) due to his devotion to his work, while he was checking the restoration of the arch of the demolished historical building on the Harbour Road, where the Turkish Bank is now located, when the arch collapsed on him. While his death saddened all the people of Mağusalı, those who loved him showed their love for him by walking to the cemetery with a huge crowd behind his funeral.
The absence of Ahmet Usta, who worried about every stone that fell from the walls of Famagusta, every collapsed monument, every collapsed historical building, has left Famagusta orphaned. The place of Ahmet Usta, the antique dealer of Famagusta, has still not been filled.
Compiled by: Suna Elcil
