Cultural Heritage
Thousands of years of heritage, from ancient cities and historic buildings to the cultural and artistic life of the cities.
Historic places
Culture and arts in the cities
Adana
Adana is one of Türkiye's leading cities for culture and the arts. The best proof is the Golden Boll (Altın Koza) Film Festival, held almost every year since 1969. Since 1998 the Sabancı International Theatre Festival has also made Adana a centre for Turkish and international theatre. The International Air Games Festival is another event held here.
Adıyaman
Adıyaman's culture carries the legacy of communities that have lived together on the banks of the Euphrates for centuries. The türküs (folk songs), manis (folk quatrains) and folk dances performed at weddings and gatherings are the liveliest part of this legacy. Among handicrafts, carpet, kilim and cicim weaving stand out. Besni's grapes, pekmez (grape molasses) and pestil (fruit leather) are still part of daily life in the local markets. The legends told around the castles of Hısn-ı Mansur and Samsat also live on in the city's memory.
Afyonkarahisar
Afyonkarahisar is very rich in literature. Many folk poets, or ozans, have come from Afyonkarahisar from the past to the present. As a result there are many poems, lullabies, manis (folk quatrains) and laments particular to Afyonkarahisar. Folk poets (ozans) of Afyonkarahisar Harabi Turabi Hicazi Salih Dehşeti Aşık Zülali Kalaycıklı Hakkı Figri Yoksul Derviş (Şemsettin Kubat) Aslı Bacı (Münevver Tolun) Fakı Eder Epics of Afyonkarahisar Epics are given special importance in Afyonkarahisar. Many epics are told about events in Afyon and its history, for example about Afyonkarahisar Castle, its historic buildings and natural disasters it has suffered. The most famous epic told in Afyonkarahisar is the fire epic told by Çizmeci Zade. Legends of Afyonkarahisar Afyonkarahisar, a province whose legends never run out, has many. Most have not been collected; those that have include: The legend of Hüdai (or Hüzai) The legend of Kadınana The legend of Karakuyu The legend of the Erenler (saints) The legend of Şahitler Kayası (Witnesses' Rock) Folk tales of Afyonkarahisar The folk tales told across our country differ in small details from area to area. As with legends, most have not been collected. But the most famous tales told in Afyonkarahisar, known around the world, are the tales of Dede Korkut. Poetry in Afyonkarahisar The themes taken up by Afyonkarahisar's poets are above all love and affection, as well as nature, the homeland, heroism and victories. The local dialect is a striking feature of the poems. Folk songs of Afyonkarahisar Afyonkarahisar, one of our provinces most famous for its folk songs, has more than can be counted. Folk songs have a special place here, and they have spread beyond Afyonkarahisar's borders to be sung all over the country. Some of them are: Karahisar Kalesi Al Fadimem Allı Gelin Taş Başını Yol Eder Dam Başına Asagoymuş Galbırı Hatçem Çıkmış Gül Dalına Çemberim Dalda Kaldı Su Gelir Güldür Güldür Laments in Afyonkarahisar Laments (ağıt), one of Anatolia's best-known traditions, are kept alive in Afyonkarahisar too, and are especially common among the Turkmens of Emirdağ. These laments tell sincerely of the hardships and troubles the people have lived through.
Ağrı
Dress in Ağrı MEN'S DRESS: men's dress follows fashionable and classic clothing. Apart from working hours in the village and hot days, every man goes about in a jacket and trousers. Middle-aged and older men wear long underpants (tuman) and a vest underneath. On cold days pyjamas are added too. Trousers, a work shirt and a jumper go over these. A jacket is never worn straight over a shirt; there is always a waistcoat or jumper in between. A hat on the head completes the outfit. Older men prefer to wear a fez or papak (fleece hat) instead of a hat. Men always grow a moustache. In autumn and winter many wear papaks, socks, gloves and jumpers knitted from wool and mohair. A sako (overcoat) is worn on top. Men's accessories are a mohair scarf, an armband, a pamayıl, a tobacco case, mohair or wool gloves, and prayer beads. WOMEN'S DRESS: in the villages women's clothing is more traditional and local. The entari (long dress) dominates women's dress. Women and girls do not dress carelessly or revealingly. At the bottom go the can gömleği (undershirt) and inner tuman. Wearing several entaris one on top of the other comes from old habit and the climate. A cardigan or jumper goes over the entaris. At work an apron is tied at the front and oversleeves are put on the arms. Care is taken that the top entari is of velvet, silk or silver thread. Silver and other belts are tied over it. On the feet are socks and a tuman reaching below the knee. Young girls and brides tie a scarf on their heads, middle-aged women a leçek, and older women cover their heads with a white cloth (cuna) tied over with a coloured printed scarf (heyrat). When women go out of the house or somewhere else, they cover their heads with a shawl or çar (wrap). For everyday and special dress some women and girls wear a kofi (headdress) and hang gold at their necks. Women do not adorn themselves much day to day. Adornment is for weddings, religious holidays, going into town or somewhere else, and special days. Henna on women's hands and hair completes a woman's beauty. Blue and many-coloured beads worn on the neck and wrists are for adornment. Şeve, sırğa, hızıma, hakgığ, kohl, gold and bracelets, beauty spots, blue beads, rings, earrings and henna are among women's ornaments and jewellery. Traditional dances of Ağrı province Ağrı Sallaması: The dance most often danced at village weddings. It is accompanied by davul and zurna (drum and shawm). Its figures are simple, so everyone can dance it easily. The dance has no fixed length. Basso (Besra): Danced to davul and zurna. The dance is thought to come from movements praising the talents of a beautiful girl called Besra. Girls and boys dance it together, with at least 4 people. Laççi: A girls' halay (line dance) in two parts, slow and fast, danced by 6 people. The figures are said to portray a gazelle. It is accompanied by davul and zurna. Zeyno: A girls' dance of medium pace, danced by at least 6 people to davul and zurna. It goes back to the 19th century. Çep: A slow, welcoming girls' halay danced by 6 people to davul and zurna. It is danced around Taşlıçay, Diyadin and Doğubeyazıt. Koffi: A girls' dance of medium pace danced by 6 people to davul and zurna. Sarma: A girls' halay danced around Tutak and Patnos by at least 6 people to davul and zurna. Hessike: Danced by men and women together to the tulum (bagpipe) and davul and zurna, this dance has a slow part and a hopping part. Çimen-i Çiçek: A dance with words, danced by at least 6 girls, with a slow part and a hopping part. The instruments are davul and zurna, sometimes the accordion. Meyriko: A dance danced by women. The lead dancer performs some figures alone to the music while the others clap to spur her on. Then everyone joins in. Çoban Eli: Danced by two people with sticks in their hands, this dance has a slow part and a hopping part. The dancers use the sticks like swords. It is danced around Doğubeyazıt, Cumaçay and Diyadin. Ömer Ağa: A dance for 6 men to davul and zurna. It has a yeldirme part and a hopping part. It is also danced in Zedikan, Eleşkirt, Toprakkale and Kösedağ. Ağrı Gülüm: A fast dance for six men. It is accompanied by davul and zurna, sometimes the clarinet. It is common around Doğubeyazıt, Diyadin and Aladağ. Apart from these there are halays such as Tıllara, Dümme, Gelin Gel Bara, Nuray, Köylü Kızı, Hene, Nare, Daldala and Lurke. Serhat Barı: A bar (group dance) danced by men. The dancers stand very close together, shoulders touching, arms around each other's waists or hands joined low. This dance, common around Tutak and Hamur and danced to davul and zurna, has figures of bravery and manliness. Koçaklama Barı: A men's bar that starts slowly and gradually speeds up. It is danced by 6 people to davul and zurna. Yüksel Barı: A fast men's bar danced by six people. Sürgün Barı: A men's dance that moves from slow to fast and is marked by varied footwork. It is danced around Doğubeyazıt and Patnos. Ata Barı: A fast dance danced by six people. Ülker Barı: A women's bar. It is danced by six people. It has a slow part and a yellenme part. Among the folk dances of Ağrı, the Köse Gelin play, a kind of village theatre, has a special place. A fine example of Anatolian folk spectacle, the Köse Gelin play is the most widespread of the village plays that enliven social life in the countryside. Handicrafts of Ağrı a) Carpet and kilim weaving: Because winters in Ağrı are hard, wool weaving is mostly done in these months on hand looms, following tradition. The local name for kilim is yemeni. Kilim and carpet weaving are the most important handicrafts in Ağrı. Carpets, cushions, saddlebags, wool socks and jumpers, and mohair gloves, socks and papaks are also among the crafts based on wool and knitting. In this province, where livestock farming is widespread and dominant, yarn from the wool of Morkaraman sheep goes through many processes before it is ready to be woven on home looms. The best yarn comes from these Karaman sheep. Apart from courses and carpet workshops, carpets and kilims in Ağrı are mostly woven on upright ground looms without a press. b) Wool jumpers and wool socks: Jumpers and socks knitted from the wool of native sheep have artistic value. Because they are made by hand and not on looms, they are very sturdy and decorated with beautiful motifs. Traditional carpet and kilim motifs are used at the toes of the socks. Other motifs are created through the knitting pattern. Gloves and papaks are also knitted from wool. White ones are more popular. c) Mohair papaks and mohair socks: Mohair combed from goats is turned into clothing through special processes. The mohair is washed, cleaned and then combed. It is spun into yarn with a spindle called a teşi. Mohair clothes are knitted with needles. After knitting they are softened by being pressed between hot loaves of bread. This is how mohair clothes are fluffed up and fringed. Jumpers, scarves and gloves are also made from mohair. Because mohair socks reach the knee, they are also called dizleme. Various carpet and kilim motifs are worked on the dizleme. d) Üzerlik or nazarlık (charms against the evil eye): The üzerlik, which people call üzerlik or nazarlık, is an ornament made by threading the seeds of the üzerlik plant (Syrian rue) on strings in geometric shapes, and it also carries cultural value as a belief. According to folk belief, after the amulet and the blue bead the üzerlik is the best protection against the evil eye. Where the plant does not grow, it is made from barley and corn kernels that are dyed, together with rose hips gathered once they redden. An evil-eye bead is attached. The üzerlik grown and made especially in Doğubayazıt is the main ornament on the walls of village rooms. e) Items made from wheat and rye straw: Ripe wheat stalks are cleaned of their ears, soaked and softened until they can be woven. The women and girls of Ağrı make bags, baskets, tea trays and children's hats from them. When they are dyed in lovely colours and decorated with motifs, they also attract tourists. f) Felt making: Felt making is another craft in Ağrı that grew out of livestock farming. Felts, usually made from lamb's wool, are obtained by passing the wool through carding combs and then compressing it with special methods and techniques. Patterns are made on the felts in coloured wool. Felts are floor coverings used by the people of Ağrı who live in the countryside and keep livestock. Villagers take the wool from their own sheep and lambs to the felt makers and have the felts they need made. Because felt keeps you warm, it matters more than carpets and kilims, especially to herders on the highland pastures. Felt is also used to make items such as shepherds' hoods and shepherds' cloaks (kepenek). Felt, an important necessity, and felt making are a commercial trade in the region.
Aksaray
HALAY Halays are mostly danced at village weddings. They are danced to davul and zurna, and also to the saz and darbuka. The halays known in our Aksaray are: a) Üç ayak b) Karşılama c) Zonklama Our most widespread halays (üç ayak halays): - Allılar - Selime Sektirmesi - Yılan Akmış Kamışa - Osman Abim Evde mi Among the spoon dances: - Karabiberim - Kesik Çayır (İnce Çayır) - Tombili - Kaynanalar - Yaban elleri Of these, “Kaynanalar” (“Mothers-in-law”), danced by women facing each other, goes like this: The women split into two equal groups, leaving two steps between them. The music plays (the rhythm kept with a frame drum or spoons), and the brides or girls facing each other sing the song in rhythm, spoons in hand, hands on hips: “Çarşıda hedik kaynana” (“Boiled wheat in the market, mother-in-law”) – the right arm is raised to shoulder height – “Dişleri gedik kaynana” (“Gap-toothed mother-in-law”) – the left arm is raised to shoulder height – “Oğlun çerez getirmiş sensiz yedik kaynana” (“Your son brought snacks and we ate them without you, mother-in-law”). The arm movements are repeated. Al sana nispet kaynana Yas mı tuttun sen bana Ettiğinden sen utan Yar mı bulunmaz bana (Take that, mother-in-law, / did you go into mourning over me? / Be ashamed of what you did – / as if I couldn’t find a love!) With these words, they turn to the left on the left foot to the rhythm of the spoons, and this is repeated. When moving on to the second verse, they return to the starting position and repeat the same figures for the new verse. KÖÇEKÇE This is the dance of people who, mostly at village weddings and with a group of performers called “abdal” brought in for pay from certain places, put on women’s clothes, wear finger cymbals, belly-dance and trace figures facing each other. Those who dance it are called köçek. These dances are performed at weddings, engagements, henna nights, and at zamak and oturak gatherings. The local instruments (saz, cümbüş, ud, spoons, dümbelek, tongs, frame drum, güğüm jug and so on) mean the harmony of song and rhythm and the union of spoons and figures. In these spoon dances the figures may vary for women and men, and at times according to the area and the setting. For example: At old weddings, women gathered and celebrated separately, and men gathered and celebrated elsewhere. The men’s celebrations took place in places such as the zamak room, the bath-house and oturak gatherings. The women’s celebrations took place in the wedding hall and the henna-burning place, and their content was different too. On the afternoon of the wedding day, at the invitation of the best man (güveybaşı), the men went to the town bath. There, to local instruments, they sat on the central heated stone and were served rakı. The instruments played and the well-known dances were danced. They washed and came out. In the cooling room the music and drinks continued. When they had cooled off, they dressed and all went together to the zamak room. This is where the real invitation, hospitality and service began. The best meze-making women of the time prepared meze. They set them out on trays and tables, with enough bottles on every tray and table. The instruments and musicians had a table of their own. They played, sang and danced. Selected from these dances, the most often danced are: - Yaban elleri - Şerif Hanım - Saffet Efendi - Kesik Çayır (İnce Çayır) - Karabiber - Konyalı - Süpürgesi Yoncadan - Kara Kara Kazanlar (Sıra Sıra Kazanlar) - Çek deveci develerin engine - Lamba da şişesiz yanmaz mı? - İlimon yar Amman THE EPIC OF GENÇ OSMAN Genç Osman of Aksaray, Commander of the Brave ''Bağdat’ın kapısın Genç Osman açtı, Gören kâfirlerin tebdili şaştı. Kelle koltuğunda üç gün savaştı, Şehitlere serdar oldu Genç Osman.'' (Genç Osman opened the gate of Baghdad; / the infidels who saw him were thrown into confusion. / He fought three days with his head under his arm; / Genç Osman became commander of the martyrs.) So says Âşık Kul Mustafa, the brave Kul Mustafa, who went into battle with Genç Osman, held him to his breast like a son and was his sword master. The year is 1621. In the village of Dorikini in Aksaray a brave boy is born, and they name him Osman. He loses his father before he is ten and is raised by his widowed mother. The people of Aksaray love wrestling, and Osman wrestles with boys his age, shoots arrows, swings a sword and punches marble, until he grows up as tough as nails. Boys his age now shy away from wrestling him. The year is 1638. Sultan Murad IV, as brave as Osman himself, comes to Aksaray with the imperial army and leads the Friday prayer himself. He announces to the people of Aksaray that anyone who wants to join the imperial army should come and enlist! Young men pour in like an avalanche. Murad IV is delighted at the sight and thanks the people of Aksaray. Meanwhile Genç Osman applies to enlist too, but is turned away because he is too young. The army, quickly gathered, sets off towards Baghdad. Genç Osman secretly slips into the army. As they near Baghdad, the sultan wants to inspect the army and sees a youth with not even a moustache among the troops. — What is your name? — Osman, my lord. — Why did you join the army? You don’t even have a moustache. With us, no one is taken into the army unless a comb will stay in his moustache, do you hear? — I hear, my lord. — Well then, why did you join? Go back to your mother’s arms, child! Those words stung Genç Osman of Aksaray. Turning to the sultan, he said: — Will you give me your comb? — Angrily, the sultan gave him his comb. Osman took the comb and pressed it with both hands into his upper lip. Blood ran, and he turned to the sultan: — There, now a comb stays in my moustache too. Can I join the army now? Murad IV, the man said to be so harsh, sat down and wept aloud, and said to Osman: — Your name shall be Genç (Young) Osman, and I make you commander of the vanguard warriors. Go and have your name written down by the tutor, and give me the comb; I will keep it all my life. Go now, and may your holy war be blessed, my brave son. A week later, on a Friday morning, Genç Osman, at the head of the vanguard, swinging his sword like lightning, slipped into the fortress of Baghdad. “Strike on, my brave ones!” The brave ones strike and cut down the enemy, and cut them down again. The gates of Baghdad cannot withstand such fighting and open to the Turkish army. Genç Osman seizes the sacred banner and plants it on the highest point of the fortress of Baghdad. As he does, five or six arrows strike him and he collapses where he stands, recites the declaration of faith and dies on the spot. Kayıkçı Kul Mustafa comes running, and what do they see but Genç Osman’s young head, hacked by the treacherous enemy. Kayıkçı Kul Mustafa sits down and composes the famous epic of Genç Osman. When Murad hears that Genç Osman has died, he grieves and speaks the words that went down in history: “I wish I had not conquered a fortress like Baghdad, and my Genç Osman had not died.” Such a brave man was born in Aksaray and fell as a martyr in Baghdad, and so his epic song has lived on in Aksaray. It is surely right that someone from Aksaray gave it to TRT 700 years later. İptida (evvela) Bağdad’a sefer olanda Atladı hendeği geçti geçti Genç Osman Vuruldu sancaktar kaptı sancağı İletti bedene dikti Genç Osman (When first the campaign to Baghdad began, / Genç Osman leapt the moat and crossed it; / the standard-bearer was struck, he seized the banner, / carried it to the rampart and planted it, Genç Osman.) Eğerleyin kıratımın ikisin Fethedeyim düşmanların hepisin Sabah namazında Bağdat Kapısın Allah Allah deyip açtı Genç Osman (Saddle both my grey horses, / let me conquer all the enemies; / at the dawn prayer, crying “Allah, Allah”, / Genç Osman opened the gate of Baghdad.) Sultan Murat eydür gelsin göreyim Nasıl yiğitmiş ben de bileyim Vezirlik isterse üç tuğ vereyim Kılıcından al kan saçtı Genç Osman (Sultan Murad says: let him come, let me see him, / let me know what kind of hero he is; / if he wants to be vizier, I’ll give him three horsetails; / red blood sprayed from the sword of Genç Osman.) Kul Mustafa karakolda gezerken Gülle kurşun yağmur gibi yağarken Yıkılası Bağdat seni döğerken Şehitlere serdar oldu Genç Osman (As Kul Mustafa walked the guard post, / as cannonballs and bullets fell like rain, / as he battered you, cursed Baghdad, / Genç Osman became commander of the martyrs.)
Amasya
Amasya is known as the city where Ottoman princes were raised. Sultans such as Mehmed I, Murad II, Mehmed the Conqueror and Selim I (Yavuz Sultan Selim) served here as princes. The city's museums and monuments are an important part of its cultural life. In the garden of the Amasya Archaeology Museum stands the Sultan Mesud Tomb, known to date from the 12th century. You can also visit the Miniature Amasya Museum, opened in 2010, and the Ferhat and Şirin Lovers' Museum and the Lovers' Museum at the entrance to the city. The Pontic rock tombs are within the city. The Yalı Boyu view along the Yeşilırmak, the old houses and the Hazeranlar Mansion, built in 1865 next to the Hatuniye Mosque, are the city's familiar sights. The Bayezid II Mosque and the Burmalı Minare Mosque are also among its standout historic buildings. Culinary heritage is part of the culture too: Amasya Keşkeği and Amasya Çöreği have been registered with geographical indications by the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office.
Ankara
Museums Most of the museums in Ankara province lie within the boundaries of the city centre. There are 53 museums in the province, run by various institutions. Important objects from the War of Independence and the founding years of the Republic can be found in Ankara's museums. The War of Independence Museum in the building of the First Grand National Assembly, the Atatürk and War of Independence Museum at Anıtkabir, the Republic Museum in the building of the Second Grand National Assembly and the State Cemetery Museum are the main historical museums. In addition, the homes of İsmet İnönü and Mehmet Akif Ersoy have become museums. Because Ankara is the capital, Türkiye's first major museums (such as the Ethnography Museum and the State Museum of Painting and Sculpture) were naturally set up in Ankara. Various state institutions have also set up their museums here because they are based in the capital, such as the Ziraat Bankası Museum and the Turkish Aeronautical Association Museum. New museums founded in recent years, such as the METU Science and Technology Museum, the Feza Gürsey Science Centre and the Çengelhan Rahmi Koç Museum, are enriching Ankara's choice of museums. The Museum of Anatolian Civilisations, chosen as "European Museum of the Year" in 1997, ranks tenth in Türkiye and first in Ankara by number of visitors. The museum displays Anatolia's archaeological treasures from the Palaeolithic to the present day. The most important museum outside the city of Ankara is the Gordion Museum in Polatlı, where King Midas's tumulus is also found. This museum displays archaeological finds from the Bronze Age and the Phrygian period discovered in the area. Archaeological sites and historic remains There are many archaeological sites in the province. The valuable finds discovered there are displayed in the Museum of Anatolian Civilisations and the METU Science and Technology Museum, and the structures are kept open to visitors. Works from the Stone and Bronze Ages are found at the Ahlatlıbel, Etiyokuşu, Karaoğlan and Koçumbeli mounds. Among the various Hittite remains are the Balıkhisar, Ballıkuyumcu, Bitik, Karaoğlan and Külhöyük mounds and the Gâvurkale rock carvings. Ankara Castle was built in Galatian times and used by various civilisations in the following centuries. There are important Roman remains in the capital. The Roman Baths were built in the 3rd century by the Roman Emperor Caracalla, son of Septimius Severus, in honour of Asclepius, god of health. The Temple of Augustus, built in the 2nd century BC for the Phrygian god Men, collapsed over time. The temple whose remains survive today was built by King Pylaemenes, son of Amyntas, the last ruler of Galatia, as a token of loyalty to the Roman Emperor Caesar Divi Filius Augustus. The Column of Julian was erected in 362 in honour of the visit to Ankara of the Roman Emperor Julian. Outside the capital, Kalecik Castle in Kalecik dates from Roman times. The caves at Güdül, carved into a mountain, are a multi-storey settlement where the early Christians hid from the Romans. There are many works from the Seljuks and Ottomans in Ankara province. The Akköprü, a Seljuk structure in the Yenimahalle district, was built in the time of the Anatolian Seljuk Sultan Alaeddin Keykubad I. The Alaaddin Mosque stands inside Ankara Castle and is dated 1178. The Arslanhane (Ahi Şerafettin) Mosque in Samanpazarı was built at the beginning of the 13th century. Important works from the Ottoman period include the 15th-century Hacı Bayram Mosque, the Karacabey Mosque and the Kurşunlu Han caravanserai. The historic houses in Ankara Kaleiçi, Beypazarı, Ayaş and Güdül, which show the architectural features of the late Ottoman period, have been placed under protection. Music The main stringed instrument of the traditional folk music of the Ankara region is the bağlama; the main wind instruments are various types of düdük and kaval, and the main percussion instruments are the davul (drum) and the def (frame drum). There are various folk-music traditions depending on the social setting: Divan . It is played on a stringed instrument called the divan sazı, with no other instruments. An older man who plays the saz well, called the "efe başı", sits in the middle, and the less experienced players form a circle around him. The efe başı leads the group, and after him everyone played in turn. A feature of the divans was that they were played in a Sufi atmosphere; edifying, cautionary türkü were sung and dances were performed. Then came Kırat, Muhabbet tunes, Zil tunes, dance tunes, and Bozlak and Ağıt. At the end of the divans there was a Cezayir tune. Of these, the Kırat are türkü telling the story of a heroic horse. Bozlaks are heartfelt, delicate songs. Feelings such as love, death, rebellion and sorrow are sung improvised, without metre. Ağıts (laments) deal with sad and painful subjects. Depending on the kind of gathering, there would also be Muhabbet or Oturak. Muhabbet was played at gatherings of older people with drink. Between saz pieces the oldest in the group would speak, telling old stories and anecdotes. Oturaks are held mostly by young men and bachelors. Women hired for money serve drinks and meze, and when the dance tunes begin the women come out and dance. Dance Zeybeks are dances built on the theme of bravery and manliness. They are danced to the saz and have a slow melody. They are danced by at least two people. What matters in zeybek dances is matching the gestures and figures to the characteristic mood and melody of the dance. That is, stance, swagger and pose bring out the showiness of the zeybek. The main zeybek dances are the Ankara zeybeği , the mendil zeybeği , the Karaşar zeybeği , the Seymen zeybeği , the Seymen alayı and the Yağcıoğlu zeybeği . Ankara folk dances are studied in two groups, zeybeks and düz oyunlar (plain dances): The Ankara düz oyunları , danced to dance tunes, have a different harmony and a soft rhythm. The sound of the saz is sometimes lively, sometimes emotional and sometimes exuberant. The figures of the plain dances are adorned with footwork and are very similar to one another. All are danced in groups to the saz. The best known of these dances are misket , fidayda ( hüdayda ), mor koyun , yandım şeker , name gelin , sabahî , yıldız , çarşamba and the Arap oyunu . Cuisine In old Ankara houses the kitchen, also called aşhane or ayşene , was the largest part of the house. Besides a hearth called the çork and a tandır, the kitchen had a two-storey pantry called the müsandere . Firewood was stacked in a corner of the kitchen for burning. Meals were usually eaten in the kitchen at a cloth spread on the floor. Kitchen utensils also had names particular to the area. For example, a barrel was called bodu , a tablecloth boğ , a knife eğri , a rolling pin oklağaç , a shelf terek and a tray tıngır . Although modern kitchens and names have become widespread today, many dishes and desserts particular to old Ankara cooking are still kept alive. According to a 2008 study, with 93 local dishes, desserts and drinks, Ankara province has the third-richest cuisine after Gaziantep and Elazığ. Among them are soups such as dutmaç and miyane ; dishes and pastries such as Ankara tavası, alabörtme, calla, ilişkik, sızgıç, siyel, siyer, bici, pıtpıt pilavı, mucirim köftesi, tohma, şirden dolması, papaç, yalkı, carcıran, göter, kaile, topaç, cızlama and öllüğün körü ; desserts such as karga beyni, köyter, omaç, perçem, tiltil helvası, zerdali boranası and the 80-layer baklava of the Beypazarı area; and breads such as bazlamacın, gizleme, çerpit, kartalaç, kömbe, kete, saçkıran, şerit and yarımca . Festivals There are many festivals in the province that have become traditional. The most important of them is the Beypazarı Festival. Its full name is the International Historic Houses, Handicrafts, Carrot and Güveç Festival . Several cities from Türkiye and around the world take part. The festival is held every year in October. Another festival in the province is the Culture and Water Festival held in the Kızılcahamam district. This festival, which has become a tradition, is held every year in August.
