As the Yazıcı family, we have kept bees in Artvin for two generations. Alongside our own hives, we source honey from experienced beekeepers working in villages and highlands across Artvin—especially around Ardanuç—at elevations of 1,200 metres and above. On this page, we explain who we are, where the honey comes from, how it is harvested and strained, and how ordering works.
Where are we?
Our base is Akarsu Village in Artvin. The villages and highlands our honey comes from lie within Artvin’s borders, mainly around Ardanuç and at elevations of 1,200 metres and above.
The Kaçkar Mountains belong to the Colchic flora of the Euro-Siberian floristic region. This means an area where not just one plant, but a wide diversity of flowers grows together: chestnut, linden, thyme, clover and dozens of highland flowers whose names we may not know. The character of honey changes a little each year with this flora and the weather; June honey from the same highland does not taste the same as August honey. For photographs of Artvin’s highlands, villages and flower flora, you can visit our gallery.
How do we produce it?
Our hives contain the Caucasian honey bee (Apis mellifera caucasica). With its long proboscis, it can collect nectar from deep flowers that other breeds cannot reach; it is hardy in cold weather and gentle—a necessity for working in high-elevation highlands with severe winters. The beekeepers we source from are likewise producers accustomed to the conditions of this region and bring years of experience.
Harvesting depends on the season. We can harvest highland and flower honey several times throughout the summer; chestnut honey, however, is harvested only once a year because it depends on chestnut blossom, and is therefore produced in more limited quantities.
We do not remove frames before the honey has matured—that is, before the bees have capped the cells with wax. After harvest, we leave the bees enough of their own honey to get through winter; we do not feed sugar syrup. Straining takes place in our own workshop in Artvin, and the honey is not heat-treated after it is strained. It is filled into glass jars.
How do we sell?
We sell our products through our website and by phone. When you add a product you like to your cart and complete the form, your order summary reaches us via WhatsApp; we then contact you about the weight, delivery and payment.
We do not accept credit-card payments on our website; payment is made by bank transfer or EFT. Parcels are sent with Sürat Kargo, and the shipping cost and estimated delivery time are shared during order confirmation.
You may cancel your order free of charge, without giving a reason, before it is handed to the carrier. Since honey is a food product, we cannot accept returns simply because you do not like it; if a product arrives broken, missing or incorrect, we will replace it. Details are available on our cancellation and returns and delivery terms pages.
If you are unsure which honey is right for you, simply send us a message on WhatsApp. For those who are undecided, we generally recommend trying a small jar first.
Contact us
Address: Akarsu Köyü No 24, Artvin Phone and WhatsApp: +90 554 542 02 77 Email: info@artvinbali.com
We publish videos filmed at our hives and during harvest on our YouTube channel. You can browse all our products on the all honey page, and explore varieties on our flower honey, chestnut honey and natural comb honey pages.