Antalya
Museums Most of the museums in Antalya Province are within the city of Antalya and Alanya. There are 11 museums in the province, run by various institutions. In Antalya's museums you can find important objects, especially from antiquity, and from periods up to the founding years of the Republic in Turkey. Taken in historical order, the museums, from the Antalya Museum to the Alanya Atatürk House Museum, hold works that shed light on Antalya's history. In addition, the Kaleiçi Museum and the Alanya Kızılkule Ethnography Museum serve as ethnography museums. In the province, the Antalya Museum, the Alanya Archaeology Museum and the Side Museum show their visitors works from antiquity; the İçkale Museum in Alanya shows works from the Seljuk period; and the Antalya Atatürk Museum and the Alanya Atatürk House Museum show works from the period of the Republic of Turkey. Apart from these museums, the Antalya Toy Museum, a thematic museum, is also the second largest toy museum in Turkey. Plans to set up city museums, which have recently begun to spread in Turkey, have also started to be put into practice in Antalya. The Antalya City Museum is currently in the metropolitan municipality building, with part of it serving as an open-air museum. Archaeological sites and historic remains There are countless archaeological sites in the province. Some of the valuable works discovered at them are displayed in the Antalya Museum, and the buildings are kept open to visitors. Karain Mağarası, 30 km north of Antalya, was continuously inhabited by people in the Palaeolithic, Neolithic, Chalcolithic and protohistoric ages such as the Early Bronze Age, and in the classical age. Karain Mağarası is one of the oldest settlements in human history. The gate of Antalya Castle (now called Kaleiçi) was built in Roman times in honour of the Emperor Hadrian's visit to the city and was used by various civilisations over the following centuries. Termessos, whose founding date is not exactly known, entered the stage of history when Alexander the Great besieged the city in 333 BC and the Termessians put up a strong defence and did not surrender the city. The remains of Perge, one of the ancient cities of Pamphylia founded in Antalya by Greek migrations in the 12th century BC, have survived to the present day. The ancient city of Aspendos, dating from the 10th century BC, and the Aspendos theatre built in this city in the 2nd century AD are in the province's Serik District. Simena, in Demre District, is one of Turkey's rare settlements that can only be reached by sea. The ancient city of Simena, within the 260 km² Kekova Special Environmental Protection Area set up to protect the natural, cultural and geographical values on Kekova Island and the surrounding coasts, is registered as a first-degree archaeological site. At Myra, in Demre, the rock tombs, Lycian inscriptions and coins show that the city existed at least from the 5th century BC. In the ancient city of Side, in the theatre dated to the 2nd century AD, the orchestra must have been surrounded by a high wall in the 3rd century AD and turned into an arena. Although remains of waterproof plaster on the wall suggest that it may also have been turned into a pool, this does not seem technically possible. It is known that in the 5th century AD chapels were built inside the theatre and that it was also used as a sacred place (an open-air church) in the Early Christian period. At Patara, whose name appears as Patar in Hittite texts of the 13th century BC, pottery fragments found on the Tepecik Acropolis show Middle Bronze Age features, while a pre-Iron Age stone axe found at the foot of the eastern slope of Tepecik shows how far back Patara's history goes. Olympos, one of the 13 ancient cities, although its exact founding date is not known, is named on Lycian League coins minted in 167–168 BC. It is one of the 6 cities with three votes in the Lycian League. Alanya Castle, which has been continuously inhabited throughout history because it is hard to reach by sea and land and is naturally protected, is one of the best-preserved medieval castles still standing among the hundreds of castles that adorn Anatolia. Music The main stringed instruments of the traditional folk music of the Antalya area are the bağlama and the cümbüş; the main wind instruments are types of sipsi, zurna and kaval; and the main percussion instruments are the davul and the def. The folk dances of the Antalya area, together with those danced in the neighbouring provinces of Burdur, Isparta, Muğla and Mersin, have a regional character called "Teke Folklore". In this region the influence of the Yörüks is strong in folk dances, as in music. In the districts east of Antalya, the Konya kaşık havası, Boğaz havaları, Serenler Zeybeği, Anamur Yolları, Silifke'nin Yoğurdu and Cezayir havaları are played. These dances are danced singly or in groups. According to those who dance it and those who live in the area, the Teke Zortlatması got its name because it imitates the movements of the male goat, called teke. Zortlatma means jumping, hopping. The dance's figures, such as skipping, walking away with a quick turn backwards and fleeing, resisting and sudden fearful leaps, closely resemble the goat's movements. The most distinctive element of the Teke Zortlatması is the 9/16 derivative of the form of the 9/8 metre known in art music as aksak and raks aksağı. The zeybek is also a common dance in the area. Danced both lively and slow, 9 different types of zeybek are played and danced around Antalya.
Ardahan
LOCAL FOLK DANCES Almost the same dances are performed throughout Ardahan. The instruments are generally the davul and zurna, and in Caucasian dances the accordion and a drum called the nagara. The Ardahan area generally dances halay and bar-type dances. The social occasions on which they are danced include weddings, engagements, send-offs for conscripts, and occasions expressing feelings such as sorrow and joy. The main dances of our area are: A. BAR DANCES B. SOLO DANCES Ağır Bar Ondört Sallama Şeyh Şamil Temur Ağa Ay Gizi Bir Mezara Doldurur Nare Beş Açılan Lorke Karabat Şeker Oğlan Hanım Yaylada Sarı Seyran Kaççıke Tavuk Barı Gazelo Hoş Bilezik Haran Döne Kıskanç Kürdün Kızı Ardahan'ın Yolları (Dümme) Hafif Bar Paşa Göçtü THE ARDAHAN DIALECT LEYAKIL DÜŞMEK: to be exhausted ŞOGURT: drool YEĞİN: hard-working, meticulous ENDEZE OLMAK: to dawdle TUSMAK: to cower MURUSLARINI DÖKMEK: to pull a long face YÜNGÜL: light AĞZINI GÖZÜNÜ TUZ GİBİ YALAMAK: said of someone greatly missed GOMBA DÖNMEK: to turn a somersault GIGIL YÜZLÜ: said of someone with a small face HERSLENMEK: to get angry ABURSUZ: disgraceful PÜRÇEK: lock of hair GOLOP: wooden yoghurt pot SİTİL: yoghurt pot GAGAÇ: said of a thin person BİTİG: puppy CİRTAKOZ: mad GANFET: boiled sweet FARS: bad, disgraceful woman ÇAĞILDAMAK: to laugh CİCİP: sores at the corner of the mouth and on the face TEŞT: basin GEŞLENMEK: to freeze, to feel cold SOYHA, ANDIR, MERET: said of ill-omened things HINGILIM ATMAK: pointless moves and tasks KÖÇMEK: to marry DILDIBIL: stark naked GURUĞ TAVUK: broody hen HARO: larder, granary OBBAZ: useless idler SEĞİRTMEK: to hurry PELLÜK: hopscotch YAŞIK: wooden crate GOPPAL: big nose PORTLAK: bulging-eyed VEDRA: bucket BİBİ: paternal aunt CUCUL: chick DOY DOY: pigeon PEŞ GÜN: dining spread GUŞGANA: cooking pot CİNCAR: stinging nettle ZIRZA: latch lock BİJLİ: pointed PALAZ: cloth HERZAL: wheelless handcart ZAĞAR: small dog İSTOL: low floor chair GIJİK: curly hair ÇİRNAĞ: nail YEKTİ: orphan MUÇURLAMAK: to crumple ŞARILDAYAN: lightning COPLANMAK: to swell PEŞKİR: towel GIDİK: kid (young goat) GUDİK: small dog KARTOPU: potato BİŞKA: match CAMUŞ: water buffalo LAZUT: maize BEDASIL: base-born TEVÜR: kind, sort GUNÇUL: tip GULLEP: hinge GODET: broom handle GOTİK: buffalo calf GAGAL: eye SEKÜ: divan FURĞUN: ox cart KOR ARABA: solid-wheeled ox cart GAŞGA: horse cart İŞKAP: cupboard CİCE: eldest sister GİZLENGUGİ: hide-and-seek BEYABUR: disgraceful BAÇ ETMEK: to kiss GIJGIRMAK: (of yoghurt) to sour HARMUTLAMAK: to warm water GİDİL: small PİŞİK: cat MOZİK: yearling calf GARABAN: entrance of a village house KERSEN: dough trough GODA: big die FANTİ: playing cards HERG: ploughed field HAROS: fallow field PULUL: haystack GALAMAK: to burn GALAK: pile of dung cakes KOTETE: stool CEMSE: military convoy KAVÇAL: long jaw NİGART: hen's beak TAR: hen roost ÇİMMEK: to bathe TEREK: shelf GUZUK: hunchbacked DILLO: flighty ÇIKMAK: to tear GATAKLAMAK: to chase away MURUSLARINI DÖKME: to pull a long face MÜRGÜLEMEK: to sleep GAJ GÖZ: blue-grey eyes CİNDAL: kitten GORUĞÇU: field guard LOBYE: beans GIJO: pine cone BED: ugly CANCUR: plum LIBBIZ: penniless, broke KAYIŞ: belt TELLÜK: woollen skullcap MİNTAN: shirt ÇENKÜRMEK: (of a small dog) to yap GOCİK: coat ŞOŞARTMAK: to exaggerate ŞUŞLANMAK: to lie about too long AĞBUN: manure AKHORA: a place nearby BADİYE: wide-mouthed bowl BULUZ: dress CİCLOBA: stye ÇİNÇAVAT: miser DEYHORA: pointer word for somewhere far GÜZGİ: mirror ĞUĞUN: crying HELHEL: scatterbrained person AGOZ: furrow left by the plough JUJUN: pleasant itch KERSEN: dough trough KOLOPA: hollowed-out container KÜSGİ: wooden pole GARAVUL: watchman LÖK: big PÖRÇÜK: where the scythe blade is tied to its handle SOKO: mushroom SAKO: sleeveless jacket ŞÜŞİT: funnel ŞİNEL: overcoat ŞÖHE: black bead TAPUL, PULUL: bundle of hay TAT: heel of a sock TORHOLA: egg without a shell TIĞ: heap of straw and grain DINAZA: mockery ÜLEŞMEK: to share out YABA: five-pronged wooden pitchfork ZAĞ: sharp, pointed ZABUN: poor ZANGAL: long footless sock ZEDA: unploughed edge of a field GUZUK: hunchbacked ZURGANA: crooked-bodied ZENNE: woman ZUBUN: shirt POCİLEMEK: to strike an axe on stone MÜRGÜLEME: to doze off while sitting TAĞAYİRLENME: to faint CENÇİKLERİN GEVŞEDİ: you liked it SINAMA: trying, testing LOCAL LEGENDS THE LEGEND OF THE UĞUZ STONE ON THE KURA Between the village of Nekeleye in Ahıska and Hırtıs, on the Kura river coming from Ardahan, there is a cut stone called the Uğuz stone, as tall as two doors. Two brothers of the Uğuz people cut this stone, as big as a great rock, from a quarry and brought it here to build a bridge. After cutting the stone and setting it on the bank of the Kura, they went home for lunch. Meanwhile, a man who was small compared with the Uğuz came to their house as a guest. The Uğuz horse's nosebag held a somar (about 320–330 kg) of barley. Having filled the horse's nosebag, which to the Uğuz looked like a huge kilim, the small man, not strong enough to lift it, made the horse lower its head and easily slipped the barley-filled bag over it. Seeing this, the Uğuz mother said to her sons: "In the end, these people will take over the world and eat it up." Having seen with their own eyes, in the nosebag incident, how the small man achieved great things with his strength, the two Uğuz brothers gave up building the stone bridge they had wanted over the Kura. Later those tall, giant Uğuz died out over time because of their naivety and their lack of guile. The Uğuz rarely slept, they say, but when they did they slept for seven days without a break; the saying "he has lain down to an Uğuz's sleep" comes from this. THE OLD CITY AT THE BOTTOM OF LAKE ÇILDIR Long ago there was a city at the bottom of Lake Çıldır. Its lord lived at Akçakala. This city, built in a hollow, had a fountain with nine twist taps. The lord said, "Those who draw water from the fountain day and night must never forget to close it, or the city will flood." The men and women of the city obeyed this command. One day, as evening darkness fell, a girl filling water at the fountain was told the good news that her elder brother, who had been away for seven years, had come home. Filling water from one of the nine taps, the girl ran home in her joy and forgot to close the tap. That dark night, as water flooded the houses in the low ground, the place of the nine-tap fountain could no longer be seen. When those whose houses were a little higher realised what was happening, they fled uphill, holding their children by the hand, taking nothing with them. The next day only the dome of the church could be seen, and by evening that too was under water. Those who escaped the city alive came to the island of Akçakala. Lake Çıldır came into being from the water of that nine-tap fountain at its bottom. If the lake's outflow did not run from Taşbaşı (in the south) towards Zarşat, Akçakala island and the other villages would have been flooded too. THE LEGEND OF THE UĞUZ MEADOW AND UĞUZ MOUNTAIN The old people say that even before the Georgians, before the Cınıvız (Genoese-Romans) appeared, a people of very large build called the Uğuz (Oğuz) lived on Uğuz Mountain and the highland pastures around it. These Uğuz had a lord who owned the whole of Ardahan and Akhalkalaki, also called Cavk, and Zegan (the Ilgar and Cin Dağı areas of Posof and the foothills of the Arsiyan mountains on the Şavşat border). The winter quarters on and around Uğuz Mountain and on the Kura were this lord's private pasture. The other mountains and places mentioned were then all pine and forest. Every summer the lord had the Uğuz meadow beside Uğuz Mountain, from which 300 cartloads of hay were cut each year, mown by one Uğuz. The mower was a very big man who spent the summers here. This Uğuz would both mow and stack the 300 cartloads of hay from the meadow in a single day. One summer day, while he was mowing with his scythe, his sister brought him his lunch. Working away in the heat, the Uğuz, the steam of his sweat clouding his eyes, worked furiously in a thick patch of the meadow. He did not see his sister approaching with the saddlebag of lunch on her shoulder, and cut her in two along with the grass without even noticing. When he reached the end of the row and tried to strike the whetstone he took from his belt against his scythe, he saw that the scythe was red with blood. Lamenting, "Have I killed an animal?", he went straight back along the row, and what should he see but that he had cut his sister, who had brought his lunch, in two. In his fury he struck the whetstone on the ground, and half of the whetstone, made of white stone, stuck into the meadow; the part still above ground today is taller than a man. Beating his hands on the ground and dropping his scythe, he quickly joined the two halves of his sister and buried her at the foot of the whetstone. Then in his grief he climbed to the top of Uğuz Mountain and died there. THE LEGEND OF THE BULLET SOLDIER A heroic Mehmetçik (Turkish soldier) is on guard at the border post at Secede in Posof district. He hears sounds, and the enemy appears on the hill opposite. He fires his rifle so his comrades will hear, but before they arrive the enemy surrounds him. The Russians are met with a hail of bullets. This village came to be called "Kurşun Çavuş" (Bullet Sergeant). THE LEGEND OF TEKÇAM (THE LONE PINE) In the mountains of the village of Ovapınar, attached to our provincial centre, a forested area disappeared over time, but nobody touched one pine tree. Local people, who saw candles burning around the tree at night, believed the pine was sacred and came here to make wishes. One day, however, a man from one of the nearby villages decided to cut the tree down. He came to the tree and began chopping with his axe, and blood flowed from where the axe struck. Determined to cut the tree, the man did not give up; he felled it and took it home. That evening rain such as had never been seen fell on the area, and a flood swept through the man's village. The flood carried away only this man's house and family and harmed no one else. Today a fountain called "Tekçam" flows where the tree stood, and when there is no rain the local people come here to pray for rain. THE HOCA In the old days hocas (religious teachers) were not paid a salary. Three hocas were guests at a house, and supper was light. One of them got hungry after the night prayer and pretended to talk in his sleep: "Three mullahs have come to the door, send a gift to your friend, let halva come for the night, topar laha," he said. The host replied: "What you say is right, but we don't have that. Tuck your turban under your arm. Talk in your sleep, go on, talk in your sleep." THE RAFTERS A man on his deathbed called his children and said: - When I die, cover my grave with old mertek (the timbers used to roof houses). His children said the villagers would not approve and it would be a disgrace for them, but the man said that if they did not carry out his will he would not give them his blessing, and some time later he died. So his children carried out their father's will and covered the grave with old rafters. Angels came to the buried man and said they would hold his first questioning. Ready for them, the man scolded the angels: - What kind of business is this, brother, how many times do we have to give account? Don't you remember me? Can't you see these boards on top of me? he said, and sent the angels away. BUJLANMA A man whose mother fell ill took his very elderly mother to the doctor. Examining her, the doctor asked the old woman: - What's the trouble, auntie? The old woman said: - My feet are bujlaniyir, son. Understanding nothing of this local term, the doctor then asked her son, who said: - What she means, doctor, is: my feet are gejerleniyir, I can't stand up straight. Gejerlenme / bujlanma = numbness FOLK SONGS DİMME On the roads of Ardahan Roses bloom in its gardens I loved such a sweetheart When I was thirteen or fourteen. Alas, dimme dimme, coy love, dimme I'm drunk already, don't you pour me wine. I saw Dimme by the stream I had some good from her hand I kissed twice, I loved once And from her I saw faithfulness too. Alas, dimme dimme, coy love, dimme I'm drunk already, don't you pour me wine. Light the samovar Take the tongs and stir it My love has gone off sulking with me Make her make up with me. Alas, dimme dimme, coy love, dimme I'm drunk already, don't you pour me wine. I set the samovar red-hot I turned the sugar to honey Thinking that love would come I sacrificed a ram. Alas, dimme dimme, coy love, dimme I'm drunk already, don't you pour me wine. BU GELEN NAHIR MIDIR (IS THIS THE HERD COMING?) Is this the herd coming, ay maral maral maral (doe) Is it the grain being gathered, are you a girl or a bride, maral They said your love is coming, ay maral maral maral Is the stopping place near, are you a girl or a bride, maral A doe roams on this mountain, ay maral maral maral She combs her hair as she roams, are you a girl or a bride, maral The mountain is ours, the doe is ours, ay maral maral maral What is a hunter doing here, are you a girl or a bride, maral GÖLELİ GELİN (THE BRIDE FROM GÖLE) Tell me, what have you seen of Göle? You have seen the height of sixty girls and brides You have seen the sheep that strayed from the flock. Bride from Göle, bride with hennaed hands Bride from Göle, graceful bride Bride with kohl-lined brows and eyes, bride with all ten fingers hennaed The mountains of Göle, with vineyards and oaks Inside them grow roses and violets Parting from one's love is a hard thing. Bride from Göle, graceful bride Bride with kohl-lined brows and eyes, bride with all ten fingers hennaed If I went among them, what would they say? They mock the ones they don't love. Bride from Göle, graceful bride Bride with kohl-lined brows and eyes. The mountains of Göle can't be crossed for snow Its waters are so cold you can't drink a bowlful. Bride from Göle, graceful bride Bride with all ten fingers hennaed. ÇAYDA ÇINAR AĞACI (TELLO) (THE PLANE TREE BY THE STREAM) A plane tree by the stream, tello Two sisters walk as a pair, tello The elder is so-so, tello The younger is a cure for the soul, tello. Hop tello, dear tello, dear tello You've set me on fire, beautiful dear tello. A fish swims sideways in the water, tello Don't open my wound, blood will flow, tello What can a doctor do for this, tello Death has come, the soul is going, tello. Hop tello, dear tello, dear tello You've set me on fire, beautiful dear tello. On the bank of the Arpa stream, tello Its lantern flowed and went out, tello I can't bear this sorrow alone, tello Let's share it half and half, tello Hop tello, dear tello, dear tello You've set me on fire, beautiful dear tello ARDAHAN How shall I praise you, Ardahan? Your flat plain is wide, I want to roam it When spring comes, the meadows open up Like a rose garden, all kinds of flowers bloom. Anatolia lives on your butter and cheese. Your herds and sheep come flock by flock The highland pastures are yours, they gladden the heart Your girls and brides join the halay and dance. The dadaş sing until morning, the drummer plays Your highland water flows cool, spreading joy Nuri said these words this way. He roamed mountain and corner and gladdened his heart. TOYUĞUM (MY HEN) My hen was white, my child Her skin was full of fat, my child This time yesterday she was alive, my child Curse the one who caught my hen Woe to the one who stole my hen. My hen was speckled Her wings were feather by feather. She wasn't a hen, she was an elephant. Curse the one who caught my hen. Woe to the one who stole my hen. Aunt Zübeyde went up on the roof She looked right, she looked left She caught the hen and threw it in the pot. Curse the one who caught my hen. Woe to the one who stole my hen. LAMENTS THE ARDAHAN LAMENT OF 1915 They scattered Ardahan They took ten thousand gold pieces in cash Some fled by night, Some drank poison, The delicate girls and brides, Blizzards blocked their way, Mosque and masjid filled with wailing "Agop" and "İvan" slaughtered the people, They killed all the men, The roses that had bloomed withered They summoned its beys Ardahan burned for its sins You burned in disgrace, Ardahan The snowy mountains opened in the night What days you have seen, Ardahan Where is your merriment, Ardahan? The Cossacks bent your back Where are your girls and brides, Ardahan? Home of orphans, Ardahan A court was set up there, Where are your rich, Ardahan? Ardahan that loved its guests You ache at the sight of the Cossacks, What you have seen, Ardahan You have been laid waste, Ardahan Source: Ardahan Governor's Office
Artvin
Artvin's culture bears the marks of the communities that have lived together here for centuries. Laz culture is strongest in Hopa and Arhavi on the coast, Georgian culture around Borçka, Murgul and Şavşat, and Hemshin culture in the mountain villages of Hopa. Laz, Georgian and Hemshin are still spoken today. In folk dance, the coast dances the horon to the kemençe (a small bowed fiddle) and tulum (bagpipe), while inland the bar is danced to drum and zurna (a shrill reed pipe). Ata Barı is the province's best-known dance, and Deli Horon, Hemşin Horonu and Borçka Horonu are often danced too. The wooden houses on stone foundations in the villages of Şavşat and Macahel keep the province's traditional architecture alive. The Kafkasör Culture, Tourism and Arts Festival, held on the Kafkasör plateau at the end of June every year with bull wrestling and folk dances, is Artvin's biggest gathering.
Aydın
Traditional dress in Aydın The use of traditional dress in the Aydın area is declining day by day because of rapid urbanisation, modern life and fashion trends. But traditional clothing can still be seen at celebrations, festivals and special occasions. Aydın has groups with different cultural features: townspeople, Turkmens, Alevis and Yörüks. The garments common to women in these groups are the şalvar, the shirt, the üçetek, the fermile and the zıbın. Traditional women’s clothing worn in the past In the past women wore şalvar trousers with shirts called içlik over them, and a wide-sleeved cepken jacket over the shirt. Red-striped silk cloths called peştemal were wound round the waist. On the head they wore a crepe scarf edged with oya lace, with a white cover called üstlük over it. Shirt: Sewn from cotton and silk cloth. Among Yörüks and Turkmens the shirt reaches below the knee, fitted to the body down to the waist and gathered below it. Made from 4–5 metres of cloth, the shirts have a round neckline and are open at the front down to the chest. Şalvar: Also known by names such as “gönçek” and “don”, şalvar made from uskufa and çitare cloth are called “koca don”. The koca don has a full crotch and reaches below the knee. Üçetek: In the villages of the area it is also called zıbın. Those worn in town are mostly made of silver-threaded and silk cloth, in red, pink, purple and brown. Apron–bib: Used by Alevi women to cover the chest. Made from half a metre of cloth, the apron is rounded and runs parallel to the neck. Sash: The sash wound round the waist of the üçetek is decorated with silver-thread fringes and tassels at its edges. Fermile/Fermene: Made of velvet in town and of cotton in the villages. It can be closed at the waist with one or two buttons but is usually worn open. Fez: Burgundy or red, worn on the head. Silver or gold coins are sewn on the forehead part according to the wearer’s means. From the silver crown piece at the top of the fez hang tassels worked with silver chains or silver thread. Krep: Used mostly in the town centre, its edges are decorated with needle oya. Each needle-oya motif has its own meaning. If a bride wears a krep with pepper oya, it shows she is suffering and has troubles with her mother-in-law; kreps with rose or carnation oya show that she is happy. Uladu cover: Made of pure silk, the uladu cover’s edges are worked with silver thread and coloured yarn. It is placed over the krep, which is folded into a triangle over the fez. If the fez is embroidered, its tassel is left hanging at the front. Çeki: Usually made from fine cloth in yellow, red, green, black and purple. Square pieces of cloth are folded and sewn into strips 2–3 cm wide. Three sewn strips of different colours are wound towards the back of the head and tied at the back in a kind of plait, with the ends left hanging. Socks: In the villages, white woollen socks with toes embroidered in coloured yarn are worn. Shoes: Black leather slippers and boots with iron-shod heels and studded soles are worn. Traditional games of Aydın province Children’s games of Aydın Alev Aldı (Aydın) Dokuz Kiremit (“Nine Tiles”) (Aydın/Buharkent) Rüzgar Gülü (“Pinwheel”) (Aydın/Nazilli) Patlangaç (Aydın/Bozdoğan – town of Yazıkent) Topaç Çıkarma (spinning tops) (Aydın) Folk dances of Aydın Men’s zeybek dances: these are performed in open spaces where everyone can watch, at religious holidays, liberation days, weddings, engagements, circumcision feasts and various gatherings and celebrations. The dances are accompanied by a band of at least two zurnas and a davul. If only one zurna and davul are used, skilled dancers will not get up to dance, saying “my feet won’t turn”. Instruments such as the cura, bağlama, tambur, shepherd’s pipe, dilsiz kaval, violin, clarinet and cümbüş can also be used in men’s zeybek dances. Because the darbuka is considered a women’s instrument, it is not used in men’s zeybek dances. The dances of the zeybek tradition, which stands for valour, courage, agility, boldness and strong character, are built on the same ideas. Reason governs the dances, with composure and determination. Zeybek dances of Aydın Aydın Zeybeği Yörük Ali Zeybeği Gerali Zeybeği Harmandalı Zeybeği Ortaklar Zeybeği Nazilli Zeybeği Germencik İnova Zeybeği Çine İki Parmak Zeybeği Bayındır Koşması Zeybeği Abdal Havası Zeybeği Karaali Koşması Zeybeği Soğukkuyu Zeybeği Ataköy (Damderesi) Zeybeği Sabah Namazı Zeybeği Kocaarap Zeybeği Yağmur Yağdı Kuruoğlu Zeybeği Kerimoğlu Zeybeği Kadıoğlu Zeybeği Elifoğlu Zeybeği Tahtacıoğlu Zeybeği Hataboğlu (Hatipoğlu) Zeybeği Sinanoğlu Zeybeği Ödemiş Zeybeği Muğla Zeybeği Ağır Melas (Milas) Zeybeği Eski Tavas Zeybeği Yeni Tavas Zeybeği Köroğlu Zeybeği Ege Çiftetellisi (women/men) Mevlana (women/men) Sepetçioğlu (women/men) Women’s dances of the Aydın area These are danced at weddings, engagements, circumcision feasts, Hıdrellez and various gatherings. Women’s dances are accompanied first of all by a band called “çengi”, made up of cümbüş, darbuka, tef and sometimes violin. When possible, the area’s women’s dances are also performed to instruments such as the bağlama family, kabak kemane and dilsiz kaval. Folk theatre Village spectacle plays, seen mostly in the villages of the Karpuzlu district in Aydın, are performed at send-offs for young men going to military service, at weddings and at religious holidays. Played with great enthusiasm, the plays are the entertainment of these special days. They are usually performed by young men of military-service age, and the audience is drawn into the play in one way or another. Çiftlik Oyunu (the Farm play) Deve Oyunu (the Camel play) Arap Oyunu Sınır Taşı Oyunu (the Boundary Stone play) Gelin Kaçırma Oyunu (the Bride Abduction play) Ayı Oyunu (the Bear play) Köçek Oyunu Gavur İmam Oyunu Folk music and instruments For men: Aydın Zeybeği, Harmandalı Zeybeği, Eski Tavas Zeybeği, Ortaklar Zeybeği and others. For women: Harmandalı Zeybeği, Muğla Zeybeği, Fatma Gelin, İnce Mehmet Folk songs of the Aydın area Abalımın Cepkeni Akşam Oldu Yakamadım Gazımı Altı Kızlar Atçalı Kel Mehmet Efe Ayşem (Arabadan Atladım) Baba Aydın’a Vardın mı Bir Zaman (Ey Şahin Bakışlı) Çaktım Çaktım Yanmadı Denizlerin Kumuyum Duman Da Vardır Dumanı Vardır (Bozdoğan Zeybeği) Eğil Kavağım Eğil Eklemedir Koca Konak Emirim Suya Gider Fesimin Kozasına Genç Osman Germenciynen Baltacıgın Arası Harmandalı Hergün Sarhoş İnce Memed Isparta’dan Çıktım Başım Selamet Menderes (Ayağına Potini Giymiş) Nazifimin Evleri Şu Benim Karşımda Duran Top Yatağın Önü Gayfe Üçgözler (Kalenin Başında) Yolumda Sen Falımda Sen Yörük Ali Handicrafts of Aydın Handicrafts, which arose from people’s needs and became varied through factors such as natural conditions, ways of life and climate, are among the important cultural features of Aydın and its surroundings. Among them are needle oya, goat-hair weaving, earthenware pottery, pack-saddle and saddle making, and rush-mat weaving. Weaving Although woven cloth for clothing has lost its importance with industrialisation, the area’s hand-woven carpets, kilims and saddlebags are famous for their distinctive patterns and colours. Yörük sacks woven in the sumak technique also have features specific to the area. Another traditional weave still made in Aydın is the goat-hair tent cover, suited to every kind of weather; the raw material of hair weaving is goat hair. İğne oyası (needle lace) Needle oya, known in world literature as “Turkish lace”, has a very long history. Some sources say that needle-oya lacework spread from Anatolia to the Balkans in the 12th century and from there via Italy to Europe. Oya is defined as a craft whose technique is knotting, used for adornment and decoration and also as a means of communication through the messages it carries. Today, besides its traditional uses, it is also used in women’s fashion accessories. Pottery (ceramics) Today there are 3 pottery kilns in Çarşıyaka and nearly 25 in the Cuma and Büyükdağlı neighbourhoods, and nearly 50 families make their living this way. Jugs, cups, casseroles, flowerpots and various ornaments are produced, and practical items sell better than ornaments. The pottery workshops are busiest in the summer months, when tourism picks up. Red clay soil high in iron oxide is used to make the pots. Körüklü çizme (bellows boots) The körüklü çizme, the unchanging accessory of the Aydın efe, is black, has a leather sole and is made by hand. Calfskin is used on the outside, and on the inside goatskin called sahtiyan, tanned with acorn (valonia). Quilt making There are quilt makers in almost every district of Aydın. Because interest in the trade has declined, no new apprentices are being trained, and most quilt makers are masters who carry on their trade although they have retired. Their income rises in summer with the sale of silk-satin quilts made for trousseaus for the weddings that increase in that season. Embroidery Embroidery is generally done using Turkish needlework techniques such as muşabak, mürver, herringbone, civan kaşı, straight pesent, diagonal pesent and hasır işi. The threads used are silk floss, domino and mouliné embroidery threads, and the fabrics are Ödemiş silk and local hand-woven cloth, which can be silk, cotton or wool. The motifs are embroidered on fabric stretched on a hoop with bead needles, ribbon needles and sewing needles. Copper wire and hand-embroidery metallic thread are used to make the motifs in wire wrapping and wire folding, using the velev wrap, straight wrap, ewer-maker’s knot (muşabak) and drunkard’s leg techniques. Pack-saddle making Pack-saddle making is one of the rarest trades today. The only master doing this work in central Aydın is 82-year-old Orhan Çerezcioğlu, who has a small shop right next to the historic Zincirli Han. He says he took over the trade from his grandfather and has been doing the work since he was twelve, giving a full seventy years to it. “Business used to be good, and I employed apprentices. I trained six of them. Two did this work until they died; the others turned to farming and the like when work dried up. Now I’m the only one doing this job in Aydın. When I’ve sold what I have left, I’ll stop too. I don’t make new saddles any more anyway,” he says.
Balıkesir
BALIKESİR FOLK DANCES Balıkesir's folk dances have a rich cultural character. The many different ethnic groups in the area create a cultural variety that is also reflected in the folk dances. In general, the dances are performed in circles, straight lines and facing passes. The dances of the area fall into the general folk dance types of Zeybek, Güvende, Kaşık (spoon) dances and Bengi. The Pamukçu Bengisi is the area's most famous dance. In Dursunbey District the "Barana Tradition", put forward by our Ministry to UNESCO as a candidate for cultural heritage, is kept alive. The tradition was registered as World Cultural Heritage as of 15 November 2010. On the initiative of the Balıkesir Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism's General Directorate of Research and Education achieved an important success in the field of SOKÜM (Intangible Cultural Heritage) and secured a place on the World Cultural Heritage list for the "Barana Tradition", which has continued for about 300 years in Dursunbey District of Balıkesir. Names of the main folk dances performed in the Balıkesir area today: Harmandalı, İkili Güvende, Toplu Güvende, Bengi, Baydan Nazmiye, Karyolamın Demiri, Akpınar, Hatçam, Azime, Bağ Yüzünün Çamları, Durnalar, Tüllek (İğde Dalı), Demirciler, Ağır Hava, Koca Arap, Kemeraltı, Doğanlar Zeybeği, Sekme, Kayalcanın Taşları (Yörük Ali), Mendili Oyaladım, Karşılama, Şerifem, Aşağı Yoldan, Tünleme, Mende, Yörük Dağı, Ninna, Suda Balık Oynuyor, Sarı Karınca, Köroğlu, Aldı Dereleri, Koybatın Dereleri, Dursunbeyin Hanları, Şıngır, Edremit Güvende, Yılanı Yılanı, Savaştepe Zeybeği, Bandırmalı Güzelim, Alay Havası, İsmailler Zeybeği, Koca Kuş, Koca Ceviz, Dada Zeybeği, Entarisi Damgalı, Oğlanın Adı Hakkı, Ergama, Sabai Güvende, Tabancalı, Kozak Dağının Çamları, İsmailli, Yanık Hatçem. Names of dances performed by women: Akpınar, Hatçam, Mende, Azime, Durnalar, Demirciler, Tüllek (İğde Dalı), Mendili Oyaladım, Yörük Dağı, Ninna, Suda Balık Oynuyor, Bandırmalı Güzelim, Kozak Oyunu, Entarisi Damgalı, Oğlanın Adı Hakkı, Ergama, Sarı Karınca. Instruments in women's dances: Traditionally, a copper pan, a cauldron, spoons and zilli maşa (tongs with cymbals) are used. Names of dances performed by men: İkili Güvende, Toplu Güvende, Bengi, Ağır Hava, Karşılama, Koca Arap, Kemeraltı, Sekme, Kayalcanın Taşları, Şıngır, Edremit Güvende, Yılanı Yılanı, Savaştepe Zeybeği, Alay Havası, İsmailler Zeybeği, Koca Kuş, Dada Zeybeği, Doğanlar Zeybeği, Aldı Dereleri, Koybatın Dereleri, Sabai Güvende, İsmailli, Tabancalı. Instruments in men's dances: Traditionally, the bağlama, davul, zurna or clarinet are used. The main dances performed in the area are as follows. PAMUKÇU BENGİSİ It is one of the famous kinds of dance in the area. This dance is identified with Pamukçu Köyü. The dance, whose name literally means "without end, eternal", has an element of warriorship in its origin. The Bengi has its own opening tune, separate from the main tune and in the form of a promenade. The Bengi is danced by 8, 10, 12 or 15 people, or by more. The Bengi has five figures. The movements between the figures give the dance its meaning. The dances are performed in a circle, from left to right. In the Pamukçu area, İkili Güvende, Toplu Güvende and Bengi are danced at village weddings, religious holidays and festivities. To promote the Bengi dance across the country, an association was founded in Pamukçu Köyü in 1975. The association continues its activities. İKİLİ GÜVENDE The dance, collected by Murat KARABULUT, is performed by young people at village weddings, religious holidays, Akpınar festivities and gatherings. This dance, performed by only two people, is very lively. Its distinctive figures are turning and crouching. The dance represents the meeting of the strongest warriors of the two sides in a struggle between clans and tribes. Before the dance begins, a short promenade is made to music. In the area this promenade is called "Aldırma", and getting ready to start the dance is called "Oyuna Alma". The dance, made up of crouching and turning figures from beginning to end, continues with series of moves at a fast tempo. TÜNLEME The dance, collected by Sevinç YAŞAR, is performed by women at weddings and henna nights. It is seen mostly in Ahmet Ölen village in Kepsut District of Balıkesir Province. The dance is performed with spoons by at least four or more people, accompanied by a folk song that women and girls sing with a copper pan. 1. Words of the dance song: Sevdiğim aşağıda ben yukarıda savaşam İzin ver Allah'ım yare kavuşam Sen benimsin ben seninim ey güzel. Barış, mezarların kar olmayınca Girmem evinize yar olmayınca Bu tepeden o tepeye ev olur Alem sevdiğine yanar del(i) olur. My love is below and I struggle up above; / Allow me, God, to be united with my beloved; / You are mine and I am yours, O beauty. / Peace, unless your graves are snow, / I won't enter your house unless my love is there; / From this hill to that hill houses rise; / Everyone burns for their beloved and goes mad. 2. Figures of the dance: a) Straight figure: the figure starts by pointing the right foot. As the right sole steps down, the left foot is drawn up from the knee and two hops are made on the right foot. Finally both soles are placed on the ground. At the same time the arms are raised up to the side at head height. b) Crossing figure: the figure starts by pointing the right foot. As the right sole steps down, the body weight is drawn up on the toes of the left foot; this movement is repeated twice. Then, as the left sole steps down, the right foot is drawn up from the knee and one hop is made; after this, as the right sole steps down, the left foot is drawn up from the knee and two hops are made. Finally both soles are placed on the ground. At the same time the arms are raised up to the side at head height. 3. Costume for the dance: 1. On the head: a çetki below and a çember (Allı bez, Karanfilli bez) on top 2. Underneath: a handwoven göynek or a non-woven fistan 3. On top: a kaftan (Üçetek) 4. Collar 5. Zıbın 6. Kemikli bağ 7. Shawl (Arkalaç) 8. Peşkir (towel) 9. Woollen socks 4. Accessory in the dance: spoon. Traditional Turkish theatre The village spectacle plays of the Balıkesir area are seen mostly in Bigadiç, İvrindi, Dursunbey and Sındırgı Districts. Some of these plays are: Deve Oyunu, Afyon Kazması, Öküz Oyunu, Değirmenci, At Oyunu, Delioğlan… The main plays performed today are: Bigadiç-Kayırlar Köyü: Deve Oyunu, Bebek Oyunu, Afyon Kazması; İvrindi: Kepçecik Oyunu; İvrindi-Yürekli: Bebek Oyunu, Delioğlan; Dursunbey-İsmailler Köyü: Deve Oyunu. - Tülü It is a show performed by the tanners' guild on national days, at weddings and religious holidays. A group of at least ten people wear goat and sheep skins with the hairy side outwards. Wearing a leather hood, carrying a stick with a hairy skin attached to its end and with dongurdak bells hung on them, they march on the townspeople. At the head of the Tülü group is a "Tülü Kadısı" (Tülü judge). Riding a donkey backwards, he splashes water with the hairy end of his stick on those who don't give a tip. - Deve Oyunu (camel play) To make the camel you need four laths 2.5 m long and 5 cm wide, three laths of the same width and 50 cm long, five or six sticks about 1 m long cut from hazel branches, two rods 3–3.5 m long, the skull of a horse or donkey, a sheep or goat skin, 4 or 5 bells, a kilim, a blanket or tulle, and rope. First the long laths are fixed in parallel with three short laths at the front, middle and back. Five or six holes are made at equal intervals opposite each other in the long laths; the long rods are stretched in an arc over the laths and their ends inserted into the holes at the front and back. The other short sticks are likewise inserted in an arc into holes made opposite each other in the other two laths. The ends of the long rods hanging from the back holes are joined and tied. This part becomes the camel's tail. Another 50 cm lath is nailed exactly in the middle of the lath at the front of the frame, at an angle of 45 degrees. Another lath, its end pointing downwards, is nailed at a 90-degree angle to the end of this lath. The skull of a horse or donkey is tied onto this lath. A small lath is tied to the end of the stick extended as a support under the skull so that it moves when pulled. This lath serves as the camel's lower jaw. When the player underneath pulls the rope tied to the end of this piece of wood, the camel's mouth moves. A sheep or goat skin is wrapped over the skull, and a rope is tied on it like a halter. One end of this rope is given to the person who leads the camel from the front. Five or six bells are tied under the camel's jaw. The sound of the bells announces to the village that the camel play has started. A large kilim is laid over the body frame, and a blanket or tulle over the kilim. This person gets inside the kilim, takes the frame on his shoulders right in the middle and starts walking. In this way our camel is ready for the play. Then it is the players' turn to get ready. Four people are dressed in white clothes, and soot from the stove is rubbed on their hands and faces to make them look like Arabs. The other players with roles in the play perform in their everyday clothes. Once the camel and the players are ready, when evening darkness falls, a large fire is lit in the village square. The play starts from one end of the village. One of the Arabs leads the camel in front, while the others walk around the camel making various noises. Behind the camel walk the villagers who have come to watch the play. The crowd grows as the camel approaches the fire lit in the square. While a group from the crowd sings the camel song to the tambourine, the camel dances with movements that fit the music. HANDICRAFTS IN BALIKESİR Balıkesir Province is rich in folk culture. Handicrafts, folk dances and folk cuisine are the most striking areas. The Yağcıbedir carpets, a handicraft woven in Sındırgı District of Balıkesir and famous under that name, are the first product that comes to mind when Balıkesir is mentioned. Yağcıbedir carpets gain value the more they are used. So that the authentic features of the Sındırgı Yağcıbedir carpets can be passed on to future generations in their original form, their traditional motifs, textures, structures and dyes are being scientifically recorded as part of a project. Gönen District is also one of the best-known centres of needle lace (iğne oyası) in our country. The kinds of oya commonly made in the Balıkesir area are needle and bead lace. Balıkesir's traditional folk arts can be grouped under five headings: 1. Weaving: The Yörüks who migrated to the Balıkesir area lived as nomads and settled over time. In these settlements, skilled at weaving, kirkit (beater-comb) weaving is the most common. The Yağcıbedir Yörüks, famous for their carpet weaving, began to appear in the Balıkesir area from the 17th century. The settlements of the Yağcıbedir Yörüks in Balıkesir are: Karakaya, Eğridere, Alakır, Çakıllı, Eşmedere and Gölcük villages in Sındırgı District, Kayalıdere village in Bigadiç District, and Ahmetölen village in Kepsut District. 1.1. Kirkit weaving 1.1.1. Yağcıbedir carpets: The Yağcıbedir carpets, a handicraft woven in Sındırgı District of Balıkesir Province and famous under that name, are the first product that comes to mind when Balıkesir is mentioned. These carpets come from the hands of the Yağcıbedir Yörüks and are among the most important products of Yörük culture. Yağcıbedir carpets have two important features. One is the yarn dyed with dyes called "root dye" (kök boya), obtained from the leaves and roots of natural plants; the other is the use of original motifs. In the carpets, woven from coloured wool yarn on looms of the ıstar type, weaving in the "Yörük knot" or "Turkish knot" style is seen. The colours used in the carpets are dark red, dark blue, navy and a little white. Navy appears in the field and the borders, red in the borders and the corner and central motifs, and white in the borders and the mihrab lines. By their motifs, Yağcıbedir carpets are divided into three groups: Karagöz, Heybe Sulu and Yedi Elli. There are many kinds of motif within these groups. Some of them are: wolf, sheep, deer, horse, star, flower, mührüsüleyman (Solomon's seal), snail, scorpion, eagle, heybesuyu, hands on hips, mihrab, centipede, plane leaf… The carpets are usually 110×200 m² in size. Yağcıbedir carpets last 150–200 years and gain value the more they are used. Today, in carpet weaving, which is still carried on, different demands in colours and patterns are causing the carpets to degenerate. Even so, carpet production true to the original structure continues where the Yağcıbedir Yörük villages are (Karakaya, Eğridere, Alakır, Çakıllı, Eşmedere and Gölcük villages in Sındırgı District, Kayalıdere village in Bigadiç District, Ahmetölen village in Kepsut District). In addition, there are about 3,000 carpet looms in the villages, and about 300,000 carpets of various sizes are woven a year. They bring an average of up to 1 million TL a year to the national economy. 1.1.2. Zili/Sili Zilis, a type of flat kirkit weaving, are common in the mountain villages of Balıkesir. The motif names used are white plate, sky plate, centipede foot, chicken foot and yedi bala. In size, depending on the number of motifs, zilis are made with seven or nine plates. Brown, white, red and blue are chosen as colours, and the colour scheme is changed to order. In the area, Dedekaşı Köyü in Kepsut District is famous for its zili weaving. 1.2. Shuttle weaving 1.2.1. Cloth weaving Turning yarn into fabric is called weaving. In the Balıkesir area, cloth weaving is still done, especially in the Manav villages. Looms, usually made jointly by the people of the house and a carpenter, stand in a room of almost every house in these villages. Orlon is used in the weft of the cloth, cotton yarn in the warp, and wool yarn in the headscarves called marama. The weavings, made to meet the needs of rural people, are used as rag kilims/rugs, maramas and bundle wrappers (bohça). 1.2.2. Şayak-Aba weaving Şayak-Aba is a coarse, thick fabric woven from sheep's wool or fleece on looms called "Çufalık". This kind of weaving is seen mostly in rural areas of the Balıkesir districts of Balya, İvrindi, Kepsut and Dursunbey, where it is used for clothing. 1.3. Felt making Felt is a fabric whose raw material is wool, made by wetting the wool with soapy water, putting it through many processes and beating it. This handicraft, with a long history that arose with nomadic life among the Turks, has come down to the present day, though in decline. Its uses are: rug felt, doormats, kepenek (shepherd's cloak), hats, waistcoats, trousers and bags. To make felt, the wool is weighed according to the item to be made and combed and fluffed with a bow and mallet or by machine. Most of the wool is spread by eye on a mat laid on the ground with a saçkı, and the mat is rolled up. Meanwhile, water is put in a cauldron and boiled for the soapy water that will make the wool felt. Soap is added to the boiling water, the water is stirred over the fire, and this soapy water is used at every stage of making the felt. The rolled-up mat is opened, and soapy water poured into a bowl is sprinkled with a broom over the flattened wool so that it reaches every part of it. The wetted wool is rolled up in the mat. A sacking wrapper is wound round the outside of the mat so that it does not get dirty during the Kicking (Tepme) process, and the mat is tied tightly with rope. The Felt Master starts Kicking, pushing the mat back and forth inside the workshop with his feet. The Kicking process takes about half an hour, and the wool gradually begins to loosen. After the first Kicking the mat is opened and the felts are turned over. The edges of the felt are straightened by hand using coarse wool and soapy water; this process is called Çatkı. To make the felt stronger, wool set aside earlier is sprinkled with the saçkı under and over the felt. If a kepenek is being made, its neck and hood parts are also sprinkled at this time. Soapy water is sprinkled on the wool, the mat is rolled up and tied, and the second Kicking takes place. This process takes about half an hour; on the felt in the opened mat, the desired motif or the initials of the person who ordered it, or, if it is not made to order, the initials of the Master who made it, are stuck on with soapy water using pieces of coloured felt prepared beforehand. The felt, wetted again with soapy water, is rolled in the mat and kicked for another ten minutes or so, then taken out of the mat and put on the workbench. The felt, wrapped in a wrapper, begins to be beaten and scalded by arm power. For two or three hours the felt is both wetted and beaten. There are various ways of beating by arm: Rolling (Yuvarlama), Arming (Kollama) and Bellowing (Körükleme). As time passes the felt becomes harder and denser and shrinks a little. When the colour of the wool turns into the colour of felt, the felt is folded and set aside for a day so that the water drains off. In this way the water that the felt, frequently wetted with soapy water, has not absorbed also drains away. The next day the felt is put on the workbench and rolled for a while, folded in different ways: straight, reversed, crosswise and lengthwise. Then the felt is opened on the bench and beaten with a tokaç (wooden beater) to straighten its folds and edges. The felt is wrapped round a pole, rolled on the bench with the pole for about ten minutes and opened. The felt, straightened by beating with the tokaç, is hung in a way that suits its shape and taken outside to dry. Depending on the weather, drying takes one or two days. If the felt being made is a Shepherd's Kepenek, after the final Tokaç beating the flaps to be opened on the front of the kepenek are marked with the tokaç, and these parts are cut open from the bottom upwards with a knife. The neck and collar are trimmed with scissors. The newly opened grooves are hardened by rubbing by hand, which prevents these parts from opening up. So that the kepenek does not lose its shape, it is hung on a hanger and left to dry in the open air. Preparing the coloured felt used to make patterns: Wool dye for the desired colour is put into water boiled in a tin or a cauldron and stirred. When the dye reaches the thickness of boza, the fire under the cauldron is lowered, pieces of uncoloured felt are put in and left to boil. Nearly a handful of salt added to the dye makes the dye pass completely into the felt, and when the felts, left in the dye for nearly half an hour, have taken the desired colour, they are taken out of the dye. They are taken outside and left to dry. Coloured felts prepared in this way in many colours are used to make patterns. The felts are cut to the pattern and used. The felt products made are intended to meet the needs of industry and rural people. Industrial felts and kepeneks made in Balıkesir are marketed to Eskişehir, İzmir, Ankara, Istanbul, Kastamonu, Bilecik, Bursa and nearby districts. Felt is still made in central Balıkesir, in the small town of Sarıbeyler in Savaştepe District and in some mountain villages. 1.4. Oya making Oya is a handicraft made with materials such as thread, beads and sequins, using a crochet hook, needle, shuttle, hairpin or knitting needle in various techniques. Oyas take their names from animals, plants, figures and objects. The kinds of oya commonly made in the Balıkesir area are needle and bead lace. Needle lace (iğne oyası) is formed on thread or on the edge of a fabric by arranging motifs, two- or three-dimensional, usually as rows of individual shapes side by side. The best-known centre of needle lace in Balıkesir is Gönen District. The main oya patterns made are: Sepette gül (rose in a basket), katlı gül, gelin yelpazesi (bride's fan), gelin tacı (bride's crown), selvi yaprağı (cypress leaf), kollu karanfil, kabak çiçeği (courgette flower), zilli maşa, portakal oya, dut oya, horoz ibiği (cockscomb), zülem kadeh, beşli kiraz, cilveli kiraz, tül işi, kirazlı çark, dutlu biber, hercai menekşe (pansy) and sinek oya. The oyas made are used as decoration, trousseau and gifts. Oya making is widespread among women in the district and has a large share in the family economy. Oya making, which has a special place around Gönen, has developed and become a sector thanks to the "Oya Market" held in the district on Tuesdays and the "Oya Festival" held every year as part of the 6 September Liberation events. Crochet lace (Tığ Oyası, Tığ Danteli) is also widespread in the Balıkesir area. 2. Woodwork: Woodwork, which we see mostly in the small town of Korucu in İvrindi District and its villages, can also be found in the mountain villages of the area. Items made of wood are spoons, rolling pins, kirkits, cigarette holders and walking sticks. The wooden spoons made in Korucu in İvrindi District are also painted and used as ornaments. 3. Pottery: Items formed by taking suitable earth, wetting, treading and kneading it, then putting it on a motorised wheel and shaping it by hand are called pottery. Today in the small town of Kayapa in İvrindi District, pottery products such as jugs (desti), storage jars (küp), ashtrays, flowerpots and casseroles (güveç) are made. The arrival of plastic goods has reduced demand for earthenware. 4. Horse-cart making: Horse-cart making, which lost its importance with the arrival of motor vehicles, is today carried on in the area only in Susurluk District. The wooden horse carts are decorated with various scenes painted in bright colours. 5. Quilt making: Quilt making in Balıkesir Province is an art going back many years. The development of technology and the rapid growth of the ready-made trousseau, quilt and pillow sector have hurt the art of the quilt. In the area, the need for quilts is generally met by the sixteen quilt shops in central Balıkesir. Quilts are made in two kinds, depending on use and preference: everyday and fancy (model) quilts. In this very labour-intensive handicraft, the variety of models today is striking. CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS IN BALIKESİR The Balıkesir area has traditions for the various turning points in the flow of daily life, from weddings to births, from circumcision to death. Birth customs: A child strengthens the foundation of the family and is a source of joy. But women who cannot have children turn to various means in this area as elsewhere. Chief among them is visiting votive places. Medicines prepared at home, which we call old wives' remedies, are also used, and various beliefs are applied in this regard. In the area, various methods are also used to determine the sex of the child to be born. One of these methods is throwing alum on the fire. If the alum swells as it burns, it is believed the child will be a boy, and if it does not swell, a girl. Another way is to drip the pregnant woman's milk into a glass of water. If the milk sinks to the bottom without dispersing, a boy is expected; if it disperses, a girl. Generally, especially on the father's side, it is hoped that the child to be born will be a boy who will keep the family hearth burning and continue the line. To make the birth easier, the following is done: A plate is given to the hodjas, who write prayers inside it. Then water is put in the plate and given to the pregnant woman to drink. The pregnant woman's plaited hair and her buttons are undone. The locks of the doors and chests in the house are opened. Also, it is considered a great sin for others to hear the pregnant woman's cries. It is believed that the child will not be born until those who heard have been forgiven their sins. Mothers who have had children several times who then died take their own measures to find a remedy. Some of them are these: A nail is taken from each of three children named Hasan. These are given to a blacksmith, who makes a bracelet from them at midnight. As soon as the child is born, this bracelet is put on its arm. A new, untinned copper tray is placed in front of the pregnant woman. The child is born into this copper tray. The tray is then given to a poor person. A piece of cloth is taken from each of several mothers who have never lost a child. A shirt sewn from them is put on the child as soon as it is born. After the birth, as the baby's umbilical cord is cut, the midwife gives the baby a göbek adı (navel name). Then, usually within three days, the child is named. The head of the family, an elderly man, takes the child in his arms and turns towards the qibla. He recites the call to prayer in the child's ear and says its name three times. In this way it is named. The child is usually given the name of a grandmother or grandfather, with priority given to the man's side. On the seventh day after the child's birth, the child's Mevlid is recited. Relatives who come to celebrate this happy day are invited to the Mevlid. Predictions about the child's future are made according to the position of its hands at birth. For example, if its hands are raised towards its ears it is believed it will become a great person; if on its chest, a learned person; and if it moves its hands as soon as it is born as if looking for something, that it will be good-natured. Three days must pass after the birth before the child is breastfed. Before the first feed, dust is taken from the top of the Qur'an. This dust is rubbed on the child's mouth and the mother's breast. Special care is taken of the new mother, and efforts are made to keep her from "al basması" (being struck by the Al spirit). For this reason it is believed to be harmful for those coming from a house of mourning to visit the new mother without stopping somewhere first, for two new mothers to meet before their forty days are up, and for the new mother to be left alone. The new mother also ties on a red ribbon to protect herself from al basması. For thirty days the mother does not go out. She stays at home all the time looking after her baby. On the twenty-seventh or twenty-ninth day the child is washed. Care is taken that the day ends on an odd number. A silver and a gold ring are thrown into the water. A broom straw is also broken into 29 pieces and thrown into the water. With this water first the baby and then the mother are washed. After the washing is finished in the morning, when she goes in the afternoon to her closest relatives for the kırk uçurma (sending off of the forty days), if the young mother dresses up and adorns herself, it is believed that when the baby grows up into a young woman or young man, fine clothes will suit them. On leaving the house visited, the host gives the baby money, a handkerchief, an egg, bread and so on. The egg is given so that the child will be beautiful like an egg, bread so that its hand will hold bread, money so that it will never be without money, and a handkerchief so that it will be clean. The baby is never sent back empty-handed from a kırk uçurma visit. The mother and baby go round all their close relatives for the kırk uçurma. On the thirty-seventh or thirty-ninth day, at the "thirty forty", the process is repeated. The mother and baby are washed. Again in the afternoon they go to one of their closest relatives and send off the "forty of forty". When the child is six months old, it is made to take money from its father's pocket. Interpretations are made according to the money the child takes. If the child takes little money it is believed its fortune will be small in future; if it takes a lot, its fortune will be great. With the money the child takes, henna is put on its hands that evening. If wished, a party is also held that evening. Children who cannot walk when the time has come are held by the arms and swung at the time of the sela (call before prayer). If they walk but fall, a large simit ring is baked from dough. This simit is passed down over the child's head. When it reaches the level of the feet it is broken up and handed out to the children of the neighbourhood. Circumcision feast: The circumcision feast is the celebration of a boy's circumcision. The family holding the circumcision feast shares the joy it feels at its son's circumcision by celebrating it with its relatives. The circumcision of every boy, a requirement of Islam, has brought some traditions with it among the people. Before the feast the host family begins a series of preparations. The yenges (women of the family), invited beforehand, come to the house of the feast on Wednesday and decorate the circumcision boy's bed. On Thursday the yenges, on behalf of the host, invite close relatives to the circumcision feast with henna and acquaintances with sweets. The men of the house invite the male acquaintances who need to be invited to the circumcision feast on Sunday. On Thursday or Friday bread is baked for the feast. A cook, a dishwasher, a tambourine player and a drummer are hired. On Saturday evening the women gather. The Mevlid is recited. After the Mevlid the boy to be circumcised is seated in the middle, and henna is put on his hand, usually on his little finger. The yenges put the henna on the boy. The host, that is, the boy's mother, gives the yenges who put on the henna a cloth with needle-lace edging. While the henna is being put on in the middle, the boy's relatives pin money on him. After a while the crowd disperses. On Sunday the guests come to the invitation, given at about 10 to 13 o'clock. A table is laid and food served for the guests. The guests pin money and gold on the circumcision boy. After eating, the guests wait to take the circumcision boy on a tour. A horse is brought and the boy is seated on it. A small silk-woven rug like a wall carpet is laid on the horse. Red or blue crêpe is hung by the horse's ears. Towels, underwear and so on may also be hung beside it. All these things later go to the owner of the horse. The boy on the horse is taken round the neighbourhood streets to the sound of davul and zurna, followed by a convoy of cars driven by his relatives, and then they return to the house of the feast. The child, primed beforehand by a relative, does not get off the horse. To get the child off the horse, his close relatives and his father make promises. The child does not get off until he has made them say "all right" to buying what he wants. After this bargaining, as the child who has agreed to get off the horse dismounts, sweets are scattered over his head. Once off the horse, the child is taken by his relatives to the circumcision room and circumcised by the circumciser. His father and relatives are with him while he is circumcised. If the circumcision boy is an only child, a cockerel is released from the window of the house towards the children below, because it is believed that this will give the child a companion. Whoever catches it gets the cockerel. After the circumcision, the women invited to the feast come. A table is laid and food served for them. Then they dance to the tambourine player. The women who come to the feast during the day dance. Towards evening the crowd disperses. In the evening they gather again but this time the floor belongs to the young girls. In the evening the young girls dance. The feast ends late at night. Military service: Young men who have reached military age and received their call-up papers are invited by their relatives and neighbours, all together, to a meal at a different house for each meal. As each young man takes his leave and goes from his house, water is poured behind him so that things go well for him. The villagers gather in the village square with the young men going into the army, and the village imam is called to say a prayer. Those who come to this ceremony put money in the pockets of the young men going into the army. After the young men have been seen off to the army, the houses of those who have gone are visited. So that the young man comes home in peace, his family cooks çırpma from "Sıvık hamur" (runny batter) on a sac griddle and hands this pastry out to the neighbours. This is also called "Döndürme". In the area, those who have not done their military service are considered children and ignorant. Wedding customs: These customs, now practised only in rural areas, are declining day by day and giving way to modern times. The stages of marriage practised in rural areas are as follows: The girl is chosen by the görücü (arranged viewing) method. A few people from the boy's relatives are appointed as dünür (go-betweens). The go-betweens go to the girl's house twice. If they are well received the first time, on the second visit they ask for the girl and the promise is made. The making of the promise is called "el öpme" (hand kissing). Food and clothing are sent as gifts from the boy's house to the girl's house. The boy's family attends the invitation given at the girl's house, and the promise is made. A day falling on a Thursday or Sunday is chosen for the engagement. At the engagement both sides buy gifts according to their means, and these gifts are presented at the engagement. When the boy's family decides to hold the wedding, it sends word to the girl's family. Preparations for the wedding begin on both sides. The girl's yenges invite the girl's side, and the boy's yenges the boy's side, to the wedding. This is called "düğüne okuma". On the day the wedding begins, there is a party among the women, called "ikindi kınası" (afternoon henna). The men pound keşkek, carry the henna around and look after the guests. All this is done by the groom's close friend, the "sağdıç", and his friends. There is also a bayraktar, the person who carries the Turkish flag at the front of the wedding convoy. On the second day there are festivities called "oturma". In the evening of that day the "Henna Night" takes place. On the second day of the wedding, gifts are collected from the invited houses to the sound of davul and zurna. At the wedding festivities, girls and boys gather in separate houses, dance and sing manis. On the last day of the wedding "Gelin Çıkarma", that is, fetching the bride, takes place. In the morning the groom's friends gather and go to the girl's house with the bayraktar at the front and the guests and relatives behind. The bride comes out of her house to music, and wheat is scattered over her head so that abundance comes to her. In this way she is brought to the groom's house. Meanwhile, the girl's trousseau is carried to the boy's house with this wedding procession or before. After the bride comes to the groom's house, she is taken up to her room. The groom, who performs the night (yatsı) prayer at the mosque and is brought home by his friends, enters the bridal chamber amid various jokes. A few days later, the wedding ceremony ends with visits to the girl's and the boy's houses. Death customs: The first thing done for the dead person, laid on their back after death, is to close the jaw. The arms are brought to the sides and the big toes tied with cotton thread. Then a black-handled knife is placed on the stomach so that the body does not swell and burst. Special care is taken that no cat enters the room where the dead person is, because it is believed that a cat jumping over the dead will become a witch. Because it is believed that when someone dies somewhere, Azrael dips his sword into the water jugs, all the water in that neighbourhood is poured away. Meanwhile, neighbours come to the house of the dead to offer condolences to the dead person's relatives. With comforting prayers such as "Allah taksiratını affetsin" (may God forgive their sins) and "Allah sabırlık versin" (may God give you patience), they share the grief of the dead person's relatives. They give every kind of help they can. This shows that among the people there is a bond that does not break even on a bad day. On the day after the death, early in the morning, the shroud, the water and the coffin are prepared. The measure of the grave is taken with untwisted cotton thread. This thread is later buried with the dead person. If the dead person is a man a man brings it, and if a woman, a woman. Black cumin is thrown into the bottom of the water cauldron. The fire is lit without blowing on it. After the water boils, the washer cuts the shroud; when the dead person is taken to be washed, their bedding is removed and a plate of flour put in its place. This flour is later given to a poor person. The unburned pieces of wood and the ash left under the water cauldron are thrown out. It is believed that if this is not done, the family will never forget the dead and their heart will always ache. After the dead person leaves the house, sweets, biscuits, walnuts and so on are handed out to the children outside right behind. The dead person's remaining clothes are also given to the poor. After the dead person leaves the house, the women recite the Mevlid. On the first night after the burial, the tevhit (recitation of God's oneness) is performed. Then the Tebareke is recited through the night. Care is taken to recite the Tebarekes between the evening and night prayers. On the seventh day the Mevlid is recited. Meanwhile, on the third day, lokma called "gödek" is cooked and handed out to relatives and the poor. For seven days friends, neighbours and acquaintances bring food to the house of the dead. On the fortieth and fifty-second days, the women again gather at the house of the dead and recite the Mevlid. Sections (cüz) of the Qur'an are read and the full reading is completed (hatim). More people are invited to the Mevlid. Usually acquaintances and the poor come, a table is laid and food served. On those days the dead person is remembered and a good deed is also done. Festival customs: HIDRELLEZ The Hıdrellez Culture and Spring Festival, one of our seasonal festivals and regarded among our people as the start of spring, is celebrated on 6 May every year. Hıdrellez day is regarded as the day when the prophets Hızır (Khidr) and İlyas (Elijah) met on earth. This day is called Hızır day. According to the calendar used among the people, the year used to be divided in two: the period from 6 May to 8 November, called the Days of Hızır, formed the summer season, and the period from 8 May to 6 November, called the Days of Kasım, formed the winter season. For this reason, because 6 May is the day when winter ends and the hot summer days begin, and the day when Hızır, who reached immortality by drinking the water of life (ab-ı hayat), comes down to earth and helps people in difficulty, it has become a seasonal festival. In our country, where belief in Hızır is widespread, the Hıdrellez Festival is actively celebrated. Hıdrellez is held in green areas, by water or near tombs and shrines. People go to these places and celebrate the spring festival with enthusiasm. Various preparations are made before Hıdrellez: cleaning the house, cleaning clothes and preparing food and drink. Houses are cleaned from top to bottom before Hıdrellez day, because it is thought that Hızır will visit clean houses. Doors and windows are also left open so that Hızır can enter the house easily and bring plenty and abundance. A fire is lit on Hıdrellez day. Because this day is regarded as the start of summer, the aim is to destroy the last sign of the winter days. Those who want to be protected from illness say prayers and lie down and roll on the green grass. On the night from 5 to 6 May, coins wrapped in red satin pouches are tied to rose branches, in the hope that the coming year will be abundant. For girls whose fortune has not opened (who have not found a husband), a lock is opened over their heads. Fortune-opening ceremonies are held, and this ceremony is called "dağara yüzük atma" (throwing rings into the jar). Another tradition common in Balıkesir is going to two shrines known as Çırpılı Dede and Çömlek Kıran Dede. Vows are also made at these places. The Barana tradition: The word Barana comes from the Persian word Barhana (Barhane). This word, used among the people to mean a mansion or an inn, changed over time into the form barana and came to be used as the name of a group. Today it also shows similarities with traditions continued in various parts of Anatolia under names such as gezek, oturak, sıra gecesi and şeker bağlaması. In the Barana, essentially an organisation in which young men educated themselves, entertainment is a means. Later, with the effect of social change, entertainment came to the fore. This tradition, which begins every year at the end of the harvest, around mid-September or early October, and continues until Hıdrellez, is found in Dursunbey District of Balıkesir. At the end of the harvest, friends who want to set up a Barana come together and form the Barana. What matters at this stage is the Barana's name and the division of duties. There are five important posts in the Barana, and elections are held for them: Patron or President: someone respected and loved among the young men and in the community is chosen. Judge or Vice-President: takes the president's place when he is absent. Çavuş (sergeant): someone impartial and fair is chosen. Çavuş's assistants or Falakacı (bastinado officer): chosen from strong, respectful people. After the elections, it is decided where the first meeting will be held. The day of the meeting and those elected are written in a pocket notebook. A Barana has 16 or 17 members. There must be no more than three years' age difference between Barana members. Barana groups are formed among peers. The first meeting is held in a house, and because these meetings symbolise blood brotherhood they are called "kanlı pilav" (blood pilaf). How the Barana works After the election, the Barana members part, to meet on a Sunday evening at the house where the gathering (sohbet) will be held. The host takes the musical instruments, a dümbelek, a tef and a zilli maşa, home in a sack. He tells his family that a meeting will be held at the house on Sunday evening and asks them to prepare. Because the families have known this practice for years, they are proud that their son is a member of the Barana, finish their preparations with great happiness and look forward eagerly to Sunday evening. On Sunday evening all the Barana members go to the mosque nearest the house where the gathering will be held and perform the night prayer. Coming out of the mosque, they head together towards the house and, after a certain distance, at the president's signal, begin to sing the folk song "Sabahtan Kavuştum". (The first verse of the song) Sabahtan kavuştum ben bir güzele Güzel senin uykuların uçtu mu Senin gönlün yad ellere düştü mü Gülün bir tanesi sen kerem eyle (ben yandım) In the morning I met a beauty; / Beauty, has your sleep flown away? / Has your heart fallen to strangers? / You, the one rose, have mercy (I am burning). When they reach the house, at the foot of the stairs they move on to this song: Küçüğüm nereden gelirsin Gasaved gönlümü alırsın (ben yandım) Ergeç sen benim olursun Gasaved gönlümü alırsın (ben yandım) My little one, where do you come from? / You win my heart on purpose (I am burning). / Sooner or later you will be mine; / You win my heart on purpose (I am burning). As soon as the hosts hear the song, they come out in front of the door and greet the arrivals. The guests are taken in one by one with the words "hoş geldiniz, sefa getirdiniz" (welcome, you have brought joy). After everyone turns and dances once or twice together in the courtyard, they go up to the room where the gathering will be held. At the door of the room they are greeted by the host and the Barana member of the house, who takes them in saying "welcome to our home!". There is no set order for entering the room, but usually care is taken that the president goes in first and the other members after him. They go into the large room of the house, which has a hearth (fireplace). Inside, straw mats are laid. On the mats are kilims, and along the edges of the room cushions. Right in front of the cushions are floor cushions for those sitting to be comfortable. The president sits cross-legged right beside the hearth, and the judge sits opposite him. When the Barana head says "sit comfortably", the gathering begins with this song: Eminemin çam dibinde sesi var Varın bakın bohçasında nesi var Bir yazmayla top püsküllü fesi var Aman Eminem kalk gidelim dağlara Mekân tutalım mor sümbüllü dağlara My Emine's voice is heard under the pine; / Go and see what she has in her bundle; / She has a headscarf and a fez with a tassel; / Oh my Emine, come, let us go to the mountains, / Let us make our home in the mountains of purple hyacinths. The young men sit facing each other, with the çavuş's assistants next to the judge. The only one who sits at ease like the president is the judge. The others sit on their knees. The Barana member of the house and his closest friends stand outside the door if it is open, ready to perform any service. After entering the house, at the top of the stairs, while sitting down and when beginning the conversation, separate special tunes are always played and sung in chorus. Kırık hava, karşılama and zeybek are danced. During the dances, whoever stops dancing puts the spoons down in front of a friend. In this way everyone dances. At the president's command "herrol", the dancing pauses. Then various entertaining games are played, the most common being the "ring game". Afterwards food is eaten, coffee drunk, tales and stories told, conversation held on various subjects, and very special tunes such as the "Sohbet Övme" (Praise of the Gathering) are sung. The first verse of the Sohbet Övme song is as follows: Uzun çarşı baştan başa Keklik seker taştan taşa Geçmiş olsun (………..) paşa Sevdiğim bir o, saydığım bir o Olacak sohbet senindir Senindir, gerçek senindir. The long bazaar from end to end, / The partridge hops from stone to stone; / Get well soon, (………..) pasha; / He is the one I love, the one I respect; / The coming gathering is yours, / Yours, truly yours. In the Sohbet Övme, the people who will lead the talks at that night's and the next meeting are also announced. The gathering also has a trial section. In this section offenders are tried and sentenced according to their offences. Gambling, lying, getting drunk and similar behaviour are counted as offences, and the punishments are carried out on the offenders at once. Secrecy is one of the Barana's important features. It is forbidden to reveal the place of the gathering. Members of the gathering are bound to love and respect one another and help one another. Baranas are entirely social, moral and educational institutions. The Dursunbey Barana keeps Turkish traditions alive. Source: http://www.investbalikesir.com
Bartın
Bartın folklore Bartın's folk dances, usually performed separately in groups of 4 or 6, include most notably: Mavili Dıv Dıv Kavşak suyuna giderken Haydah Nirinay Bahçelerde Patlıcan Gide gide Elma aldım Bartın'dan Bartın çiftetellisi TRADITIONAL DRESS: Although the traditional features of Bartın's 200-year-old local dress have completely disappeared from men's clothing, they are relatively well kept alive in women's clothing and jewellery. Men's dress: In the town it consisted of baggy trousers with cavalry-style patches, a linen or woollen (şayak) jacket, a collarless shirt (mintan), a waistcoat and a sash. On the feet, yemeni or çapula shoes were worn. In rural areas, zıpka trousers and çarık (rawhide sandals) were preferred. Women's dress: Women in the town wore a göynek (shift), şalvar and a printed scarf of old design, while young girls wore an Uskufa or Kutnu waistcoat, a silk göynek, şalvar, a tombak (gilded copper) belt, a Çatku Tel Kırma scarf made with a special technique, and a tiara. Women in the countryside wore şalvar called "şilityan", decorated with flower patterns except on the skirt, and dresses of printed cotton and flannel; on their heads they wore a headscarf of fine cloth, also flower-patterned, covered by an "örtme" reaching to the waist. For the lower body, a "peştamal" of woven cotton or silk was knotted at the waist to cover the şilityan, those made in Rize being preferred. Low-heeled yemeni slippers were the shoe of choice. BARTIN ÇİFTETELLİSİ A kind of folk dance common in the Balkans and the western regions of our country, especially widespread in Bartın, Zonguldak and Bursa. The tunes and rhythms are similar, but the figures differ. Danced until the end of the 18th century to the davul, zurna and folk songs, and from the early 19th century to instruments such as the oud, violin, tambourine, clarinet, flute, cümbüş and darbuka, the dances' real music is the folk songs. Symbolising the grace and beauty, vitality and liveliness of women, these dances are also distinguished from those of our other regions by the richness of the dancers' clothes and jewellery. In the past they are known to have been danced with a double drum hung on the drummers' shoulders. Spoon, zeybek and cymbal dances, danced apart without holding on, are of this kind. Bartın folk songs In Bartın it is impossible to think of the local folk dances and songs apart from weddings. Danced until the end of the 18th century to the davul, zurna and folk songs, and from the early 19th century to instruments such as the oud, violin, clarinet, flute, cümbüş and darbuka, the dances' real music is the folk songs. The songs spring from the private lives of local people: an event in the town or a topical subject immediately turns into a song and passes from mouth to mouth. Dıv Dıv da Dıv Dıv A horseman is coming, a horseman A folded kilim under him My beloved sweetheart Is sweeter than honey and sugar Dıv dıv dıv dıv dıv Dıv dıv dıv dıv dıv Dıv dıv dıv dıv dıv dıv Green leaves on the branches Cherries by the plateful Let us be together, my love Our end is the black earth Dıv dıv dıv dıv dıv Dıv dıv dıv dıv dıv Dıv dıv dıv dıv dıv dıv Mapushane İçinde Yanıyor Gazlar (Lamps Burn in the Prison) Bartın – Muzaffer Özden – Muzaffer Sarısözen Lamps burn in the prison From one bayram to the next (oh my dear) The saz is played For some their mothers weep, for others the girls So I fell into the dungeon I burn and burn and weep Through the iron bars (oh my dear) I look and turn and weep A marble pillar in the prison Some of us got fifteen years (oh my dear) Some of us the galleys No heart can bear the death sentence So I fell into the dungeon I burn and burn and weep Through the iron bars (oh my dear) I look and turn and weep Gel Çıkalım Dağlara (Come, Let Us Go Up to the Mountains) Come, let us go up to the mountains Aman, let the mountains be our home Aman, a leaf from every tree Aman, let them be our roof tiles I cannot go, I cannot go Aman, is there no road between? Aman, only the Creator Aman, can take you from my hands A ship comes and draws alongside Aman, full of laundry Aman, my sweetheart Aman, suits everything she wears I won't freeze it, I won't freeze it, I won't cloud the drink I won't freeze it, I won't freeze it, I won't wake my drunkard Source: http://360sanalturbartin.com/tr
Batman
Traditions and customs SEEING AND ASKING FOR A BRIDE: Marriages take place both by arrangement (görücü usulü) and through young people seeing and getting to know each other. To describe the arranged way: the young man's side goes to the girl's house as "görücü" (viewers). They assess the girl as they drink the coffee she serves. If they want to see her again, they ask for water. An elderly woman representing the young man's side looks over the build of the prospective bride as she brings the water. They study how she walks, test her hearing by calling to her softly and, when leaving, kiss her to find out whether she has bad breath. As the viewers leave the girl's house, they decide among themselves for whom they will ask for the girl they liked, and ask her relatives whether she would be given if asked for. The young man's side, sometimes through a go-between, asks whether they may come to the girl's family's home to drink tea and ask for her hand, and asks them to set a day. The girl's side asks for time to make the necessary enquiries, saying "We will also think about it within the family." If the girl's side approves the request, they tell the young man's go-between the day on which they will be received for tea. This confirms that the girl will be given. The young man's side goes to the girl's house with the imam in a group of several people. The girl is asked for and the promise is made. After this the engagement and the wedding take place. In our province weddings usually begin on Thursdays and Saturdays and continue on the following days. At weddings the drum, zurna, tef, kemençe and kaval are played. BRIDE PRICE (BAŞLIK PARASI): In our community, which is developing fast and changing accordingly, new values can be seen taking the place of old customs. The bride price, a social wound in our society, has partly disappeared. In the city and district centres, especially among educated families, this custom has been abandoned. The bride-price tradition, which keeps its character in the villages, continues in the form of the girl's side, having received the bride price, adding to it and preparing a trousseau for the bride. FUNERALS: After the funeral, condolences are received for three days. In villages this period is even longer. The relatives of the deceased do not go to work during this time. They receive those who come from round about to offer condolences. Those who come to the house of the deceased to offer condolences (taziye) bring gifts according to their means, such as tea, sugar, flour and cooking fat. This is done in the provincial centre. Those who come to offer condolences recite a sura of the Qur'an or the Fatiha. They pray for mercy and forgiveness for the deceased. Guests who come to the house are served tea and food. CIRCUMCISION: Circumcision, a religious duty, begins with festivities held according to the family's means. First the boy to be circumcised is driven around the city with his friends. He is dressed in circumcision clothes. Before the circumcision, a mevlit is recited at home. Then a meal is given to the guests. The boy is circumcised on the lap of the chosen kirve (sponsor). The kirve is valued like a relative for life and counted as one of the family. Source: http://www.batmankulturturizm.gov.tr/TR,56591/gelenek-ve-gorenekler.html
Bayburt
Bayburt is known for its village and neighbourhood odas (communal rooms). According to Wikipedia, this tradition is kept alive in Türkiye only in Bayburt. The odas were first set up by wealthy families to host funerals, weddings and gatherings. In winter people told stories and folk tales in the odas and held aşık (minstrel) contests and games. In villages without hotels, guests were also hosted here. The odas are mostly 100–150 square metres, with carpeted seating along the walls and wooden ceilings. Today many also have a hall, a kitchen and a library. The city's places to visit include Bayburt Castle, the Aydıntepe Underground City, the contemporary art museum Baksı Museum, the Kenan Yavuz Ethnography Museum, the Great Mosque of Bayburt and the Korgan Bridge. The Dede Korkut Festival is held in summer, and liberation on 21 February is celebrated every year. On the fourteenth night of Ramadan, after iftar, children hand out sweets, nuts and fruit to each other.
Bilecik
Literature of Bilecik Şeyh Edebalı Edebalı was born in 1208 in the city of Merv in Khorasan. He was Osman Gazi's father-in-law and one of the first Ahi sheikhs of Anatolia. Having spent his childhood in Khorasan, Edebalı completed his education in Damascus, studying under the great scholars of the age, and settled in the village of İtburnu near Eskişehir. In the founding period, Ertuğrul Gazi and Osman Gazi received great help from the Ahis, and especially from Edebalı, an Ahi sheikh. After meeting him in Söğüt (1281), Osman Bey often visited Şeyh Edebalı's dervish lodge in Eskişehir and benefited from his views. After the conquest of Bilecik, Edebalı was also appointed kadı (judge) of Bilecik.
Bingöl
Customs and traditions of Bingöl Every society has its own customs and beliefs. In our area, the mores, customs, beliefs and folk medicine that have come down from the past and exist among the people are still respected, if only a little. A newborn child is not taken out of the house until its fortieth day has passed, and that house does not give fire to the neighbours. The call to prayer is recited into a newborn child's ear. If a crow (magpie) calls at the door, it brings bad luck. It is frowned upon for a newly arrived bride to speak with her father-in-law and brothers-in-law. Taking one's child on one's lap, attending to it and showing it affection in front of the elders of the family is not approved of. During solar and lunar eclipses the call to prayer is recited and two rak'ahs of prayer are performed. Nail clippings are buried in the earth. Dogs howling brings bad luck. On Fridays green wood is not cut and crops are not reaped. No food is cooked in a house of mourning for three days. If the cut umbilical cord of a newborn baby is placed in a mosque wall, the child will become a religious scholar; if it is placed in a school wall, the child will be educated. People who catch jaundice are given a yellow bead or gold to wear and dressed in yellow clothes. Laundry is not done on Fridays. A blue bead or amulet is worn for protection from the evil eye. To burst some boils and draw out the inflammation, an onion or a broad-leaved plant (the leaf called Pelhaves locally) is placed on them. If pear and apple trees blossom heavily, it will snow that year. If the sky is cloudy at night with redness in it, there will be no rain. If the clouds drift east the weather will be sunny; if they drift west there will be rain. If birds settle in flocks on the treetops, it is believed that winter will come early that year and be severe. Looking in a mirror at night brings bad luck. Sweeping the house in the evening drives away plenty. Water is poured out behind people setting off on a journey. Mud is rubbed on a bee sting, and a hot stone or iron is pressed on it. Cutting nails after sunset brings bad luck. Handicrafts of Bingöl Local handicrafts Local handicrafts in Bingöl are based mainly on weaving and knitting. Because livestock is the people's most important resource in Bingöl and its area, its influence can be seen in the traditional handicrafts too. Besides weaving and knitting, crafts made from wood and clay are also widespread. Today, however, traditional handicrafts are slowly on the verge of disappearing with developing technology and urbanisation. When crafts made by the labour of human hands had to give way to machines, handicrafts lost their function. Even so, in Bingöl (especially in rural areas) local handicrafts can still be found. Weaving and knitting in particular, and pottery to a lesser extent, survive. In the town centres, carpet looms and courses have been set up and carpet-making continues within a plan. In rural areas, people traditionally produce, first of all to meet their own needs and with their own skill and artistic taste, carpets, kilims, palas (flat-woven rugs), socks, gloves, saddlebags, felt and pottery, as well as wooden spoons, dough troughs, rolling pins and kavals (shepherd's flutes). On the basis of our research and observations, especially in rural Bingöl, the most widely practised local handicrafts can be classified by the materials they are made from as follows. Handicrafts made from animal products It is known that most people in this area keep livestock and therefore make use of animal products. The main products made with the animals' wool for weaving and knitting are: Carpets In Bingöl carpet-making generally goes on in the autumn and winter months. Besides carpets produced on primitive looms, in recent years courses opened by the Public Education Centre have begun producing modern, high-quality carpets on modern looms. Hereke- and Isparta-type carpets in particular are woven in the Public Education courses. The quality of a carpet is judged by the type of wool used, the fineness and skill of the weaving, and the aesthetics of the patterns and dyeing. The dominant colour in Bingöl carpets is red. The motifs used in the carpets are mostly flowers, deveboynu (camel's neck), elibelinde (hands on hips), geometric shapes and other plant shapes. The wool used to make the carpet is cleaned thoroughly, made usable with spinning wheels and spindles, and then used in the weaving. Kilims The Bingöl kilims, produced by local people with the experience and skill of centuries, are dominated by an aesthetic sense and artistic taste drawn from the beauties of nature and riots of colour. Kilims use sunrises, pictures of animals, plant motifs and symmetrical or geometric patterns. The wool used to make a kilim is prepared in its natural colour or dyed with local dyes. Unlike a carpet, no knots are tied in weaving a kilim; the bobbin is passed between the warp threads and beaten down with a comb. The kilims are used as room decorations, bed covers and prayer rugs. Saddlebags (heybe) The heybe, generally used on the shoulder or on pack animals such as horses and donkeys to carry loads, consists of two bags joined together. Because they are made to carry goods and loads, they are woven very sturdily. In the area it is tied to the saddle behind the rider. The heybe is made from pieces of palas and kilim. The loom is simple, and it is woven on kilim and palas looms. The warp threads are of wool and goat hair. Its patterns are not very different from kilim and palas patterns. Felt It is made from white or red lamb's wool. Before making begins, the wool is sorted and washed. The wool, dried in the sun, is spread on a kilim. After spreading, it is rolled up together with the kilim. Once heated, the rolled wool is beaten on a flat surface by four strong men who roll it with their feet for a whole day without stopping. After the beating, the roll is opened and left to dry on a flat surface. The felt is spread in houses to sit on. Apart from this it is sewn into a rectangular shape and worn by shepherds on cold days. Socks They are usually made from sheep's wool. The socks use motifs that reflect the people's taste and artistic sense. Most socks are white, but they are also made from black and red wool. The motifs are shapes and symbols relating to plants, animals and objects. Sock-making starts with three needles. When the work reaches 4 cm, the number of needles is increased to five. Because winters in the area are harsh and long, sock-knitting is done in almost every house. Tassels can be added to the top of the socks if wanted. Gloves Gloves are knitted the same way as socks. They are knitted either with five fingers or with a single thumb. White and brown are generally used, and they can be plain or patterned. The patterns are usually flower shapes or other plant shapes. Tassels can be added to the fingertips and cuffs for decoration if wanted. Besides the weaving and knitting mentioned above, needlework by women and young girls is also very widespread in Bingöl. In particular, decoration embroidered on fabric with silver thread, and needle-lace edgings (oya) with flower motifs on the edges of headscarves, yemeni and laçık scarves, are other handicrafts often found in the area. Hand-made products based on lace, such as tablecloths and side-table covers, also stand out. Handicrafts made from wood Among the handicrafts based on woodwork, the most notable are these: Dekik Unique to Bingöl, the "dekik" is a kind of shepherd's instrument. The dekik, said to have been made in Bingöl since very early times, is made by hollowing out a round, ball-shaped piece of wood. It has two holes on its sides; one of them is covered with a cigarette paper and it is played by blowing. In this way it produces a harmonious sound. The dekik is still made especially in Çaytepe and the surrounding villages in the Genç district and in the villages of the Kiğı district. Kaval The kaval, a wind instrument used in Turkish folk music, is made in two forms, with and without a fipple. It is made of hornbeam and boxwood, and also of reed. It is widely used in the area especially as a shepherd's instrument (zel). Although it was often made by craftsmen in the province in the past, this craft too has gradually begun to decline today. As in many provinces of Anatolia, the kaval holds an important place in the imagination and artistic sense of the people of Bingöl. It features in many stories and legends. In the legend of "Kara Koyun" (the Black Sheep), the shepherd, to stop the black sheep, which has been fed plenty of salt and left without water for several days, from drinking, and so win the agha's beautiful daughter, skilfully takes up his kaval and achieves what everyone said was impossible. With his kaval and its emotional melodies, he moves the black sheep and stops it from drinking. Spoons and ladles Spoons and ladles are first roughly cut and then made from carved wood. Afterwards they are decorated and varnished. Over time, however, these decorated and varnished spoons give way to plain, unpatterned wooden spoons. The decorated ones are made rather for exhibition or as display items. In most villages in the area, wooden spoons and ladles are still made and keep their place among kitchen utensils. But with modernisation and industrialisation, wooden spoons and ladles are no longer produced by painstaking handwork as before and have slowly begun to lose their traditional character. Products such as metal spoons, forks and ladles have become widespread. Besides this woodwork, butter, honey and dough troughs and dowry chests peculiar to the area used to be made in Bingöl. These handicrafts were made especially before the Republic to meet people's needs. Among them, the dowry chests in particular were made with a very aesthetic appearance, thanks to the craftsmen's fine artistic sense and years of experience. Various patterns and carving motifs were worked on them and, if wanted, they were painted and made ready for use. Wooden carts, cradles and toys for children, and farming tools such as ploughs, threshing sledges and winnowing tools to meet the needs of farmers, are also among the handicrafts commonly made in the area. These hand-made products can still be found in rural settlements. Handicrafts made from earth Handicrafts made from earth are made from a special clay that can be used and easily kneaded and shaped. Various techniques are applied to the soft, workable earth to give it certain forms. Among the handicrafts made with this kind of material, the notable ones are jugs, jars, pans and pots of various sizes and shapes based on pottery, and bread tandırs made using earth and stone as material. Tandır Bread tandırs made of earth and stone to meet people's needs serve as a kind of oven. Bread baked in the tandır has a flavour all its own. These tandırs can still be found in town centres as well as in many rural areas. As in pottery, a special earth that kneads easily and takes shape is used for the tandır. This earth is kneaded and a little straw is mixed in to give it durability and stickiness. The kneaded clay is laid in coils one on top of another and fused into a bowl about 70–80 cm high. The bowl widens from its mouth towards its base, and at the bottom it has a small tunnel facing forwards. The tandır's ash is removed and the tandır cleaned through this little tunnel. The outside of the tandır bowl is walled with stones to protect its structure. When bread is to be baked, the tandır is heated with fuel such as wood and planks. The bread dough is moistened and stuck to the inside of the bowl of the tandır at a normal heat. In this way the bread bakes in the tandır bowl over the wood fire. Folk dances of Bingöl Bingöl folk dances have won great admiration with their distinctive character. They are imitated especially by neighbouring provinces. We see Bingöl folk dances being danced especially in Diyarbakır. Kartal (Eagle) dance In this dance the dancers resemble eagles flying over the hard rocks of the mountains. The dance is said to have emerged after the First World War. It tells of the heroic fight of our victorious forces in the battle between the Russian forces attacking from Karlıova towards Şeref Meydanı and our soldiers and militia. The eagle dance symbolises the eagles swooping on the enemy corpses left on the battlefield. Delilo dance The dance is danced by girls and boys together. It is one of the most danced dances in the area. Meryemo: holding hands, the dancers form a circle. The joined hands swing in and out. Forward crouching movements are made. While the dance is performed, the following folk song is sung. Çepik (hand-clapping) It is a dance with very vigorous figures. The dance reflects the struggle of the local people with nature and a kind of trial of strength between the dancers. It is danced to the davul and zurna (drum and shawm). As the music begins, the dance starts with the right foot. Three steps are taken forward, and at the end of the three steps the hands are clapped. After these movements are repeated several times, the partners turn to each other and strike palms hard against each other three times. These striking movements are done several times. Çaçan It is a lively dance. It is one of the best-loved and most popular dances in the area. The rhythm is kept by stamping the feet on the ground, and three jumps are made forward. Care is taken that the movements are done at the same time. While the dance is performed, the following folk song is most often sung. Other folk dances Gövend (Halay), Horani Spectator and entertainment games Sarımsak (Garlic) game Darı Sulama (Watering the Millet) Değirmenci (The Miller) Muhtar (The Village Headman) Kalaycı (The Tinsmith) Kalkağan festivity Çulapı (three-legged forked tree) game Gelin (Bride) game Cirit (javelin game) Şel Atmak (stone throwing)
Bitlis
Handicrafts of Bitlis The handicrafts made in our province in the past and still today can be listed as follows. a) Handicrafts woven on hand looms: Gej (local cloth): This craft, woven in the Mutki and Hizan districts, is supported by courses opened by the Provincial Directorate of Culture and the Mutki Public Education Centre. Local costumes are used only in folk dances. There are difficulties with raw materials and marketing. Prayer rugs and saddlebags: These are woven on hand looms that people set up in their own homes in central Bitlis and in the Tatvan and Hizan districts. Cacım: Cacım is woven in our Tatvan district. Aba: Aba cloth is woven in two kinds, the first from goat hair and the second from mohair; the goat-hair weave is made into short-sleeved garments and the mohair weave into waistcoats. Aba weaving is done in the Mutki district and kept going through courses opened by the Mutki Public Education Centre. Abas can be used in modern clothing. There are difficulties with raw materials and marketing. Bitlis sash: It is woven in the Tatvan district and used as an accessory in folk dances. It is used only in folk dances. b) Handicrafts woven on weaving looms: Carpet weaving: In our province carpets are woven with the support of Sümer Halı. Sümer Halı continues its work in the Tatvan and Hizan districts. In 2000 the Provincial Directorate of Culture also started a carpet-weaving course. Kilim weaving: In our province kilim weaving continues in the Ahlat and Adilcevaz districts. These workshops are run by the district governorates' Social Assistance and Solidarity Foundations. c) Local footwear, the harik: This footwear (harik), particular to the area, is kept going through courses opened in the city centre by the Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism. The local harik is used in folk dances, on special occasions and as decoration in a "şark köşesi" (traditional corner). There are difficulties with marketing. d) Earthenware pottery: In our province earthenware pottery is still made in the town of Kavakbaşı in the Mutki district and in the village of Günkırı in the Güroymak district. e) Needle and bead lace (oya): Passed down from grandmother to granddaughter, this is the first handicraft girls learn once they can hold a needle. f) Stonework: Stonework, which shapes the style of civil architecture, is a dazzling art in its elegance and delicacy. Stonework is practised in the Ahlat district, and to support it the Ahlat District Governorate holds a competition every year by tradition. The high cost of stonework is leading people towards cheaper materials. g) Walking-stick making: Famous for the Ahlat walking stick made in the Ahlat and Adilcevaz districts, this craft involves hand-carving local patterns into walnut, elm, mulberry and cherry wood, working in bone, polishing with varnish or golmak lacquer and decorating with Seljuk motifs. To support walking-stick making, the Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism and the Ahlat District Governorate hold traditional competitions. Proverbs of Bitlis Büyük söyleme başan gelir, (Don't boast, or it will come upon your head.) Kırktan sonra mağara, hoş geldin bayram ağa, (A cave after forty: welcome, holiday sir — something that comes too late.) Allah verince dingo bağından da verir, (When God gives, He gives even from the dingo's vineyard.) Baba malı tez tükenir gerek evlat kazana, (A father's wealth runs out fast; the child must earn his own.) Ayağıma yer edem, gör sana neler edem, (Let me find my footing, then see what I'll do to you.) Kör gözden yaş, molla evinde aş, (Tears from a blind eye, food in a mullah's house — something hard to get.) Acem belayem, tokem kadayem, (When hungry I am a curse, when full I am a nuisance.) Şipanem şilor, gelen gilor, (My threshold is a plum; whoever comes rolls over it — an open house.) Nur yağınca tandıra girmiş, (When light rained down, he crawled into the tandır — missing his chance.) Keçel derman bulsa öz başına sürer, (If the bald man found a cure, he would rub it on his own head.) Eşek bizim eşek ama çülü değişmiş, (The donkey is our donkey, but its saddle-cloth has changed.) Görümüm geldi ölümüm geldi, beşiğim geldi tabutum geldi, (My sister-in-law came, my death came; my cradle came, my coffin came.) Bir lâf duyduğunda kulağın kar, dilin lâf et, (When you hear a word, let your ear be deaf; [then] let your tongue speak.) Az vardi acedan, bir de çıktı pacedan, (As if there weren't enough trouble, another came out of the window.) Jüjünün balesi jüjüye şirindir. (The hedgehog's young is sweet to the hedgehog.) Words particular to Bitlis Beredayi: good for nothing Fittoz: flighty, frivolous Bızap: calf Gılez: saliva Çapu: applause Gülyaz: cherry Çılızer: thin, weak Herkendaz: fire rake Çipin: fly Jüjü: hedgehog Dav: hail Kartol: potato Dırçik: to jump Keşur: carrot Dingila Fıstık: seesaw Moz: black bee Pestaf: bundle Pişik: cat Şilor: plum Şipane: threshold Tıhtımorik: blackberry Zıngılav: bell Folk songs (türkü) of Bitlis DİDEBAN ÜSTÜNDEYİM Dideban üstündeyim Gökmeydan baş aşağı Dal boyun kastındayım Belinde şal kuşağı Erenler dua etsin Alay kalkmış gidiyor Ben murat üstündeyim Hepsi Bitlis uşağı Giderim Van’a doğru Yolun İran’a doğru Kes başım kanım aksın Kadrim bilene doğru (I am up on Dideban, Gökmeydan lies below; I long for your slender figure with the shawl sash at your waist; may the saints pray, I am close to my wish; the regiment has risen and is marching off, all of them lads of Bitlis. I am going towards Van, your road leads to Iran; cut off my head and let my blood flow towards the one who knows my worth.) BİTLİS’İN ÖNÜNDE BAĞLAR Bitlis’in önünde bağlar hanıme lele Bitlis’in başında bora hanıme lele O yar oturmuş gül bağlar delalım lele Cahil idim düştüm tora delalım lele Bu hasrete dayanamaz hanıme lele Beni tora düşürenler hanıme lele Ne hastalar ne de sağlar delalım lele Dilerim yansınlar nara delalım lele Vay hanım hanım hanım hanıma lele Vay hanım hanım hanım hanıma lele Sensin benim yar dermanım delalım lele Sensin benim yar dermanım delalım lele (Vineyards before Bitlis, a storm over Bitlis; my love sits weaving roses; I was young and foolish and fell into the net; she cannot bear this longing, neither sick nor well; may those who caught me in the net burn in fire. Oh lady, my darling, you are my love and my cure.) BİTLİS’TE BEŞ MİNARE Bitlis’te beş minare beri gel oğlan beri gel Tüfeğim dolu saçma beri gel oğlan beri gel Yüreğim dolu yare beri gel oğlun beri oğlan Sevdiğim benden kaçma beri gel oğlan beri gel İsterem yanan gelem beri gel oğlan beri gel Doksandokuz yarem var beri gel oğlan beri gel Cebimde yok beş pare beri gel oğlan beri gel Bir yarede sen açma beri gel oğlan beri gel (Five minarets in Bitlis, come here, boy, come here; my heart is full of wounds; I want to come to you, but I haven't five coins in my pocket. My gun is loaded with shot; my love, don't run from me; I have ninety-nine wounds, don't you open one more.) ATEM TUTEM Atem tutem men seni Hop hopun omsun oğul Şekere katem men seni Nur topun olsun oğul Akşama baban gelende oğul Kınalı kavak dibinde oy Önüne atam men seni Toyluğun olsun oğul. (I'll toss you and catch you, I'll mix you into sugar; when your father comes home this evening, son, I'll set you down before him. May you bounce and play, son, may you be a ball of light; at the foot of the hennaed poplar, may you have your wedding feast, son.) Mani of Bitlis Bu dağın karı menem Gün vursa erimenem Yedi yıl yerde kalem Civanem çürümenem (I am the snow of this mountain; even if the sun strikes I won't melt; if I lie seven years in the ground, I am young, I won't decay.) ********************************************** Bulak başı poturak At minderi oturak Bir sen söyle bir de men Bu sevdadan kurtulağ (Let's sit by the spring, throw down a cushion and sit; you say a verse and I'll say one, so we may be free of this love.) ********************************************** Şafaklar sökülende Al elma dökülende Yarimi çağırasız Mezarım örtülende (When dawn breaks, when the red apples fall, call my love when my grave is being covered.) ********************************************** Ay paceden gitmiyor Elim yare yetmiyor Hafta bir mercimek Boğazımdan gitmiyor (The moon won't leave the window, my hand can't reach my love; for a week a single lentil won't go down my throat.) ********************************************** Başında puşan kurban Dudağan dişan kurban Yalanız sana değil Eşan yoldaşan kurban (May I be sacrificed for the scarf on your head, for your lips and your teeth; not only for you, but for your friends and companions too.) ********************************************** Belediye önü taştır Kızların gözü yaştır Arvatlar ağlamayın Manto çarşaftan hoştur (The front of the town hall is stone, the girls' eyes are wet; women, don't cry: a coat is nicer than a çarşaf.) ********************************************** Bitlis’in etrafı dağlar İçinde gülden bağlar Fazla mektup yazardım yarim gariptir ağlar (Mountains all round Bitlis, rose gardens within; I would write more letters, but my love is lonely and weeps.) ********************************************** Kar yağar lapa lapa Bizim evin damına Kız seni alacağım Ananın inadına (Snow falls in big flakes on the roof of our house; girl, I will marry you, to spite your mother.) ********************************************** Avih’in yolu ince Düşümde gördüm gece Kuşlar kurbanız olem Yarimin hali ince (The road to Avih is narrow; I saw it in my dream at night; birds, may I be your sacrifice, my love is in a frail state.) ********************************************** Bitlis çayı bir düman Ben bu dertten kurtulmam Yarimi sular aldı Ölsem bile unutmam (The Bitlis Stream is all mist; I will never be free of this sorrow; the waters took my love, I won't forget even if I die.) ********************************************** Bitlis çayı bulanık Ağlarım yanık yanık El alem gece uyur Ben her zaman uyanık (The Bitlis Stream is muddy, I weep with a burning heart; everyone else sleeps at night, I am always awake.) ********************************************** Dama serdim hasırı Al koynuna yesiri Kaynana ölür ise Ev olur arı sili (I spread the mat on the roof; take the captive into your arms; if the mother-in-law dies, the house will be clean and tidy.) Folk dances of Bitlis The folk dances particular to the area are very colourful. The dances, which are also performed under the same names in other provinces of the Eastern Anatolia Region, are of the "Bar" and "Halay" types. In general the dances express feelings of toughness, unity and solidarity, and love of people. General types of folk dance in Bitlis: Ağır Küvenk - Nare - Değirmenci Sıppe - Tiringo - Kavaş Garzane - Deriko - Harkuşta Pappure - Zeybek - Meyroki Aşırma - Dıldıl - Küvengin Yollarında Temirağa - Memyane - Perijvan In our area the instruments generally used for folk dances are the drum and zurna. The def (frame drum) is also used, especially in village dances. Traditional dress of Bitlis The people of Bitlis chose and wore their traditional clothes with many considerations in mind. Men's clothes, entirely hand-woven, are made of a cloth called "gej", woven from mohair. Women's clothing has features that show whether a woman is married, single, wealthy or engaged.
Bolu
Culture and language in Bolu In our province the spoken and written language is Turkish, in a plain style of expression. Distinctive features of the local accent and dialect can be illustrated by examples such as: niçun gelmeyan, napıyen, oluncası, gelincesi, nem ben, bilmeyonku. The names of days, weeks and months are used as in our official calendar. Only Sunday is "kapalı pazar" or "dernek", and Monday is "Bolu pazarı" (Bolu market) day. Literature of Bolu The hymns and poems of YUNUS EMRE, who is known to have shrines in many places in Anatolia, appear in the many cönk (manuscript anthologies) collected in and around Bolu. At wedding ceremonies the bride and groom are even walked several times over a new piece of cloth to Yunus's hymns. In the Gökçesu sub-district of our Mengen district there is a Yunuslar village and a place visited as Yunus's grave. Kemal Ümmi was a Sufi poet who lived in the 15th century. Every year a traditional day of remembrance is held in his name in Tekke village, in Bolu's Sazak area, where he spent much of his life. Our epic hero Köroğlu, known to have lived in the late 16th century, is one of the names that come to mind when Bolu is mentioned. There is also the Köroğlu dance, performed with sword and shield. The Köroğlu statue in the Belediye square in the provincial centre is striking. Aşık Dertli, whose real name was İbrahim, was born in 1772 in Şahnalar village of Yeniçağa and died in Ankara in 1845. The poet Dertli's monumental tomb is in Şahnalar village on the Bolu–Gerede highway. A day of remembrance is held every year. Figani of Gerede and Yağcı Emin of Mudurnu were his apprentices. Tales of Bolu The Epic of Advice by Aşık Figani of Gerede Erenler pendini guşeyle cana A akil doğru sözü arar demişler “Men aref” bağını kıldınsa me’va Senin içün her dem bahar demişler (Listen, soul, to the counsel of the saints; they say the wise seek the true word; if you have made the garden of "whoever knows himself" your home, they say it is always spring for you.) Şu kahpe felekten murat alınmaz Yalancı dünyada ebet kalınmaz Malı olmıyanın dostu bulunmaz Çaylar denizlere akar demişler (No wish is granted by this treacherous fate; no one stays for ever in this false world; one who has no wealth finds no friend; they say streams flow into the seas.) Çok zaman gün bulut içinde kalmaz. Derler bunalıp da hiç adam olmaz Altun yere düşmeyince pul olmaz Er düştüğü yerden kalkar demişler (The sun does not stay behind the clouds for long; they say no one becomes a man without hardship; gold is not coin until it falls to the ground; they say a brave man rises from where he fell.) Figani pendimi yabana atma Rey senin ister tut,istersen tutma Eğer arif isen sözü uzatma Südsüz inek durmaz malar demişler (Figani says: don't cast my advice aside; the choice is yours, take it or leave it; if you are wise, don't drag out your words; they say a cow without milk won't stand still but just lows.) The best-known are the Köroğlu legend, epic, folk song and dance. There are also tales about the miracles of figures such as Akşemseddin, Şeyh'ül İmran, whose grave is in Mudurnu, Karaarslan and Ümmi Kemal. Mani (folk quatrains) of Bolu İşte geldim büklüm büklüm Sırtımdaki davul yüküm İşte geldim hanenize Selam verdim cümlenize (Here I come, all bent over, the drum on my back is my load; here I come to your house, and I greet you all.) ************************************** İncirim var ezilecek Tülbentlerde süzülecek Çok bekletme benim ağam Mahallem var gezilecek (I have figs to be crushed and strained through muslin; don't keep me waiting long, my lord, I have a neighbourhood to go round.) ************************************** Çeşme önünde yarim Boduçmu dolduruyon Söz verdin de gelmedin Çocuk mu kandırıyon (My love at the fountain, are you filling your jug? You gave your word and didn't come; are you fooling a child?) ************************************** Fındık toplayan gelin Fındık dalda kalmasın Eğil bir yol öpeyim Ahdım yerde kalmasın (Bride picking hazelnuts, don't leave any on the branch; lean down and let me kiss you once, so my vow isn't left unfulfilled.) Set sayings of Bolu Acıtma arsız edersin,acıktırma hırsız edersin (don't hurt a child or you'll make him shameless, don't leave him hungry or you'll make him a thief) Ağızdan burun yakın,kardaştan karın yakın (the nose is closer than the mouth, one's own belly closer than a brother) Ağzı eğri olsa da,zengin karısı söylesin (even if her mouth is crooked, let the rich man's wife do the talking) Allah dört gözden ayırmasın (may God not part you from your four eyes, i.e. may you keep both your parents) Allah kötüler bahtı versin (may God give you the luck of the wicked) Bolu’lunun taşınca ayranı,tanımaz bayramı (when the Bolu man's ayran overflows, he forgets all about the holidays) Burası Bolu, öyne de olu, böyne de olu (this is Bolu, it can go this way or that way) Çok endeleyen ya kele, ya köre (whoever is too choosy ends up with the bald or the blind) Dilmi güzel, dilber mi güzel (which is lovelier, the tongue or the beloved?) Ekmek elin, su gölün, odun abant’ın (the bread is someone else's, the water the lake's, the wood Abant's) Engelsiz döngel yenmiyor (you can't eat medlars without obstacles) Evin geniş olacağına elin geniş olsun (better a generous hand than a big house) Fukaranın döngeli köhnümez (the poor man's medlar never ripens) Kırk gün kıran olmuş, gene de eceli gelen ölmüş (there was plague for forty days, yet only those whose time had come died) Sevip dostuna, boşanıp kocana varma (don't go back to a lover you left or a husband you divorced) Uşağın hoşafta hakkı olmaz (a servant has no share in the compote) Yük altındaki eşek anırmaz (a donkey under a load doesn't bray) Allah göynünün muradını versin (may God grant your heart's desire) Life's turning points in Bolu When it comes to birth traditions, the first things to consider are the responsibilities the pregnant woman must fulfil. In our area these beliefs are as follows. A pregnant woman may not touch someone else's property without the owner's knowledge, or the child will be born ill-gotten. If she looks at hairy things, the child will be hairy. A mother who wants a hazel-eyed child looks at the moon. A pregnant woman does not eat buffalo cream; if she does, she will give birth early. The child is named on the day it is born. The bed of a woman who has just given birth is kept for seven days. When the child is forty days old, it is taken to the hamam with its mother and relatives. While the baby is being given its fortieth-day bath, it is not shown to its mother. If she sees it, fear will seize the mother and she will fall ill. During the fortieth-day bath, gold is thrown into the water so that the baby will be beautiful. So that the child walks soon, its feet are tied together with a string one Friday and it is taken to the mosque. The first man to come out of the mosque is asked to cut the string; this is called köstek kesme (cutting the hobble). Because swaddling clothes for girls and boys are prepared before the birth, no distinction is made. However, pink clothes are preferred for girls and blue for boys. People go to see the baby of a woman who has given birth. Relatives and neighbours visit the baby with their gifts, and there the guests are offered lohusa şerbeti (new mother's sherbet). It is made by dissolving a red sugar called "nöbet şekeri" in water. In keeping with the belief known among the people as "Kırk basması, Al basması", the new mother is not left alone in her room for forty days. Whoever sees the child's first tooth receives a gift. A thread is pulled from the clothing of whoever visits the baby and placed in the swaddling. In marriage traditions, the old ways have largely been abandoned. Traditions that continue today are occasional elopement, the live-in son-in-law, süt hakkı (milk money) instead of bride price, making the bride cry on the henna night, civil and religious marriage, the best man and the yenge (bride's attendant), displaying the trousseau, urba görme (viewing the clothes), engagement and wedding. Circumcision and funeral traditions are carried out with religious ceremonies. However, at circumcisions and weddings some families have drums played and köçek dancers perform. Holidays, ceremonies and celebrations in Bolu Kurban Bayramı (the Feast of Sacrifice), our religious holiday, is celebrated in line with religious duties. Three months before Ramazan Bayramı, activity starts in every house. Those who wish begin the three months' fast or fast for three days. After the fifteenth of the month of Şaban, cleaning begins. Windows are wiped and laundry is washed. While preparing for Ramadan, neighbouring women get together and roll out yufka. During Ramadan the Quran is read, people go to mukabele (communal Quran recitation), every house first invites the poor and widowed to iftar, and the needy are helped. As well as the iftar cannon and the drum played at sahur, which have become symbols of Ramadan, there is also Ramadan pide. Before iftar, breakfast foods are set out, and soup, pilaf, dolma, a meat dish, compote, dessert and salad are made. It is said that long ago Karagöz shadow plays were performed during Ramadan, and that acrobats and puppets from outside were very popular. On the holy nights (kandil), lokma made from dough is handed out. At sahur, pasta with keş and walnuts is eaten. Beliefs in Bolu On Fridays oxen are not yoked and housework is not done. No new handiwork is started on a Tuesday, because "Salı sallanır" (Tuesday drags on). Crops are not sown at the start of the month. When a woman is unwell she does not open her chest and does not touch the pickles, or the pickles will spoil. She does not go to see a baby that is not yet forty days old, or the baby will get jaundice. There are no weddings between the two holidays. Prayers are said during a solar eclipse, and guns are fired during a lunar eclipse. A black cat is considered bad luck. A dog's howling is not taken as a good sign. An owl landing on a house's chimney and hooting means someone in that house will die. If the ribbing is left half-finished when starting a jumper, the work will not grow. A bird dropping on you is a sign that your luck will open up. Rubbish is not thrown outside at night, or the jinn will strike. Chewing gum is not chewed at night, or you will be chewing the flesh of the dead. You do not sit on a doorstep, or you will be slandered. When going to ask for a girl's hand, Thursday evening is preferred so that it will be auspicious. The right shoe is put on first. Handicrafts and souvenirs of Bolu The leading handicrafts are needle lace in the Mudurnu district, kaval making in the Kıbrıscık area, copperwork and leatherwork in Gerede, and woodwork in Göynük. Folk dances of Bolu Women and men perform the local dances in separate places. Our folk dances are danced by at least two people, and among women the number is no more than six. The dances are performed facing each other and changing direction, in circle and line formations. The dances are individual, and there are no special people such as a leader or someone giving commands. In solo dances such as the çiftetelli, the finest feature is the women's or men's belly and shoulder shaking. In both women's and men's dances, hopping, sliding, jumping and walking are the basic foot movements. In all the dances the arms are bent at the elbow and held still at the sides, or moved up and down in front between waist and shoulder. In the area, the names of folk songs have also become the names of dances. Almost all the women's dances are performed to folk songs. The song is usually sung by the woman playing the tef (frame drum). Today cassette tapes have taken the place of the tef. At weddings, the old and the young cannot get up to dance at the same time. The Kıbrıscık district in particular is rich in folk dances and costumes. Pıt pıt (Men men) Atlama (Gazel) Düz oyun (Çiftetelli) Ah Karadeniz Değirmen Ziller Yemenimin uçları Ada Yolu Halimem Estireyim mi Ördek Karaköy kaşık In Bolu, performers called köçek still carry on this tradition today. Köçeks wear women's clothes and dance with their finger cymbals at festivities. The Ördek (duck) dance is one of the most eye-catching dances in our province. In the part that shows the duck sleeping, the dancers will not carry on without being given a tip. Some of the dances performed in our area have a story. The story of one of these, the Karaköy Sekmesi dance, goes like this: Every year a shepherd from Karaköy takes the village's animals to the Haymana yayla to graze. When his time is up he returns to the village and falls in love with a girl. He has her family asked for her hand, but the bride price is too high. At this, the village agha calls the shepherd and says he will pay the bride price, but the shepherd must take the agha's sheep to Haymana for a year, fatten them well and bring them back. The shepherd accepts this condition and goes. The time is up but the shepherd has not been able to return. At this, the shepherd's fiancée composes this folk song. Spectator plays of Bolu It is said that long ago, especially during Ramadan after iftar, shadow-play screens were set up and Karagöz and puppet shows were performed. However, no masters of this art have been found in our province. They came from other provinces for the shows. At henna nights and weddings, village spectator plays are performed. These plays are the Arab play, şimşelek gelin, the duck, the camel play, hiding the ring, kidnapping the bride and kidnapping the groom. Nevruz traditions in Bolu On 21 March, to celebrate the arrival of spring, people go in groups to picnic spots. On this day tombs are also visited and wishes are made. Various entertainments are held in the countryside. Mani are sung, fortunes are drawn and the first flowers of spring are picked. People get up early in the morning; there is a tradition of washing with the first water of Nevruz, and people dress carefully on this day. Eggs dyed with onion skins are cooked and eaten with wishes for plenty and abundance. A fire is lit on a high hill to announce that spring has come. In the Mudurnu district Nevruz is known by names such as "Hep cennet", and in the Göynük district as "Mart Dokuzu". Hıdrellez traditions in Bolu 6 May, Hıdrellez, is the day the prophets Hızır and İlyas meet on earth. On this day people go on picnics and ride on swings, in the belief that this will cast off their sins. It is thought that if milk is left unfermented overnight, Hızır will come and touch the milk and turn it into yoghurt. If the unfermented milk becomes yoghurt, that yoghurt is used to start yoghurt for a whole year. If the milk becomes yoghurt, a fingerful of it is taken and rubbed on other foods too. Thyme is believed to be healing if picked in the days after Hıdrellez. Generally a place with plenty of water and greenery is chosen for the celebrations. The evening before, a jar is buried at the foot of a rose bush and opened in the morning with mani. No field or garden work is done that day. Those who want a house make a house in their garden, and those who want a baby make a cloth doll. A fire is lit and people jump over it.
Burdur
Folk songs of Burdur Onikidir Şu Burdur’un Dermeni (“Burdur has twelve mills”) Şu Çavdır’ın Hanları (“The inns of Çavdır”) Tekelioğlu Şişedeki Gülyağı (“The rose oil in the bottle”) Serenler Haymanalı Ispanaktan Evvel Çıkar Gerdeme Kezban Yenge Dolan Gel Sevdiğim (“Come round, my love”) Gaz Amat Eklemelidir Şu Burdur’un Dağları Dirmilcikten Gider Yaylanın Yolu (“The road to the highland pasture runs from Dirmil”) Ali Bey Denizin Dibinde Hatcam (“My Hatice at the bottom of the sea”) Ya da Geceleri Kalkar Ağlarım (“At night I rise and weep”) Sarı Zeybek Kahpe Gençlik de Geldi Geçti (“Faithless youth came and went”) Anne Buralar Nere (“Mother, where is this place?”) Şu Dirmil’in Çalgısı (“The music of Dirmil”) Koca Çamın Gürlemesi Dal İlen Tahtalıkta Galbır Var Çömlek Kırdıran Boğazı Burdur manis (folk quatrains) Ayna koydum çayıra, Şavkı vurmuş bayıra, Göğde Allah’ın yazdığına, Yerde kimler ayıra. I set a mirror on the meadow, its gleam struck the hillside; what God has written in heaven, who on earth could part? ***** Esmerim cizim cizim, Süngüsü boydan uzun, Selam söylen yüzbaşıya, Yarim versin izin. My dark one, slender as a line, his bayonet longer than he is tall; give my greetings to the captain, let him give my love leave. ***** Dambırımın ucu pekmez, Çaların çanların ötmez, Bekar gıza gücüm yetmez, Ah bi dul garı dul garı. The tip of my tambur is sweet as molasses, the drums and bells won’t ring; I’m no match for an unmarried girl, ah, a widow, a widow for me. ***** Ak kapı kara kapı, Aktır bıllurun sapı, Beni senden ayıran, Sürünsün kapı kapı. White door, black door, white is the crystal’s handle; may whoever parts me from you drag from door to door. ***** Kır atıma bindim geldim, Çayırlarda indim geldim, Ne zamandır görmedim, Yarimi görmeye geldim. I mounted my grey horse and came, I dismounted in the meadows and came; it has been so long since I saw her, I came to see my love. ***** Entarisi sarı aklı, Deli gönül çok meraklı, Ayşe gelin sorarsan, Yeni gelmiş de, duvaklı. Her dress is yellow and white, the wild heart is so curious; if you ask about bride Ayşe, she has just come, still veiled. ***** Ak taşı kaldır da gel, Yılanı öldür de gel, Sen beni seviyorsun, Cüzdanı doldur da gel. Lift the white stone and come, kill the snake and come; you say you love me, fill your wallet and come.
Bursa
Legends of Bursa The legends that live on in oral tradition are mostly about historical figures, famous people who lived in Bursa, and places. Almost every legend has several versions. The most often told include creation legends about Bursa and how it came to be, legends of the conquest of Bursa, the legend of Bursa as paradise, legends tied to people and place names (Murad I, Emir Sultan, Somuncu Baba, Geyikli Baba, Baba Sultan, Musa Baba, Okçu Baba, Ali Dede, Sarıkız, Karagöz and Hacivat, the Three Lambs), and legends of places such as Derekızık and Bayındırkızık, the Irgandı Bridge, Hamitler village, the İnkaya plane tree, Lake İznik, the Kara Demirtaş bath, the Kara Mustafa hot spring, the origin of the Oylat springs, “Şehre Küstü”, Eskici Mehmed Dede, Hançer Ali Dede and the Şengül bath, as well as tales explaining why the Great Mosque has twenty domes and why it has a fountain in the middle. The legend of Bursa as paradise The legend of Murad I The legend of Emir Sultan Çekirge Sultan The story of the Kara Mustafa hot spring The story of the Kavaklı plane tree Cultural details of Bursa Some idioms from Bursa Thousands of set phrases and idioms are used in everyday speech. A few, with their meanings: Açtırma kutuyu, söyletme kötüyü: don't open the box and make me say something bad Adamdan saymak: to treat someone with respect Adet yerini bulsun diye: just for form's sake Ağır başlı, güler yüzlü: dignified and cheerful Ağzına kilit vurmak: to keep one's mouth shut Ağzı söyler, kulakları duymaz: speaks without hearing what he says Ağzı sütten yanmış: once bitten, twice shy Aklına mukayyet olmak: to keep one's wits about one Akşam ola, hayrola: let's see what the evening brings Allah demiş çalış kulum vereyim: God said, work, my servant, and I will provide Arayan bulur, inleyen ölür: those who seek find, those who moan die Arif olan anlasın: a word to the wise Atını sağlam kazığa bağlamak: to play it safe Ayağının altına almak: to give someone a beating Aynasına yazı yazmak: to write on someone's mirror, to tell them a home truth Az aşım, ağrısız başım: little food, but a head without trouble Babam mezara, anam pazara: my father to the grave, my mother to the market Some proverbs from Bursa Abacı, keçeci, sen neci? The cloth maker, the felt maker, and what are you? Acemi katır kapı önünde yük indirir: the novice mule drops its load at the door Aç elini kara sokar: the hungry man puts his hand in the snow Açın yanında sarpın kucaklanmaz: don't hug a full sack next to a hungry man Ağaca çıkan keçinin dama çıkan oğlağı olur: the goat that climbs trees has a kid that climbs roofs Ağaç dikenin, sapı ekenin: the tree belongs to who plants it, the crop to who sows it Ağanın gözü, yiğidin özü: the master's eye, the hero's heart Ağır kazan geç kaynar: a heavy pot is slow to boil Ağız yediğini, eğin giydiğini bilir: the mouth knows what it eats, the back what it wears Gezen kurt aç kalmaz: the wandering wolf never goes hungry Alçak yerin tepeciği dağ görünür: in low country a hillock looks like a mountain Allah kardeşi kardeş yaratmış, kesesini ayrı yapmış: God made brothers brothers but gave them separate purses Allah uçmayan kuşa alçacık dal verir: God gives the bird that can't fly a low branch Anadan olur daya, hamurdan olur maya: a nurse comes from the mother, yeast from the dough Ar dünyası değil, kâr dünyası: it's a world of profit, not of shame Adam adamdır olmasa pulu, eşek eşektir olmasa çulu: a man is a man without money, a donkey a donkey without its blanket Adam sandık eşeği, dört bıraktık döşeği: we took the donkey for a man and gave it our bed Al basma, mor basma, her söze kulak asma: red print, purple print, don't heed every word Alçak yerde yatma el alır, yüksek yerde yatma yel alır: don't sleep low or people will take you, don't sleep high or the wind will Almadığın hayvanı kuyruğundan tutma: don't hold the tail of an animal you won't buy Aptal hayret eder, akıllı sorar: the fool marvels, the wise man asks Arı söğüdü, akıllı öğüdü sever: the bee loves the willow, the wise man good advice Arı kızdıranı sokar: the bee stings whoever angers it Some riddles from Bursa Riddles are folk-literature pieces, usually in rhyme and metre, played between two people or groups to sharpen the mind, entertain and make people think. Here they are in plain translation, with the answer at the end: A moon has risen over there Some have seen the moon While the mother was still in swaddling Her daughter had a daughter (The rose) ************************************* Off went my bird My silver-nosed one Its prey is in the mountains Its eye is on the nest (The bee) ************************************* I threw on the shelf A dry skull Sweet to eat Monkey-faced (The hazelnut) ************************************* God makes its structure His servant opens its door (The watermelon) ************************************* A tiny little barleycorn With a little tray on its head (The nail) ************************************* Stone inside, stone outside Go round and round inside it (The minaret) Festivals, ceremonies and folk plays Besides the sports and cultural events held every year in Bursa, traditional village folk plays are performed at certain times (religious holidays, Hıdrellez and so on), along with Karagöz and Hacivat shadow plays. - The historic Çalı oil wrestling (yağlı güreş) tournament has been held in the third week of May for 43 years. - Kayapa municipality holds rahvan horse races (a smooth ambling gait) every year. Karagöz and Hacivat The camel play (Deve Oyunu) Sword and shield (Kılıç Kalkan) The Uludağ Turkmen play Rumelian dances Folk songs of Bursa Besides the village güvende songs sung with dances, Bursa has folk songs composed about particular events and people's lives. Sarı Mustafa Türküsü Zeytinyağlı Yiyemem Meşeli Dağlar Meşeli Oturmuşlar Herekenin Ağaları Menekşesi Tutam Tutam Traditional dress in Bursa Today modern styles dominate in Bursa, but regional dress appears as you move from the centre to the villages, especially in the villages of the mountain districts of Keles, Orhaneli, Büyükorhan and Harmancık. As everywhere in Türkiye, dress varies with income and social setting, and fashion and working conditions shape it. In old Bursa, women's clothes stood out for their fabrics and embroidery, enriched by the silks, silk gauze (bürümcük) and velvets woven on Bursa's looms. Men's dress Clothes were made of colourful fabrics decorated with embroidery. Instead of trousers, men wore potur, şalvar or çakşır (kinds of baggy breeches) with a cepken jacket and shirt. Sashes were wound round the waist, with weapon belts tucked in them serving as pockets. The head was usually covered with a fez, or with a felt cap wrapped in an ağabani turban. On the feet were rawhide sandals (çarık), soft leather mest boots or yemeni shoes of soft leather stitched at the sides. Women's dress In Bursa itself there were two kinds of women's dress: the three-skirted dress and the şalvar with a bodice (içlik). The three-skirted dress This outfit takes its name from its three-panelled skirt and the şalvar worn underneath. The şalvar, called ton don, is a kind of trouser with a high crotch and a low drawstring, which makes it comfortable. It is made up of the following pieces. Top don Woven from a cotton and silk blend, with embroidered side panels called parçalık. At festivities the embroidered panels show through the side slits of the three skirts. Uçkur (drawstring) Made of fine silk gauze, with purple ends embroidered with hyacinth spikes. Gömlek (long shirt) Made of white silk gauze, reaching to the knee, its front embroidered with pink rose sprays and its collar and cuffs with coloured silk thread. Cepken A lined jacket of light green Bursa velvet decorated with twisted yellow metallic thread. Shawl sash Woven from fine wool with coloured stripes and needle-embroidered flowers. It is square, folded into a triangle and tied tightly round the waist. Silver belt Worn over the sash, made of gold and silver, with a flower-shaped buckle at the front. Stockings Knitted on five needles from fine white wool and decorated with a pink rose pattern. Çedik Shoes of yellow leather, with carnation motifs embroidered in gold thread on the lining of the sole. Hotoz headdress Bursa women (until about 50 years ago) wore the hotoz headdress, made to match the flowers of the season: rose-coloured hotoz edged with rose oya lace when roses bloomed, lilac ones with lilac oya in lilac time. Şalvar and bodice This traditional outfit has two main pieces, the şalvar and the bodice (içlik); the others complete it. A cepken or a long cotton cardigan can be worn over the bodice. The fabrics may be plain or checked, striped çitari, alaca, velvet, satin, wool or cotton. It is made up of the following pieces. İçlik (bodice) Reaching to the waist and lined, its two front panels overlap and fasten at the left of the chest and at the collar. The sleeves have buttoned cuffs. Şalvar Cut as a rectangle, with a straight crotch reaching to the ground and an opening on each side wide enough for the feet. Usually made from about six metres of fabric, its fullness is gathered at the waist with a drawstring. Cepken Worn over the şalvar and bodice and made of the same fabric, quilted and lined in green, with silk braid in green, pink and yellow cord around the edges. Ferace When going out in either outfit, women wore a long cloak (ferace) and covered their heads with a white veil (yaşmak). Bursa feraces had a special cut, with a green collar reaching down the back to the waist. They were sewn from red broadcloth and lined with green fabric. Women went out in ferace and yaşmak, and when they had to carry something they wrapped it in a bundle cloth. Handicrafts of Bursa As the early Ottoman capital and a city on the Silk Road, Bursa was a true economic and cultural centre, which enriched its handicrafts. In the past, silk fabrics, silk carpets, kilims, sacks and saddlebags were woven on hand looms; today this weaving is done in factories or large workshops. Widespread silkworm farming developed the silk industry and made Bursa a centre of silk weaving. Besides weaving, crafts in Bursa include rope making, harness making, knife making, blacksmithing, mother-of-pearl inlay, silver inlay, tinsmithing, making köfün (wooden buckets), sandal making and pack-saddle making. Köfün making Harness making Knife making Pack-saddle making Silk weaving Sandal making İznik tile making Stocking knitting
Çanakkale
Language Because Çanakkale province, with lands in both Anatolia and Thrace, has received constant migration since the imperial period, especially in the period following the Ottoman–Russian War, it is not possible to speak of a common dialect covering the whole province. Çanakkale, which has hosted heavy Balkan migration, together with the settlement of the Yörüks and Tahtacıs who lived as nomads in Anatolia, is a province whose speech comes from a blend of the dialects spoken in the lands now within Türkiye's borders, the dialects spoken by Muslim communities from lands outside Türkiye's borders, and the dialects of the "native" Turks who lived in this region throughout this whole settlement process; it does not have a standard dialect in every part of the province, but shows a similar dialect structure. Literature Tekke (Sufi lodge) literature: in Çanakkale, all the people other than the Greeks living on the islands (Gökçeada, Bozcaada) are Muslim. Among the Sunni communities, there is no Sufi movement arising alongside the orthodox religious understanding, nor a tekke literature able to exist along the lines of such a movement's teachings. The Alevis, who live outside the Sunni Islamic understanding, were brought to Çanakkale in the Conqueror's time and are known to the people of this region as Türkmen, are observed to have a tekke literature as part of their faith. However, both their settling in this region very long ago and moving away from the influence of Anatolian Alevism, and their being few compared with the Sunni population, have prevented the development of the Alevis of this region in tekke literature and caused the existing Sufi understanding to diminish over time and repeat itself. Tekke literature continues among the Türkmen in a fading form. Folk poets: in Çanakkale, the process we observe in tekke literature also appears in the traditions of âşık (minstrel) literature and folk poetry. The closer one gets to the west of Türkiye, the harder it becomes to find representatives of âşık literature in the classic sense. Çanakkale is no exception. It is clear that in places where âşık literature could not exist as a tradition, the tradition of folk poetry cannot find a place either. Those who write poems in the folk style are seen trying to exist with meagre works that do not go beyond individual leanings, because there is no tradition and no accumulation in their surroundings that could form a school. It is pleasing that a few people in our province with no contact with tradition and its circles write poems in the folk style. Folk dance music Some of the folk dances known in Çanakkale are: Harmandalı, kaba güvem, Edremit güvendesi, Yandım Ayşe (Karyolamın Demiri), Kuz köy Zeybeği, Sürmeli, Bayramiç Zeybeği, Karanlık Zeybeği. Besides these dances performed at weddings and festivities, the samah, a religious dance, is an inseparable and important part of the cem, where Türkmen worship takes place. The samahs performed in the Çanakkale area are at a slower tempo than the samahs of Central and Eastern Anatolia. Apart from dances of these types, other communities that came through migration (Circassians: Adyghe; Kumyks, Pomaks, Bosniaks and so on) are also seen to perform their own dances as well as the Çanakkale dances. The musical instruments used in the dances vary with the dances performed and the communities performing them. In the traditional zeybek dances clarinet, violin, davul and darbuka are used, in the samahs the bağlama, and in Circassian dances the accordion and the phacic (clappers). A large part of Çanakkale's folk songs are formed with the help of refrains scattered among mani (quatrains). Added to a known melody (for example Evreşe yolları), a song can grow longer or shorter depending on the singer's repertoire of mani, and its words can change each time. The melody is what matters. (Example) Bahçemiz savan dolu Kövümüz Gelibolu İster al ister alma Mallemiz oğlan dolu İster al ister alma Kövümüz oğlan dolu (Our garden is full of savan, our village is Gelibolu; take her or not as you like, our neighbourhood is full of boys; take her or not as you like, our village is full of boys.) Entarini ben biçtim İbriğinden su içtim Evvel yarin ben idim Şimdi de benden vazgeçtin Evvel yarin ben idim Şimdi benden vazgeçtin (I cut out your robe, I drank water from your jug; once I was your love, and now you've given me up; once I was your love, now you've given me up.) MEN'S DANCES 1) HARMANDALI 2) KABAGÜVENDE 3) KARANFİLİMİN MORUNA (ÇİFTLEME ZEYBEĞİ) 4) KUSKÖY ZEYBEĞİ 5) ÇAN SEKMESİ (SÜZME) 6) KARANLIK DERE 7) BAĞ ÖZÜ 8) ALAY HAVASI 9) EDREMİT ZEYBEĞİ 10) SÜRMELİ ZEYBEĞİ 11) KAZAK ZEYBEĞİ 12) ADA ZEYBEĞİ 13) CANKİKİRİK WOMEN'S DANCES 1) HARMANDALI 2) KARYOLAMIN DEMİRİ 3) BAYRAMİÇİN DAĞLARI 4) VERSİNLER 5) ÇEMBERİMDE GÜL OYA 6) BALIKESİR YOLUNDA 7) SIRA SIRA SİNİLER 8) ÇAN SEKMESİ Mani Mani are used mostly at Hıdrellez. Apart from Hıdrellez, most of the songs sung among women at henna nights are also songs linked to mani. Kara, kara kazanlar Kara yazı yazanlar Cennet yüzü görmesin Aramızı bozanlar (Black, black cauldrons; those who write dark fates; may those who come between us never see the face of paradise.) Mendilimin ucuna Şeker bağladım şeker Bizim günahımızı Annenle baban çeker. (I tied sugar, sugar, to the corner of my handkerchief; your mother and father will bear the sin for us.) Kara kuzu ak kuzu Kuzuyla verin tuzu Mala tamah etmeyin Sevdiğine verin kızı (Black lamb, white lamb, give the salt with the lamb; don't covet wealth, give the girl to the one she loves.) Gelibol'a girerken Sağ tarafta karakol Öp babamın elini Babamın damadı ol (As you come into Gelibolu, the police station is on the right; kiss my father's hand and become my father's son-in-law.) During the month of Ramadan, at sahur time, there are mani called Ramadan mani, sung to the drum. In the last days of Ramadan, those who played the drum and sang mani are given tips. The tip usually consists of food rather than money. (Some mani of this kind are these.) Yeni cami direk ister Söylemeye yürek ister Benim karnım toktur amma Arkadaşım börek ister (The new mosque needs pillars, singing takes heart; my stomach is full, but my friend wants börek.) Ne uyursun ne uyursun Bu uykuda ne bulursun Al aptesi kıl namazı Cennet alayı bulursun (Why do you sleep, why do you sleep, what will you find in this sleep? Take your ablutions and pray, and you'll find the company of paradise.) Keçisin otlatırım Dövenden hoplatırım İki gözüm Bekir Ağa (Sen benim bahşişimi verirsen ) Ben bu davulu patlatırım. (I'll graze your goat and make it jump over the threshing sledge; my dear Bekir Ağa, if you give me my tip, I'll beat this drum till it bursts.) Edirne'nin Camisi Doksan dokuz penceresi Çok bekletme Ayşe Teyze Yandı pilav tenceresi Tekerlemeler (The mosque of Edirne, its ninety-nine windows; don't keep us waiting, Aunt Ayşe, the pilaf pot is burning.) Rhymes During Ramadan, after iftar, small children go from house to house reciting the saya rhyme and collect tips. Oy naklava naklava Canım ister baklava Baklavanın yarısı İncir üzüm kurusu (Oh naklava, naklava, I fancy some baklava; half of the baklava, dried figs and raisins.) Hanım abla merdivenden iniyor,iniyor Bize para veriyor, veriyor Vermeyen de sağ olsun Veren de sağ olsun (The lady is coming down the stairs, coming down; she's giving us money, giving it; bless those who don't give, and bless those who do.) COUNTING-OUT RHYME Eveleme develeme Deve kuşu kovalama Tazi tuzu Bel - ber kı - zı Ne zaman gel - cek Ya - zın gel - cek Yaz olası Buz olası Bir tahtaya dizilesi On - cuk bon - cuk Leb - te ço - cuk (A nonsense counting-out rhyme: chasing the ostrich, the barber's daughter, when will she come, she'll come in summer, may it be summer, may it be ice, lined up on a plank, beads and baubles.) Lullabies Like every area of our oral culture, lullabies are struggling to find a place where they are used. In Çanakkale, besides the lullabies commonly found throughout the country, there are cases, though rare, of laments and hymns taking on the function of lullabies. Dandini, dandini dastana Danalar girmiş bostana Kov bostancı danayı Yemesin lahanayı (Dandini, dandini, dastana, the calves have got into the garden; gardener, chase the calf away so it doesn't eat the cabbage.) Asmaya astım salıncak Uyumadı gitti yumurcak Mini, mini yavruma ninni Adı güzel çocuğum hu ,hu (I hung a swing on the vine, the little rascal wouldn't sleep; a lullaby for my tiny little one, my child with the lovely name, hush, hush.) Riddles Alçacık tepe Şıngıllı küpe (Nohut) (A low little hill, a jingling earring? (chickpea)) Uzun ,uzun uzarlar Ot içinde buzağılar (Hıyar) (They grow long, long, calves among the grass? (cucumbers)) Uzaktan baktım bir taş Yanına vardım Dört ayak bir baş (Kaplumbağa) (From afar I saw a stone; I went up to it: four legs and a head? (tortoise)) Sıra ,sıra uzarlar Birbirin geveler (Kiremitlik) (They stretch out in rows, each chewing on the next? (roof tiles)) Legends Of the narrative genres, the one most often met in Çanakkale is the legend, because it contains an element of belief. The shrines (yatır) found near almost every settlement in the province are an important factor in the formation and survival of the legend tradition. Although this is the area where legends appear most, legends have been produced on almost every subject. The best-known, most widespread legend in Çanakkale is this: (These Turks, Kızıl Deli Sultan and the Forty Saints, want to cross to Rumelia, that is, to what is now Thrace. There's no transport. So they build a raft there. They want to get on the raft and cross over. One of the companions is asleep there. They say, let's leave this madman, let's not take him. They leave him. They get on the raft and cross over. And then the madman wakes up. Hey, our friends are going! Hey, wait, where are you going? He quickly fills his skirt with sand there. He starts scattering it like sowing seed. Those on the raft say: by God, the madman is coming, he's going to split the sea. Let's stop and take him, they say. The dede comes, dropping the sand from his hand. I heard that sandbank formed from that sand. (The narrator is explaining how the sandbank in the sea at the Çardak municipality in the Lapseki district came to be.) Holidays, ceremonies and celebrations Both religious holidays are celebrated as in other parts of our country. While the national holidays are celebrated with various events as in other provinces, Çanakkale, unlike other provinces, holds international commemorations of the Çanakkale battles every year in March, on 18 March. Besides our religious and national holidays, our Christian fellow citizens living in Çanakkale (Gökçeada and Bozcaada) are known to celebrate their own religious holidays. Apart from religious and national holidays, the most lively celebrations in Çanakkale are at Hıdrellez. On the evening of 5 May, money, rings, buttons and so on are hung on rose branches. People go to the waterside, draw the shape of the wish they want on the ground and pray. When it gets dark a fire is lit and people jump over it. Because it is believed that Hızır will come on this night, people try to get up early in the morning. On the morning of 6 May, the things hung on the rose branch the night before are collected. If what was hung is money, it is carried in the wallet all year to bring plenty. Things such as rings and buttons are put in a container and a little girl is made to draw them out one by one. And with each draw, mani are sung. In some parts of Çanakkale these celebrations are called "Peskelye". Among the Türkmen–Alevi communities living in our province, Hıdrellez is celebrated with the joy of a holiday. These celebrations last 3 days. During this time the Türkmen don't go to work. During the celebrations, one day people go to a nearby shrine. Another day they go to the village cemetery, where the slaughtered animals are cooked and meals are eaten. Each family sets up its table beside its own family graves. Soft drinks and snacks are offered to the other families. People stay in the cemetery all day. Source: https://www.onemforum.org/bilgi-arsivi/409273-canakkalenin-kulturel-ozellikleri-nelerdir.html
Çankırı
In Çankırı, including its central district, Turkish national culture is kept alive in the villages and small towns, which on the whole still show the features of a "closed society". Village guest rooms (köy odası) still exist in Çankırı's villages, and they show traditional Turkish hospitality at its best. The way people relate to one another at weddings, religious holidays and other national days is a rare example of a national solidarity that has not broken down. Respect for elders, care and love for the young, and mutual social help are still part of daily life. This quickly wins over even outsiders who come to Çankırı and stay for a long time, and they come to follow the local customs themselves. This section covers the main elements of Çankırı's cultural life under the headings of folklore, weddings, circumcision, yaran, handicrafts, cuisine and special days. YARAN CULTURE Before describing the Çankırı Yaran, that is, its gatherings of conversation and entertainment, we think it is worth saying a little about the Ahi brotherhood (Ahilik), with which this social institution is known to be connected. Ahilik rests on basic principles such as people trusting one another deeply and loving one another simply as "servants of God" and "human beings", without regard to language, religion, race or sect, and it is known to be related to the Çankırı Yaran in many ways. Ahilik has six well-known rules, divided into "open" and "closed" ones. What must be open are "the forehead, the heart and the door": an open forehead means having nothing to be ashamed of before others, an open heart means loving every person, and an open door means keeping one's door open to everyone in need who comes asking for help. What must be closed are "the hand, the tongue and the loins": a closed hand means never violating anyone's rights, a closed tongue means never speaking ill of anyone or gossiping, and closed loins mean never violating anyone's honour. Regarding the tongue, it is also understood that "keeping secrets is a duty". FOLKLORE OF ÇANKIRI Çankırı folklore is in fact a very wide subject for research and study, and here we will cover it only briefly and in outline. We wish to believe that the young generation of Çankırı will surely produce standalone works on the subject. Otherwise, we think they will be shouldering the heavy responsibility of repeating the mistake of the generation before them. To give some general information, it is worth introducing the traditions and customs that play an important role in Çankırı folklore. Almost everything we want to learn about the life and world of the people of Çankırı can be seen more fully and more vividly in the villages and small towns that have remained apart from life in the central district. Despite every change in living conditions and lifestyle, Çankırı is one of the rare provinces that has lost little of its traditions and customs "in essence". For example, even if there are no longer young girls who send their sweethearts (fiancés) handkerchiefs with embroidered edges, in the countryside the same girls and women still do not walk in front of men in the street. They regard walking in front of a man as contrary to the "töre" (custom), to which they are plainly bound with all their heart, without even being aware of it... In the same way, although the weddings with drum and zurna that lasted three days and three nights have been replaced by ceremonies in the municipal marriage hall or wedding hall, the groom is still punched as he enters the bridal chamber, having just been brought back from the mosque (from the night prayer) by his best men. The bride still has her henna applied on the henna night, and a bindallı or üçetek dress is always worn for the henna-night dances. All this and similar things show that in Çankırı traditions and customs have changed in form, but not "in essence". Every winter the great yaran gatherings, and at almost every wedding the "baş donanması" ceremonies, are still practised among young people and kept alive in their original form. There is one more thing in Çankırı that is hardly found in our other provinces: most young people can perform the local folk dances, play the saz and sing their türkü (folk songs) in an authentic way. Local folk dances are kept alive by teams formed in various schools, and their vitality is preserved by teaching them in public education courses. In particular, the "Seymen Alayı" (Seymen procession) formed at weddings in the Eldivan district is kept alive as a fine tradition without losing anything of its original form. Puppet shows at entertainments and weddings in Eldivan are another noteworthy example. Çankırı Weddings We can learn orderly information about the wedding customs of present-day Çankırı's villages and small towns, which have not changed very much, from the writings of the late Hacı Şeyhoğlu Hasan Üçok, published in Çankırı in 1930, 1931 and 1932 and serialised in the Duygu newspapers. We will present what we have learned from this source, comparing it here and there with the wedding customs still alive in Çankırı today. In fact, the wedding customs recorded fifty years ago and those alive in today's Çankırı are the same in their general outline. It is also true, however, that the elements that cost a lot of money and required excessive spending have necessarily been abandoned. The first step towards a wedding: When the mother of a young man of marrying age in Çankırı finds a suitable bride for her son, she tells her husband. The same is still true today, although more often the son tells his mother about the girl he has found, and his mother tells her husband. Then the necessary enquiries are made and information is gathered about the girl and her family. If, as a result, the girl is found suitable in morals, knowledge and skill, the family decides to send matchmakers (dünür). This holds in the villages and small towns, while in the city centre it is more common for a young man and woman to meet, come to an agreement and marry. Then a go-between is used to inform the girl's mother. She tells her husband, and the opinion of her elder brother, if she has one, is also sought, and the young man's side is informed. The girl's side then first lets the young man's side know the list of jewellery and goods that can be bought at a normal cost. In the past this list included five beşibiryerde gold coins with loops, two pairs of diamond earrings, two diamond rings, two diamond brooches, two pairs of silver bath clogs (nalin), two silver belts, two kaftans, two silk çarşafs woven in Baghdad, two bath sets and two pairs of boots with galoshes, but today most of these are no longer asked for. What is asked for now is only jewellery and goods such as an engagement ring, a bracelet, a necklace and a gold chain. Other requests are settled later. If the young man's family also accepts the requests, the promise (söz) is considered made. Engagement Ceremony: After the goods and jewellery accepted and bought by the young man's family have been sent to the girl's house, the engagement takes place on a Friday. On the engagement day the women and girls of the young man's side are invited, together with a woman who plays the def (frame drum). The def player begins to play. After the invited women of both sides have danced and enjoyed themselves for a few hours, a length of dress fabric is spread out on the floor. This fabric has been brought by the young man's family, together with the jewellery, for the bride-to-be to have a dress made. When the girl who is to be the bride comes in, the women leading the ceremony warn everyone: "For the love of God, say maşallah, so that the evil eye does not strike." The girl comes and stands on the fabric spread on the floor. The ring that has been brought is put on her finger, and the other jewels are pinned to her dress. After this the girl first kisses the hands of the young man's side, starting with his mother. While she kisses hands, the special gifts that have been brought are also pinned on her. Today, mostly in the city centre, the engagement is performed at the girl's house, in front of the invited relatives of both sides, by a respected relative or family friend putting on the young couple's engagement rings, which are tied together with a red ribbon. The entertainment and gift-giving of the engagement also take place at this time. Drinking the sherbet: Although it has partly changed in general, the drinking of sherbet takes place as follows: a day or two before the women's engagement ceremony, depending on the family, the men also hold a ceremony. Prayers are recited and sherbet is drunk. The custom of drinking sherbet is now practised only among women, and the sherbet is given to young girls with the wish "may your turn come next". Once the engagement ceremony had been completed in this way among both the women and the men, the girl was considered to have passed to the young man's side, and from that day on she began to behave as a bride (gelinlik etmek) towards his mother. Behaving as a bride meant that the girl must never speak in a loud voice to her mother-in-law and father-in-law. If it was absolutely necessary, she could speak only in a very soft voice. Wherever the bride met a woman from the young man's side, she kissed her hand. She could not talk or enjoy herself with anyone in their presence... Otherwise, unpleasant gossip about the bride would spread at once. Today, however, this custom is generally kept in this form only in the towns and villages of Çankırı. In the centre, engaged girls can walk hand in hand and arm in arm with their betrothed or fiancé and have fun together. The Marriage Ceremony or Wedding (Yesterday): In the past, the marriage ceremony or wedding in Çankırı was carried out as follows: After tips and fees had been given to the officials, starting with the neighbourhood watchman, imam and headman, a permit (izinname) addressed to the neighbourhood imam was issued. The izinname contained a declaration such as: "...imam efendi of the ... neighbourhood, after greetings it is notified that... permission under the holy law has been granted for marriage with the maiden named..." It had two places marked "Mihr-i müeccel" and "mehr-i muaccel". "Mihr-i müeccel" meant the marriage price, and "mehr-i muaccel" meant the value, in number and amount, of the bride's jewellery and other goods which the man could not provide at the time and which were to be made good at a later date. The details of these were written in the places marked on the izinname. In case of death or any other kind of separation, what was written on the izinname was taken as the woman's right, if necessary by court order. The izinnames were kept and preserved by the neighbourhood imams. The scholars and other respected people of the neighbourhood were invited to the marriage prayer. Among the guests were the girl's proxy and two witnesses, and in the same way the young man's proxy and two witnesses. Before the marriage began, the imam efendi asked whether there was anything to be done or written down, and if there was, it was done or written. As for the amount of the marriage price, it had long been the custom to settle it by bargaining. The imam efendi sat in the middle of the gathering, with the young man's proxy and witnesses on his right and the girl's on his left. Addressing the girl's side, he would say: "Go ahead, make your request..." A price was set as a result of the bargaining between the girl's side and the young man's side, with the imam efendi acting as referee. Once the amount had been fixed, a hadith declaring that marriage is the basis of the family was recited, and everyone knelt and placed their open hands on their knees. Only the imam efendi placed one of his hands closed on his knee. The reason was the belief that enemies of the young man's household might cast a spell during the marriage. The imam asked the young man's proxy three times: "By the command of God and the word of the Prophet, have you taken so-and-so, daughter of so-and-so, on her side by proxy, for so-and-so efendi in person?..." The proxy answered: "I have taken her." The imam efendi then said, "And I have concluded the marriage," opened his hand and recited a long prayer. Sherbet was then given to those present, and the remaining sherbet was sent to appropriate places. The girl's side responded with a tray of baklava and gifts. It was the custom to send a sacrificial animal to the girl's house on the eve of Kurban Bayramı (the Feast of the Sacrifice). The girl's side responded to this too with baklava and other gifts. Today: Compared with the past, many aspects of the marriage and wedding customs in Çankırı have changed today. The most important reason for these changes is, without doubt, growing needs and the socio-economic change and development seen in every area. In present-day Çankırı the marriage contract is made in two separate stages: the civil marriage and the religious (imam) marriage. The civil marriage is mostly held together with the wedding ceremony. As a natural result of economic difficulties and the wish to save time, the civil (municipal) marriage, which has turned into a wedding ceremony, usually takes place in the Municipal Marriage Hall or a similar venue. Friends and relatives are told in advance, through printed invitations, that the "marriage and wedding ceremonies" will be held in the marriage hall on the day and at the time set by the Municipal Marriage Office. Guests arrive 15–20 minutes before the ceremony and take their seats. Straight after, the groom brings the bride to the hall. Until the time of the ceremony, the bride and groom wait for a while in a separate room from the hall where the guests are, and the marriage officer briefly explains to them what they will do during the ceremony. After the marriage officer and the witnesses of the bride and groom have taken their places at the table in the hall, the bride and groom enter arm in arm. The guests stand up and applaud them. When they reach the table, the bride first sits in her chair opposite her witness, and the groom sits opposite his own witness. The municipal marriage officer reads out any congratulations and telegrams. He then announces aloud that, by the authority given to him by the Mayor under the relevant article of the Civil Code, he will perform their marriage, and asks first the girl and then the young man separately: "So-and-so, daughter of so-and-so... do you accept so-and-so, son of so-and-so, as your husband?", "So-and-so, son of so-and-so... do you accept so-and-so, daughter of so-and-so, as your wife?.." After the girl and the young man have said "yes" aloud, first the girl and then the young man sign the register. After the witnesses have also signed, the marriage officer declares them "husband and wife" aloud. At this the groom steps on the bride's foot and lifts her veil. The guests applaud... When the marriage is complete, the bride and groom stand at the exit of the hall and receive the guests' congratulations. When the congratulations are over, the bride's and groom's sides have souvenir photographs taken together. After this, they drive around the city in a convoy and arrive at the groom's house. Imam marriage: The imam marriage, also called the religious marriage, is held either after the civil marriage or just before the couple enter the bridal chamber. Unlike in the past, there are no izinnames in this marriage. In present-day Çankırı the religious marriage is also held immediately after the engagement, so that there is no objection to the young couple seeing each other. In today's Çankırı there is one more part of the wedding celebrations: besides what takes place in the wedding hall together with the civil marriage, there are the festivities held at the girl's and the young man's houses, starting three days before... These festivities usually begin among the women on a Friday and continue until the henna night and the daytime of the last day. After the festivities at the girl's house, a mevlid is recited among the women. On the henna night, the "Baş Donanması" is held at the young man's house. Baş Donanma: This custom used to be carried out in a more detailed and elaborate way, but today it cannot be fully practised. Families who are not well off cannot hold a wedding that is perfect in every respect and in keeping with tradition because of the burden, while the well-to-do have come to prefer holding their weddings as balls. In present-day Çankırı the Başdonanması has generally become an event coloured by the festivities and games of the Yaran gatherings. This must come from the younger generation's longing for the Yaran gatherings, which ought to be held every winter but are neglected for various reasons... While the baş donanması is held at the young man's house, henna is applied at the girl's house. Applying the henna: At the same hours as the baş donanma at the young man's house, the henna is applied at the girl's house as follows: the girl's relatives arrive before the night prayer and sit in a set place in the largest room of the house. Those who come from the young man's side sit separately. There are also def-playing women and others who sing türkü. At the end of the night-prayer time, the women of the young man's side gather at his house. They go to the girl's house together. The women from the young man's side take great care to dress very finely. Two of them carry trays with all kinds of dried fruit and nuts, together with the henna. In the past this procession was a special ceremony, but nowadays it has been greatly simplified and made ordinary. Of the old customs of the henna night, only a few elements remain: eating snacks, dancing and applying henna. Fireworks and other elements that cost quite a lot of money are also found. After the dances and the snacks, elderly and skilled women seat the bride in the middle of the room while reciting prayers and hymns, and apply her henna with ceremony. The women from the young man's house then go home. The bride's friends who stay at the girl's house keep her company and chat with her. Taking out the bride: Compared with past years, the custom of taking the bride from her home has changed considerably in Çankırı today. As with other traditions, customs and practices, these changes were made to avoid expense and to keep up with the times without spoiling the original. The custom past and present is as follows: The ceremony of taking out the bride is held the day after the henna night. Early in the morning, the young man's house is cleaned from top to bottom. In place of the old pomp and splendour, a calm would settle. In the men's room, no one remained except the groom and a few young friends who had come with him. While the drums played slow and sorrowful tunes, towards midday (kuşluk vakti) the bathhouse the groom was to enter was cleaned and prepared. In the bathhouse a band of saz players played merry tunes, and the groom and his friends went to the bathhouse. When the noon call to prayer was heard, following the invitations made the day before by the "okuyucu" (inviters), the young man's side gathered in front of his house and the girl's side in front of hers. Drums and zurnas played in front of the 20–30 horsemen mounted by the young man's side, köçek dancers danced, and the procession (bridal procession) set off. Twice as many decorated animals as the mules that had earlier carried the trousseau followed the procession. The best man (sağdıç) was also mounted on a decorated horse, and the carriages prepared to bring the bride went to the girl's house followed by hundreds of onlookers and guests. Before reaching the girl's house, the crowd in front of the banners would grow, and sometimes it no longer fitted in the streets of Çankırı. In this way they arrived in front of the girl's house. The girl's side handed out sherbet to the crowd gathered there. Tying the sash: When the bride left her father's house, her closest relatives and a hoca were in the courtyard. The bride was stood in the middle of the courtyard, and one of her closest relatives or one of the wealthy tied a sash or a silver belt round her waist; the person who tied it also put money into her pocket, according to his means. The hoca present said a prayer, and after the prayer the bride kissed the hands of those present. She was taken to the horse (or carriage) she was to ride, with kilims held up on both sides so that no one could see her. The bride got into her carriage with two of her closest and eldest women relatives, and the other women got into the other carriages. The bride's trousseau was of the same value as the one prepared by the young man's side. About 20–30 mules were prepared to carry the trousseaux of both sides. Sometimes a Qur'an was placed on a decorated lectern and covered with gold-embroidered cloths. This lectern was carried at the front, at the head of the procession, as a sign that the bride could read. The trousseau was loaded on each mule, covered with tinselled room sets, kilims and carpets, so as to dazzle everyone. The vehicles carrying the bride were horses, palanquins, Tatar carts, landaus or sprung carriages. When the procession (wedding procession) reached the area of the cemetery, it stopped, the drums and zurnas fell silent and the Fatiha was recited. Carrying off the cushion: When the bride's trousseau had been loaded and the procession set off, one of the young men would snatch a corner cushion and take it to the bathhouse. The groom gave a tip to the young man who brought the cushion, as a reward for the news that the bride had left her house and was on her way. The bridal procession passed through the central neighbourhoods and streets of the city. Ropes were stretched in front of the procession as it passed, and tips were collected from the host of the wedding. In this way the bride was brought to her new home. The elders and close relatives of the young man's house waited in front of the house with an imam. When the bride entered the house, a prayer was said. The bride first kissed the hands of her father-in-law and the elders, and her father-in-law and relatives scattered small coins mixed with dried fruit and nuts over her head. The children there scrambled for the coins, which were considered lucky and a source of plenty. The bride was taken to the room prepared for her. The groom's entrance: A few hours after the bride came to the young man's house, baklava and meat dishes prepared by the girl's house were brought. Those who brought them were also given tips. This food was only for the bride and groom. The groom, after coming out of the bathhouse, was taken to the mosque for the night prayer. When the prayer ended, a messenger was sent to the house (long ago this news was announced by firing a flare). Two glasses of sherbet were prepared in the bride's room. The bride stood at one side of the room with her veil down. A bed was laid in the middle, and prayer rugs were spread on one side. The bed laid in the middle of the room was taken up by whoever had laid it during the day. When the groom came to the door, the imam said a prayer. The groom kissed the hands of the elders. At that moment the door was opened and the groom rushed inside, because it is the custom for young men to punch the groom on the back. If the groom did not hurry, he would take quite a few punches. The groom entered the room where the bride was. The yenge (a close woman relative) waiting there with the bride lifted the bride's veil, joined their hands and left. The groom and bride first went to the prayer rugs and performed a two-rak'ah prayer of need (hacet namazı). It was believed that the prayers said that night would surely be accepted. After praying and saying their prayers they got up. The young man sat in a corner and took the girl beside him. He asked her a few questions. The girl did not answer. The young man then gave her the "söyletmelik" (a gift that makes her speak, such as a diamond or gold ring) that he had prepared in advance. Once he had given it, the girl began to speak. The groom then asked the bride for water. The bride gave him the sherbet she had prepared earlier, and they drank it together; this sherbet was taken as a sign of a sweet mouth, that is, of being sweet-tongued and cheerful. Then they ate the food sent from the girl's house... Examples of türkü sung at Çankırı weddings The flag-raising tune In the villages of Çankırı there was a custom of planting a flag in front of the wedding house. This was called "Bayrak Kaldırma" (raising the flag). While the flag was raised, the following türkü was sung to drum and zurna: Dan yüzüne dan yüzüne Dan uykusu tatlı olur Vurdum dilberin dizine Kaldırırlar akşam seni Çayırda bostan bozuyor Öğle işi firkatli olur Öksüzler bakar gözüne Yıldırırlar akşam sen (At dawn, at dawn, dawn sleep is sweet; I struck the beauty's knee, they will raise you at evening; the melon patch is being cleared in the meadow, noon work brings parting; orphans look into your eyes, they will wear you down at evening.) The halay tune In the villages of Çankırı, a group of fifteen or twenty young or middle-aged people hold hands and form a half-ring (crescent). Those at each end of the ring wave a handkerchief or a çevre (embroidered kerchief) and begin to turn slowly in time with the music. The drum and zurna stand in the middle of the half-circle and usually played this tune: Sarı kavun dilimi Gidiyorum Çorum'a Nitdin oğlan gülünü Bir taş değdi koluna Gülünü elinden alan Kolum sarılmak ister Bulsunlar Allah'ından Yarin ince beline Aman aman sarı kız Aman aman sarı kız Yatamam ben yalınız Yatamam ben yalınız (A slice of yellow melon, I am going to Çorum; what did you do with your rose, boy, a stone struck your arm; may whoever took the rose from your hand get what they deserve from God, my arm longs to wrap round my love's slender waist; oh, oh, fair girl, I cannot sleep alone.) When the "Aman aman" refrain comes, those at the ends break away from the circle and begin to jump, holding handkerchiefs in both hands. The others follow, turning and jumping. After the dance, the halay leader gave the drummer a tip. The bride's tune As the bride was taken to the groom's house, the drum and zurna played this tune: Karacamın taburunu bozmuşlar Karamandır her kardeşim karaman Bozluğun dağını ne çok gezmişler Bekar olsam gitse canım aramam Karacamı sinesinden üzmüşler Ben illerin evlerinde duramam Karacam karacam aslan karacam Karacam karacam aslan karacam Anan yasdık koysun yaslan karacam Anan yasdık koysun yaslan karacam (They broke up my Karaca's company, every brother of mine is from Karaman; how much they have roamed the mountains of the steppe; if I were single and my life were lost I would not care; they wounded my Karaca in the breast, I cannot stay in strangers' houses; my Karaca, my lion Karaca, let your mother set down a cushion, lean back, my Karaca.) According to the collection of Hacı Şeyhoğlu Hasan Üçok, this türkü is made of two fragments of a long bozlak, and the story it tells is that "of two men who loved one girl, one was attacked by the other while taking the bride, and the groom, called Karaca, was shot in the chest and the bride carried off". The dawn tune The dawn tune was played in the highest room of the wedding house half an hour before the morning prayer. Every drum and zurna there was joined in. While this tune, which woke a whole town from deep sleep, was played, the following türkü was sung: Gel felek gurbette alma canımı Gülüşan beylerinin gülü solarmı Feleğin elinden çektiğim neler Duyar düşmanlarım şadıgam olur Bozulmuş bağlara bülbül konarmı Ayrılık ateşi bağrımı deler Yıkıp viran etme mamur hanemi Evveli ağlayan sonra gülermi Eşinden ayrılmış gurbete salar Yuvada yavrular perişan olur Düşürdün dillere felek sen beni Düşürdün dillere felek sen beni (Come, fate, do not take my life in a foreign land; does the rose of the laughing lords fade? What I have suffered at fate's hand! My enemies will hear and rejoice; does the nightingale perch in ruined vineyards? The fire of parting pierces my breast. Do not ruin my thriving home; does one who weeps at first laugh later? Separated from his mate, cast into exile, the young in the nest are left in misery; fate, you have made me the talk of the people.) The song praising the bride When the bride was brought to the groom's house, she stood at the door of the room prepared for her, wearing tinsel and veil. The def-playing women began to praise her and sang this türkü: Hoş geldin allı gelin Hoş geldin allı gelin Hoş geldin allı gelin Sefa geldin pullu gelin Sefa geldin pullu gelin Sefa geldin pullu gelin Haçan gelin haçan gelin Gelinimiz gelir güle güle Gelin hanım evinden ağlayarak çıktı , Evlere güller saçan gelin Nur doğdu birden bire Annesinin ciğerini dağlayarak çıktı Oğlumuzu alıp kaçan gelin Kayın ana iyi dilekler dile Güveyi beğ de yollara düştü Çok şükür geldi gelinimiz Şen oldu evimiz gönlümüz (Welcome, bride in red, welcome, bride in sequins; bride who scatters roses on the houses, bride who has run off with our son; our bride comes smiling, light has suddenly dawned, mother-in-law, make good wishes; the bride left her home weeping, searing her mother's heart, and the groom has taken to the road. Thank God our bride has come, our home and hearts are merry.) Then the def-playing women stood before the mother-in-law and sang this türkü: Güveyi beğin annesi annesi Oğlan bizim kız bizim Ellerinde güller kokası Gelin hanım iki gözüm Gelin hanıma iyi günler veresi Kulağında kalsın sözüm Çok şükür geldi gelinimiz Çok şükür geldi gelinimiz Şen oldu evimiz gönlümüz Şen oldu evimiz gönlümüz Benin ağam kadı ile müderris Kavağın dibine gülük bastırdım Kayık gelse Üsküdar'a gideriz Ben o zeybeği ağam diye astırdım Gelse bile kötüleri nideriz Basaksız evlere basak yaptırdım O yavrunun düğmeleri çiziktir Hayatsız evlere hayat yaptırdım Feslikan'a ben atımı bağladım O yavrunun düğmeleri bir sıra Yar gelip geçtikçe gönlüm eğledim A kız biz gidelim gayrı Mısır'a Ben o yara sabah selam yolladım O yavrunun düğmeleri bir sıra A kız biz gidelim kayrı Mısır'a (The groom's mother, may roses scent her hands, may she give the bride good days; the boy is ours, the girl is ours, bride, apple of my eye, keep my words in your ear. Thank God our bride has come, our home and hearts are merry. My lord is a kadi and a müderris, if a boat comes we will go to Üsküdar, and if the bad ones come, what can they do; I planted roses at the foot of the poplar, I had steps built for houses without steps and courtyards for houses without courtyards; I tied my horse to the basil, I took heart each time my love passed by, I sent my love a morning greeting; that darling's buttons are in a row, girl, let us go off to Egypt.) At the end of the türkü, as if the mother-in-law were speaking, they would say: Evimin sıçanı geldi Sırrım açanın geldi Gündüz yazup Gece okuyanım geldi (The mouse of my house has come, the one who will reveal my secrets has come, the one who writes by day and reads by night has come.) On the way to fetch the bride Hendekten sesini aldım Karşıdaki gök ekin Başından fesini aldım Aldırdım elimdekin Koca köyün içinde Her soran benzin sorar Beğendim seni aldın Hiç sormaz kalbimdekin Amanın güzelim bize gel Amanın güzelim bize gel Allar, allar giy de bize gel Allar, allar giy de bize gel Şu dağlar çiçeklendi Şu dağlar meşe dağlar (A kız) yareler pürçeklendi Anam köşede ağlar Çek bayraktar bayrağı Yari bana vermezler Ayrılık gerçeklendi (A kızlar) ateş düşeni dağlar Amanın güzelin bize gel Amanın güzelim bize gel Allar, allar giy de bize gel Allar, allar giy de bize gel (I heard your voice from the ditch, I took the fez from your head; in the whole big village I liked you and took you; the green crops across the way, I lost the one in my hand, everyone asks about my face, no one asks what is in my heart. Oh my beauty, put on red and come to us. These mountains have flowered, my wounds have curled; flag-bearer, raise the flag, the parting has come true; these mountains are oak mountains, my mother weeps in the corner, they will not give me my love, fire burns the one it falls on.) The türkü sung while applying the henna: Hani bu kızın anası Esvap yülüğün ak taşlar Elinde mumlar yanası Yiyip içtiğin ocaklar Allah muradını veresi Gölgelenip geçtiğin ağaçlar A kızım kınan kutlu olsun A kızım kınan kutlu olsun Vardığın yerler şen olsun Vardığın yerler şen olsun Küçük dayın atın yeder Bir elinde tava sapı Büyüğü yanında gider Bir elinde helva topu O da babasına bedel Bu da öküzün hakkı A kızım kınan kutlu olsun A kızım kınan kutlu olsun Vardığın yerler şen olsun Vardığın evler şen olsun (Where is this girl's mother, may candles burn in her hands, may God grant her wishes; the white stones where you washed your clothes, the hearths where you ate and drank, the trees in whose shade you passed; my girl, may your henna be blessed, may the places you go be merry. Your younger uncle leads your horse, the elder walks beside you, he is worth your father; a pan handle in one hand, a ball of halva in the other, and this is the ox's due; my girl, may your henna be blessed, may the homes you go to be merry.) Examples of other wedding türkü Şu dağın başında vatanım yurdum Evlerine varamadım köpekten Kadir Mevlam bize eylesin yardım Telli uçkur çezemedim ipekten Bir değil, beş değil, on değil derdim Akşam sabah yapışırım bilekten Açıldı yareler uç verdi gayri Ben bu derdin hangisine yanayım Her sabah her akşam okunur ezan Evleri olsa da yüksek olmasa İki ayağım tutmaz odamda gezem Ayrılık olsa da ölüm olmasa Katibim yok benim mektubun yazan Yarin yolladığı güller solmasa Ben bu derdin hangisine yanayım Gel otur yanıma illere karşı Karşıdan karşıya el etme yarim Şen olsun sevdiğim gezdiğim çarşı Seni görmeyeli nice oldu halim Ya ben ağlamayayım kimler ağlasın Genç yaşımda beni bitirdin zalim Şu deli gönlümü kimler eğlesin Ben bu derdin hangisine yanayım Şu karşıki bağlarda üzüm deveği Şu dağın başında bir tutam çiçek Ne sen gelin oldum ben güveyi Ne kadar söylesem o kadar gerçek Sağ olup gelirsem bir gün yurduma İnanmazsan kadı efendi beni yemine çek Sen gelin olursun ben de güveyi Yarin gözü yaşlı yemini bilmez Aman Allah ben bu derdi nideyim Genç yaşımda dağlara mı gideyim. (My homeland is on top of this mountain, may Almighty God help us; my troubles are not one, not five, not ten, my wounds have opened and spread; which of these troubles should I grieve for? Every morning and evening the call to prayer is heard, my feet will not carry me round my room, I have no scribe to write my letter. I could not reach their house for the dogs, I could not untie the silken sash, evening and morning I hold on by the wrist; let their house be there but not so high, let there be parting but not death, if only the roses my love sent did not fade. Come, sit by me in front of everyone, may the market where I walk be merry, my love; if I do not weep, who will, who will amuse my wild heart? Do not wave to me from across the way, my love, see what has become of me since I last saw you, you have finished me in my youth, cruel one. Grape stalks in the vineyards across the way, you did not become a bride nor I a groom; if I come home alive one day, you will be a bride and I a groom. A handful of flowers on top of this mountain, the more I say, the truer it is; if you do not believe me, kadi efendi, make me swear an oath; my tearful love knows no oath. Oh God, what shall I do with this trouble, shall I take to the mountains so young?) CIRCUMCISION FEASTS IN ÇANKIRI The first concern of every family, once they have a son, is to have him circumcised. This concern is lived as an Islamic custom. Half a century ago the circumcision customs of Çankırı took the form of lavish feasts held at great expense. Today they have changed greatly in form, and circumcision feasts, held with as little expense as possible and according to each family's means, take place as follows: The start of the feast: In Çankırı circumcision feasts are usually held in autumn, because this is the season when many of every family's busy tasks are over and everything is plentiful. Before the feast, a decorated bed (a bedstead or a sprung bed) is prepared at home for the boys to be circumcised. If there is one boy there is one bed; if there are several, three or four boys are laid on one bedstead. The house is decorated like a festival ground. Friends and relatives are invited with printed invitations to the feast held for the boy to be circumcised. The guests are served a meal according to the family's means, mainly pilaf and ayran. After the meal a mevlid is recited and hymns are sung. The boys, dressed in specially prepared circumcision outfits with "maşallah" written on their foreheads, are driven around the city in cars. This is believed to get the boy used to the idea of circumcision and warm him to it. The circumcision: When the boys to be circumcised are brought before the circumciser waiting at the house, hafızes recite an "aşr-ı şerif" (passage of the Qur'an) and the Fatiha. Meanwhile, outside, the drum and zurna, or any other instruments there are, keep on playing. During this time the boy or boys are circumcised. If a boy starts to cry, a finger of honey is quickly put into his open mouth (this used to be done, though it is rarely seen nowadays). The circumcision feasts we have tried to describe briefly are held with similar customs in many parts of Türkiye. The elements and features of the circumcision feast that are particular to Çankırı are as explained above. Source: http://www.cankiri.bel.tr/sayfa-13/kultur.php
Çorum
In Çorum folk culture, the utensils used in the kitchen are generally ranked as follows: Çay kazanı (tea cauldron) Banma (cauldron) Kuzu kazanı (lamb cauldron) Küpeli kazan (cauldron with ring handles) Culluk kazanı Helva kazanı (halva cauldron) Keklik kazanı (the smallest pot) Kuşane (pot) Çorum leblebi Çorum's famous yellow leblebi is made from dried chickpeas. Turning chickpeas into leblebi takes two months of work. With Çorum's famous yellow leblebi, however, things are a little different. In historic shops, the single-roast (tek kavrum) leblebi is poured from sacks into tins and from there into basins . Transferred to an oven brought to the right temperature over a wood fire , the leblebi is put back into sacks after the final roasting and sold still steaming. You can find a leblebi shop on every street corner in the province. The size of the chickpeas grown in this area and the way they turn into leblebi have long earned a well-deserved reputation. From the sixties onwards, the chickpeas grown in the region were no longer enough for leblebi production, and chickpeas were brought in from other regions. Even so, Çorum leblebi has lost none of its fame. The reason it has kept its lead for years must be the roasting skills handed down from generation to generation. While traditional leblebi production, which gives the chickpeas a special flavour and their golden-yellow colour, continues, modern methods in which bottled gas has replaced wood have also come into use. To make leblebi you first need a roasting hearth made of firebrick, mud brick, a pan and a stirrer. It is also important that the wood used is a kind that does not produce soot. How it is made: The chickpeas are first sieved and sorted. After the first roasting they are put into sacks while hot and left to rest for two days. After the second roasting they are again rested for two days, then spread out in a dry place and left for 15–20 days. These roasting and resting stages are extremely important for the quality of the leblebi. Before the third roasting the chickpeas are moistened and left in sacks for one day. In the third roasting the skins come off; this is called “tek kavrum leblebi”. Spicy, salted or clove-flavoured varieties are made at this final roasting stage. “ Leblebi şekeri ” (sugar-coated leblebi) is obtained after a short final roasting. As the production process shows, all this effort and toil is the price of carrying the fame of Çorum leblebi from years past to the present day. Varieties of leblebi: Two new kinds of leblebi special to Çorum are crunchy leblebi and crunchy peanuts; these two cholesterol-free products are made by coating leblebi and peanuts with soya flour. There are more than twenty varieties, such as Extra leblebi, a special kind for those who want to lose weight and stay in shape, Light leblebi (sugar + soya), mastic leblebi, chocolate leblebi, crunchy leblebi (with soya), spicy leblebi, clove leblebi, salted leblebi, fruit leblebi, sürmeli kırık (split) leblebi, cocoa leblebi and honey leblebi. Source: http://www.anittahotel.com/corum-yemek-kulturu
Denizli
Traditional trades and local handicrafts Handicrafts are practised in the rural settlements of Tavas, Acıpayam, Çameli, Güney and Çal. In particular, the "oya" (needle lace) that housewives and young girls make with fine threads of various colours, using crochet hooks, needles and shuttles, lives on, and these delicate traditional crafts are growing in popularity day by day. So efforts to save our handicrafts, which the advances of modern science and technology are bringing to a halt, are pressing ahead. Denizli's traditional handicrafts can be listed as weaving, mat weaving, leatherwork, jug and cup making, rope making, coppersmithing, blacksmithing, comb making, packsaddle and harness making, tel kırma silverwork, needlework and woodwork. Weaving Weaving in Denizli goes back to antiquity. This basic occupation continued to grow after the Çürüksu and Büyük Menderes valleys were settled by the Turks. Weaving was generally done by women. High-quality cotton grown on the Çürüksu plain was spun into yarn and coloured with dyes obtained from walnut leaves, onion skins, valonia acorns, sumac, oak galls and many herbs and roots, and fine woollen cloth was woven from the wool of a local breed of sheep with long, fine fleece. The good quality and tight spinning of both kinds of fibre made the cloth high-quality and long-lasting. These cloths were known by the name of the town where they were made and were also exported to markets at home and abroad. According to Ibn Battuta, cotton garments embroidered with gold that had no equal were woven here. Among Osman Gazi's personal belongings were Denizli muslins, fine white cloth for underwear for the palace women, red cloth for flags, and şalvar trousers. İshak Fakih says that in the second half of the 14th century white cloth with banners was bought from Denizli for the Ottoman sultan Murad I and for the marriage of the daughter of Süleyman Şah of Germiyan to Yıldırım Bayezid. Evliya Çelebi, who visited Denizli in the 17th century, also writes that the white cotton cloth of Akdağ was finer than Persian and Mosul cloth. This shows that the cloth of the time could compete with the cloth produced anywhere in the world. Until the early 19th century weaving in Denizli was a true art. In this period local producers met all the region's need for cloth. Before the Ottoman Empire became an open market, the cotton grown in Denizli was processed by traditional methods. This was how the yarn needed for weaving was obtained. Later, imports of yarn and cotton cloth, mostly British, hurt cotton production and hand weaving. Local cloth faced competition from imports. The first foreign cloth reached Denizli in 1872. Competition between Japanese products and local products went on until the late 1920s. Before 1914 Denizli's weavings were superior products in colour and pattern. Just as each area had its famous weavings, some masters had products known by their own names. In the First World War the places of the masters who went off to the army stood empty, and weaving stagnated in places. The yarn of masters who left for the army before finishing their skein hung for years; no master could be found to carry on the work, and in some places women kept weaving going. The masters who survived the war came back and revived the craft, but it never regained its old quality. In this period hand weaving was done widely in homes and workshops. In 1927 there was hardly a house without a loom, and there were also 423 weaving workshops. Outside central Denizli, Buldan, Sarayköy, Babadağ, Tavas, Kızılcabölük and Kale have long-established, developed weaving. Babadağ in particular became famous across Anatolia for its Kadıköy weavings, and Buldan for its cloth. Most of the weaving is bedsheets and striped cloth (alaca). Cloth printing and sash making were among the most developed branches of textiles. In some villages a woollen trouser cloth called "kılçar" was also woven. In Serinhisar menevrek, kılçar, çakşır cloth and şalvar cloth of black lamb's wool were woven. White cloth and striped cloth were made in Bekilli and in the village of Ortaköy in Çal. Embroidered bürgü (gauze veils), bundle wraps, curtains and pillowcases were produced in Buldan and some other villages. Carpet and kilim weaving developed in Eziler in Güney and in the town of Süller in Çal. The coarse weavings such as carpets, kilims, saddlebags, bags, çul, sacks and prayer rugs also have a very long history. Carpet weaving is a developed craft in Yatağan, Bozkurt and Çal. The town of Süller is also famous for its kilims. In the years before 1960 the town of Yeşilyuva in Acıpayam had simple looms weaving runners, kilims, saddlebags and bags. These primitive looms met the town's needs. The yarn for these weavings was spun and dyed at home. Today the town has master wool dyers who dye yarn by the old method. Women also weave kilims and runners. Leatherwork The art of leatherwork in the Denizli area is as old as weaving. It became even more valued after the Türkmen tribes settled in the Denizli area. When the Turks took Honaz castle in 1071, the foundations of the first local Turkish leatherwork were laid here. Although the founding of Denizli's leather industry is attributed to Ahi Evran, there was already a developed leather craft in the area when Ahi Evran came to Denizli. Ahi Kaysar, one of the sheikhs attached to Ahi Evran, established leatherwork in Yeşilyuva in Acıpayam in the Middle Ages. T. Toker writes that the organisation founded under his own name by Ahi Evran, known as the patron saint of tanners, was divided into 32 trades. Leatherwork was generally done where there was plenty of running water. Among these, the city centre, Honaz, Yeşilyuva and the village of Narlıdere in Buldan were developed in tanning and boot making. This craft kept its importance in the Ottoman period and developed into shoemaking, boot making, bookbinding, weapon accessories and saddlery. Harness and saddles for animals were made of leather and sole leather. Among the leathers described as elvan (coloured) leather, black, red and yellow were famous. Until recently, delicate slippers with Hittite-style upturned toes, sequins and embroidery were made from these coloured leathers for women, young girls and brides. Yeşilyuva is an important leather centre today, as it was in the past. In the 19th century hundreds of tanneries were set up along the Cilhan and Macar streams, which flowed down to the lower slopes of the town and through its centre. Leather products processed in these tanneries, such as sole leather, morocco and meşin (sheepskin leather), were sent to Konya, Antalya, Crete, Rhodes, Muğla and İzmir. Today too the local people mostly make their living from shoemaking, and almost every house has a small shoe workshop. Shoes that used to be sewn by hand have given way to machines with technological progress. Masters who once made every stage of a shoe themselves now make only one part. So people become masters of particular parts of the shoe. This has led to faster production and the desired quality. These stages are cutting the uppers, shaving the uppers and sewing the uppers. Today Yeşilyuva meets 80% of Türkiye's need for sole leather. In shoemaking, cutting, sole gluing, milling, fora and dyeing have become separate jobs. Linked to this trade, packsaddle making and saddlery are also widespread. Jugs, cups, ceramic making and painting Jugs, earthenware cups, large jars and flowerpots are a craft that has gone on since very early times in Serinhisar, Çivril, Tavas and Sarayköy. Because the area's red earth is suitable for making cups, this craft developed in the district. Because making jugs and cups is very long and laborious work, young people show no interest in this trade. Rope making Rope making is one of the ancestral trades of Serinhisar and lives on today. The work is generally done by women. The men deal with marketing the ropes produced. Coppersmithing Copperwork is one of our traditional handicrafts and has survived for centuries in Kaleiçi in central Denizli. Many kitchen items are made here: tableware, bowls, iliştir (lidded bowls), spoons, ladles, skimmers, trays, basins, cooking pots, cauldrons, ewers and so on. Today very few people keep this craft going. Cheaper and more practical pots and pans made of steel, aluminium, porcelain, zinc and plastic have replaced copper kitchenware. Today the masters who continue the craft have turned to making copper ornaments, bought mostly by tourists. Knife making In the town of Yatağan in Serinhisar, the craft of blacksmithing, a legacy of Yatağan Baba, has continued since the village was founded. Knife making has developed from this, and tools such as knives, penknives, tahra (billhooks), axes, scissors, kırklık (shears), ploughshares and machetes are still made today. They are sent all over the country, showing the creativity of Yatağan's people in metalwork and their ancestral craft. The machetes identified with the name Yatağan entered the literature as "yataghan". In the early 13th century the soldiers of Osman Gazi, too, used them in place of swords, made by their own craftsmen, and all over Türkiye they bear the name Yatağan palası. Yatağan knives: blacksmithing in Yatağan, going back centuries, still more or less resembles the old ways as it continues today. In short, blacksmithing has not changed completely today but has developed with advanced mechanisation. Before turning to knife making, we want to list the materials used to make knives in Yatağan by traditional methods. They are: iron, a forge with leather bellows, hammers, an anvil, a vice, an adze, tongs, sunturaç, moulds, felt, an emery stone, a whetstone, a grinding wheel, an aşkı set, charcoal, olive oil, bone, wire, a punch, a chisel, a rasp, a file, a stamp, kazzağı, an awl, a handle razor and handle iron (Çaycı and Aytin 2006). Knife making follows this order: first the bellows are lit to start work. Raw iron is heated and roughly shaped into a knife on the anvil with hammers. As many handle blanks as knives are taken and heated in the forge to soften them. They are trimmed with the handle razor. They are shaped by placing them in the handle iron according to the shape to be given. So while the blades cool, the handles are also roughly prepared. While the prepared handles dry, the shaped and thinned blade blanks are taken down and given their final shape with a hammer on another anvil. Then the handle holes are drilled, the backs and edges are trued with a file and the stamp is struck. The cooled handles are shaped with a rasp. The slots for the tang are opened and these neatly shaped knives are quenched. Water and olive oil are used for this. Then the knives are polished on the wheel with a leather stone (Çaycı and Aytin 2006). After the 1950s, with the production of flat steel, knife-making methods also changed. This iron, arriving ready in flat form, is first cut into strips on a strip-cutting machine; these bars are heated in the forge and both shaped and hardened by two hammers striking alternately. The piece is heated and forged three times. Then the shape is cut out together with the handle. For the handle, it is heated twice more and given its final shape with two hammers. To make the stamp and hole in the handle easier, the knife is annealed again, and before its colour changes the hole is punched with a countersink below and a round stamp above. The stamps are made of steel and carry words in reverse. When the stamp is struck hard with a hammer, it leaves a hollow impression on the already hot knife. To make the steel stronger in use, work well and keep its first sharpness, it is forged without heating with 1–1.5 kg hammers; this is called the "dry hammer" process. In this way the blows spread to every part of the iron, its molecules are compacted and the iron becomes more resistant. Then the handles are made to particular types and models and the quenching begins. Quenching is again done by eye, using different methods (Çaycı and Aytin 2006). The Yatağan sword: although it is not known for certain whether the Yatağan sword takes its name from the town of Yatağan, most researchers lean towards the view that it does. The advanced production of knives and cutting tools today should be evidence that the weapons called yataghan take their name from here. The name of the town of Yatağan and the nickname of Osman Bey, who gave it that name, may also have been given to the swords made here. Of course, yataghans were not made only in the town of Yatağan (Çaycı and Aytin 2006). Another view on the name of these swords, which began to be made in the mid-16th century and were used until the late 19th century, is that the name came from the Janissaries placing them horizontally in a leather weapon holder tied over the shawl sashes wound round their waists. Over time this weapon was called Yatağan because it lay horizontally. But it is accepted that the finest were made for centuries in the town of Yatağan and that this Turkish sword, which demands great skill, took its name from this town (Çaycı and Aytin 2006). The oldest surviving yataghan is the work, dated 978/1570, of a master known by the nickname Dergiz Ali. In the town of Yatağan, the oldest known blacksmith is a master called Demirci Hüseyin, in a document dated March 1703 (Çaycı and Aytin 2006). The best-known master in Yatağan in the 20th century is Derviş Usta. Alongside him the name Hüseyin Usta also appears. Yataghans spread to Europe and the Balkans thanks to sword makers (şimşiryeran) such as Ahmet Alemdar, Abdullah, Salih, Hüseyin Kalfa, Usta Ahmet, Bekir Beşe, Abdi and Genç Mustafa (Çaycı and Aytin 2006). The last stage in making a yataghan is the scabbard. Because the scabbard is a separate piece from the sword, it shows some nuances. Scabbards were generally made of wood and their surfaces covered with other materials. The surfaces of scabbards were covered with leather, velvet, silver, baton or various other materials. Some scabbards are made entirely of silver. These metals are decorated with plant and geometric motifs. The scabbard of a yataghan has three parts: a) the mouth, b) the band, c) the shoe or chape (Çaycı and Aytin 2006). Making Yatağan sword canes A sword cane is a weapon made by hollowing out a walking stick and fitting a small sword-like steel blade inside. So although the cane looks like a single piece, it is made of two parts. The first is the cane and the second the scabbard that encloses the cane from outside. They are generally made to a standard size of about 0.80 m. If the curved handle of the cane is pulled, out comes a sword that starts at 1.5–2 cm wide and narrows to the tip. Because it works more as a skewer than a cutting blade, it is also called a şiş baston (skewer cane). The making process is just like that of yataghans: the steel is hardened by forging. That is, an iron ingot is heated in a hot fire and then shaped by forging (Çaycı and Aytin 2006). The decoration of the canes is concentrated on the handle and scabbard. The handles usually take the form of a bird's head or dragon-like figures. On the scabbards, the walnut-wood part is decorated with inlay. The scabbards were decorated as follows: first the place where the silver lettering would go was carved out, and molten silver was drawn through a die until it became a thin wire. Then this cooled wire was laid on the prepared surface and arranged. Sword canes cannot be told apart from ordinary canes. For this reason they have always been used as a means of defence (Çaycı and Aytin 2006). The making of sword canes in Yatağan has declined a great deal. The master Mümtaz Yatağan, who did this work, was the last well-known master of the Republican period. With his death no master remains who does this work (Çaycı and Aytin 2006). Mat weaving Another kind of weaving seen in our province is mat weaving. On looms set up on the ground, using rushes and reeds cut from the lakes of Çardak-Beylerli, Buldan-Süleymanlı and Çivril-Gümüşsuyu, people weave mats called hasır for use as summer floor covers, roof covers for ceilings, and types used at sea. Blacksmithing Blacksmithing is a deep-rooted craft that has gone on in our province for centuries. In the old Kaleiçi market there is a section operating as the "Blacksmiths' Market". Packsaddle making, saddlery and farriery In recent years, with the increasing mechanisation of farming, pack and draught animals (horses and donkeys) have stopped being used. So packsaddle making and saddlery, once widespread because of them, have greatly declined. Tel kırma (silver wire embroidery) and silverwork This very fine and carefully planned work has motif types such as mihraplı (niche), elmas (diamond), makaslı (scissors), sepeleme, muskalı (amulet), yıldızlı (star), yapraklı (leaf) and tırtıl sarmalı (caterpillar spiral). In our province tel kırma, done only in Tavas, is in great demand. Silversmithing is done in small home workshops in Beyköy in Çivril. Needlework Although women make it in all parts of our province, needle lace made as a craft and for trade is very widespread in the Tavas area. Woodwork Woodwork is done more in the forested parts of the province, in the villages of Çameli, Tavas and Baklan. Marketing: the Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism also promotes the province's handicrafts at its stands at tourism and promotion fairs at home and abroad. Festivals that have become traditional, on textiles in Buldan, Babadağ and Kızılcabölük and on knife making in Yatağan, also contribute greatly to promoting the products. And because handicrafts are given a wide place when Turkish and foreign journalists film promotional footage of the province, there is no problem with marketing. Domestic tourist groups in particular, after visiting Pamukkale and the province's other tourist sights, also organise tours to Babadağ, Buldan and Kızılcabölük to buy their textile products . Horn combs In the town of Yatağan women's combs are made from water-buffalo and ram horns. The raw material of the combs is the horns of cattle. Buffalo horns were used first and foremost. Combs were made in two forms: fine-toothed combs and wide-toothed combs. One side of the fine comb has fine teeth and the other thick teeth (Çaycı and Aytin 2006). The comb is made as follows: horns obtained in various ways are first pierced with a long heated iron. In this piercing, the hot iron is pushed in from the open end of the horn, melting the layer inside. So the hole widens, and then, while still hot, the horn is thrown into cold water. The horn, taken out of the water, is cut with a hand saw into pieces four fingers wide, opposite one another. An ordinary horn yields 7 combs. Two kinds of adze are used on these rough pieces. The curved cuts of the pieces are trimmed with a hollowing adze and the outer parts of the curves with a flat adze. Then they are put in the forge and heated. As these pieces heat up they soften, and when they are ready to shape they are straightened with two tongs, placed between two flat irons and squeezed in a vice. They are left there until they cool. Then the ends of these straightened pieces are shaved with the flat adze to make them like a knife edge. The teeth are cut one by one with a hand saw. Once the teeth are cut, the piece, now a comb, is scraped with a double-edged blade called a "boynuz kazağı" (horn scraper). The teeth are given their final shape with a triangular file and polishing begins. Polishing is done by hand. Until 1950 combs were made entirely by hand in this way. After that year tooth-cutting and polishing machines were used (Çaycı and Aytin 2006). Handmade glass Paşabahçe, which took on the task of making glass in Türkiye in 1935 on the instruction of the Great Leader Atatürk, today continues its mission of keeping alive the Turkish tradition of "glassmaking" it inherited from the past through Denizli Cam. The company leads Türkiye in "handmade glass homeware" sold under the Denizli brand and is in demand around the world. At Denizli Cam, which makes handmade, labour-intensive products, a 5,000-year tradition of glassmaking is kept alive. Source: http://www.pamukkale.gov.tr/tr/El-Sanatlari/Yoresel-El-Sanatlari
Diyarbakır
Like every city in our beautiful country, Diyarbakır is a lovely city with its own cultural features. Diyarbakır's culture is the way of life of the people who live on its land, and because this land has been home to many civilisations through history, it holds many cultures. Its folklore, for example, is a great cultural treasure of the city: Halay, Delilo, Çepik, Çaçan, Lorke and Esmer are some of its dances. Other cultural riches are its woven goods: the kilims, saddlebags and clothes in every colour and pattern are usually very colourful and made from fabrics such as canfes (taffeta) and diba (brocade). Men commonly wear şalvar (baggy trousers), a sash and a waistcoat, and on their heads a local külah (cap) or a wrapped puşu (headscarf). Food is another part of this cultural variety: local dishes include meftune, çiğ köfte, lebeni and nariye tatlısı. And finally, folk songs, tales and laments are among its other cultural features.
Düzce
Georgian, Abaza, Circassian, Laz and muhacir (descendants of Balkan and Caucasian migrants) communities live side by side in Düzce, and this variety shows in its food and wedding traditions. The Düzce knife is a craft registered as a geographical indication.
Edirne
Cultural background Because of its location on the Thracian peninsula, which joins Anatolia to Europe, Edirne has a rich cultural history. Throughout history, the various communities migrating to Anatolia or Europe passed through Edirne, but very few of them settled here and founded a civilisation. Excavations in and around Edirne show that the first settlements in the area began at the end of the Neolithic. The earliest known people of the area are the Thracians, followed by the Macedonians and the Romans. When the Roman Empire split in two, Edirne remained within the Byzantine Empire. After long Byzantine rule, the area joined the Ottoman Empire. Edirne's closeness to Europe greatly influenced the evolution of its culture both before and after the Turks, so the course Edirne's culture has followed is quite different from that of the Anatolian provinces. Edirne's food Different ways of eating are found in Edirne. Fruit and vegetables have an important place in the diet. The making of white cheese, famous throughout Türkiye, is very widespread. This cheese, called Edirne cheese, is usually made from sheep's milk. Mavzana, tarhana, ciğer sarması, akıtma, badem ezmesi (almond paste), lokma, gaziler helvası and deva-i misk are the main original dishes and desserts of Edirne. Isırgan yemeği (nettle dish), borani, belmuş (a kind of cheese dessert), kaçamak (made from cornmeal), akçakatık (made by adding cheese to milk) and hardaliye (a grape and mustard-seed drink) are also among its original foods. Edirne's handicrafts Handicrafts were highly developed in Edirne, once the capital of the Ottoman Empire. Woodwork, lacquered dishes and boxes, flower painting, bookbinding, ta'liq calligraphy and carving, and gravestone carving were the main old crafts. Most of these have not survived to the present. Edirne's woodwork is widely famous. With influences from Istanbul and Europe, a style called Edirnekari developed in Edirne. Edirnekari woodwork consists of carved, inlaid and painted pieces. Plant motifs such as tulips, hyacinths, carnations, bouquets and fruit were generally used. In the painted pieces, plant dyes such as iris green, purple, saffron yellow, chicory brown and coffee brown were used. Broom making survives in the area as a craft aimed at the market. Brooms are made from broomcorn, in various types: hand brooms, long-handled brooms, small hand brooms and round brooms. One of Edirne's oldest crafts is misk sabunu (musk soap) making. Soaps made in the shapes of oranges, apples, lemons, pears and the like are sold as souvenirs. Pottery, mat weaving and basket weaving are also surviving crafts. Edirne's handmade embroidery stands out for its colours, meaningful motifs and skilled workmanship. The colours, which have kept their vividness even in the oldest examples, are the work of Edirne's madder dyeing. Dark blue, pink, red, yellow and black were used most. Plant motifs dominate. The embroidery was generally done on sakangur and salaşpur cloths and Flemish-type weaves, using crochet, ulama and openwork techniques. Source: http://www.edirnevdb.gov.tr/kultur/kulturel.html
Elazığ
Music and folklore In Harput music you feel the fervour of heartfelt worship. When a makam (melodic mode) begins, the gazels that are sung have a hymn-like flavour. The folk songs that follow are melodies that stir and heighten this spiritual feeling. The spiritual fervour created by the compositions truly pushes a person away from the human, material world; singer and listener alike feel as if they are flying. At this moment, with no need for any request or signal, out of instinctive enthusiasm, the saz finds its own pace and the music passes, like a call to prayer rising to the sky, into the high-pitched tunes known locally as "Kayabaşı and Hoyrat". These are melodies sung in a steep, high register that echo from mountain to mountain. The listener in particular feels as if about to take wing from earth to sky. With the soaring effect of these voices, the saz gathering now falls into ecstasy. The fervour and exuberance this ecstasy creates in the soul lets feelings and emotions pour out. Accompanied by the saz, singers and listeners together, in chorus, move on to şıkıltım, lively dance songs. Because these songs have an effect not only on the soul but on the body too, men's or women's dances suited to the same makam are danced at this point or straight after the şıkıltım. Elazığ's folk dances should be considered within the "Halay Region", one of the dance regions. Within the Halay Region, Elazığ's folk dances are slower and more aesthetic in their movement than those of other provinces and areas. There are a few very lively dances too. This feature is obvious at once when we examine the dance tempos. The dances stand apart from other dances of the Halay Region in their music and figures. We believe this is because Elazığ folk music leans more towards Turkish art (classical) music and is performed on classical instruments. This distinctiveness shows in the rich sections of the dance music and in the rich figures of the dances. It is also noteworthy, and not found in every region, that each dance form (figure, pattern) has a corresponding musical form. Elazığ's folk dances generally have a "gently firm" character. Men's dances are a little firmer but aesthetic, while women's and girls' dances are softer and gentler. The harshness seen in the halay of neighbouring Diyarbakır is not present in Elazığ's halay: in place of that harshness and the small number of figures, the Elazığ halay has gentle firmness and a wealth of figures. There are nearly sixty Elazığ dances, but only about twenty to twenty-five are still alive today. We describe a few of them below, with how they are danced and their features. Çayda Çıra dance: This dance was collected in the Harput sub-district of Elazığ. It is known around the world as the "Candle Dance". There are various legends about "Çayda Çıra". However, they resemble various folk tales passed from mouth to mouth and are told as variants or altered forms of legends told in our other cities. In origin, the dance arose for the purpose of lighting. In our research we recorded various legends told among the people. Here is one example. According to the legend, two young people in love in a village on the shore of Lake Hazar used to meet in secret. To reach the meeting place, the young man had to swim across the lake. As they met at night, the girl would light a pine torch (çıra, dındik) to show him where she was, and he would swim towards the light, and so the lovers would meet. The girl's father, sensing this, put out the torch one night of a meeting just as the young man had swum to the middle of the lake, causing the young lover to drown. Realising this, the girl threw herself into the water and was lost too. At this, all the villagers gathered and began searching for the two lovers with "çıra" torches in their hands. According to the legend, laments were composed and songs sung about this event, and the search with torches turned into a dance that has come down to the present day. (A similar legend is the “AHTAMARA” legend of the Van area.) At a magnificent wedding in Altınova, torches were lit and Somats (feast tables) laid in the wedding square set up, as was the custom, beside the stream, and the wedding was going on in full swing. Then there was a lunar eclipse, and Pembe HAN, the groom's mother, had torches and candles set on plates, handed them to the young people and, leading them herself, walked grandly into the wedding square. Inspired by the brilliance of this idea, the "head zurna player" greeted the crowd, who had turned night into day in an instant with the plates in their hands, by playing music to match their steps. With the forty drums and forty zurnas accompanying him, the place began to resound, and so the melody of the "Çayda Çıra" dance was born. The event became a tradition, and Çayda Çıra has been danced ever since. In the past, when there was no seclusion of women (kaç-göç), the dance was danced by girls and boys together; today it is danced both mixed and separately. The dance is said to be 200–300 years old. It is known and danced all over Elazığ and has recently spread beyond it, being danced in various forms in Malatya and Diyarbakır too. In all the dances the person at the head is called the kolbaşı and the person at the end the sonbaşı or poçik. Only in the halay are the names "Halaybaşı" and "Halaysonu" used. The props are a pair of plates, each holding three candles. During the dance the cry “Heey, Teey, Tey” is shouted. In the Elazığ area young men are called "Gakkoş". The dance is performed at weddings and at religious and national holidays. Çayda Çıra folk song: Çayda çıra yanıyor, Yanıp yanıp sönüyor, Yavaş yürü usul bas, Engeller uyanıyor. Çayda çıra yanıyor, Ay tutulmuş sanıyor, Yavaş oyna güzelim, Herkes seni tanıyor. Çayda çıra yakarım, Yar yoluna bakarım, Bir yüz görümlüğüne, Beşibirlik takarım. Yanar çayda çıralar, Kızlar oyun sıralar. Gelin hanım gelirse, Defçi toplar paralar. Çayda çıra yanıyor, Humar göz uyanıyor. Fitil çifte yara bir, Yürek mi dayanıyor. Çayda çıra yüz çıra, Yanıyor sıra sıra. Yarim keklik ben şahin, Giderim ardı sıra. (Roughly: “A torch burns by the stream, flickering on and off; walk slowly, tread softly, the watchers are waking… My love is a partridge and I the falcon; I follow wherever she goes.”) Avreş dance: This dance, also known as "Berber Yaşar", has not been found danced anywhere outside Elazığ. It comes from Harput. It arose from imitations of military movements in Elazığ and Harput, which once saw many troop dispatches, and it is danced all over Elazığ. It is said to be fifty or sixty years old. Today its music is played on drum and clarinet, but in the past it was played and danced to the zurna. (The zurna is still played today in many of our mountain villages and many of our Alevi villages.) Before the clarinet came to Harput, the zurna was the lead instrument at weddings; but the clarinet, which began to be used in Harput as soon as it entered Türkiye, strongly affected the zurna and reduced its role. The Avreş dance has no song. No other dance is danced to its melody, and it is not danced to any other melody. Its music is first in 6/8 time at a slow tempo, then in 4/4 time at a fast tempo. Its makam is İbrahimiyye. It is danced in a single line, sometimes with turns to the right and left. The dance has no story; its figures are concentrated mostly in the feet and partly in the head. Its figures, made up of natural body movements, imitate military movements. During the dance people cry "ha-ha, hey-hey". It is danced mostly at send-offs for soldiers and at weddings. Halay dance: Also called the Harput Halay, its variants are the “Palu” variant, the dance called “Karaçor" in İngüzek, the “Düz Halay” in Ağın, the Halay in Baskil and the "Düz Haley” in Sivrice. It comes from Harput and has been danced with pleasure by young and old for 200–300 years. Its music is played first in 2/4 time and, in the figure called "zazaki", in 6/8; its makam is İbrahimiyye. It is danced in a single line with palms clasped together. Its figures are concentrated in the feet. It is danced mostly at send-offs for soldiers and at weddings. Knife dance (Bıçak oyunu): This dance was collected in the Hankendi (Hanköy) sub-district of the central district. Its true origin is not known. Knife dances are found in different forms in almost every region of Türkiye: in Erzurum there is the “Hançer Bari”, and in the Black Sea region various horons are danced with knives. Danced to drum and clarinet, this dance has no song. It is not danced to any other melody, and no other dance is danced to its melody. The dance is in 9/8 time and in the "İbrahimiyye" makam. It is danced by three people: two men and a woman, or a man dressed as a woman. It also has the features of a bar dance. The dance is made up of hand and foot movements and is not imitative. The music keeps the same metre throughout, with no change of rhythm. In conservative places girls and women cannot enter the wedding square and watch the dance from rooftops or from a distance, so the course of the dance changes. The props are two knives in each dancer's hands, with which the dancers make figures. The knives pass between them and are swung towards the chest. The dance is performed at weddings and has no song. Sword and shield dance (Kılıç Kalkan): It is said to have been danced by older dancers, but no one has seen it. Because the music has been written down, it is easy to learn about it. When we spoke to one of our sources, Tahsin AYIK, he said this about the dance: "I saw people dance it. They were older than us. As they had no swords and shields, they used the sticks in their hands as swords and their shoes as shields. Sadly this dance of ours, which no one looked after, has died out." Delilo dance: This dance, collected in Harput, goes by names such as "Derilo" and "Delilo". It is danced with similar features almost everywhere in the halay region. It is not possible to reach a conclusion about where it really originated. The Delilo dance is said to be 150–200 years old. It is a dance with a song, danced to drum and clarinet, and the song is sung by the dancers. It is not danced to any other dance's melody, and no other dance is danced to its melody. With music in 4/4 time, it is a little slower than the "Delilo" dances of the surrounding provinces. Dress In the city centre women follow modern fashion. Even so, women over middle age can be seen wearing overcoats and headscarves. Men's dress: A fez is worn on the head, with a "Puşu" the size of a large handkerchief wrapped round it; older men tie a printed yazma scarf. Broadcloth şalvar trousers are worn, narrow at the ankle, wide at the top and gathered at the waist with a drawstring. An undershirt called içlik or giyme is worn, of plain white or black-and-white striped cotton, with sleeves, collarless or with a stand-up collar. Over the shirt a waistcoat called the "avcı yeleği" (hunter's waistcoat) is worn, made of the same cloth as the şalvar. A white silk sash or "acem kuşağı" (Persian sash), called şal, is tied at the waist. On the feet, çarık sandals with poçik and knitted woollen socks are worn. Women's dress: This is the oldest type of dress of Harput women. It can still be seen in mountain villages today. About 150–200 years ago this type of dress was the norm. It consists of three pieces. 1) Şalvar Made of silk or cotton fabric and lined inside. The şalvar is very long, with a cord threaded through at the ankles and tied below the knee, so that it falls like a skirt to the ankles. The waist of the şalvar is gathered with a drawstring. 2) İçlik Made of silk or cotton fabric, with a round neck, open at the front and fastened with hooks. The sides of the içlik are slit. 3) Üçetek Made of thick silk fabric embroidered with metallic thread, or of velvet. It has long sleeves with cuffs and a very short slit, fastened with a hook. The neckline is a "V" open to the waist. At the waist it is fastened with two hooks and a "birit" loop. The skirt, widening from the waist down, is completely open at the front and slit at the sides below the hips, so that it looks like three pieces. A "belbağı" is tied at the waist. (A belbağı is a sash three or four centimetres wide, crocheted or embroidered on fabric.) Postal shoes are worn, with cotton socks in summer and woollen socks in winter. The jewellery used with dance costumes is a string of beşibirlik gold coins worn diagonally across the chest, glass bracelets called "Şeve", and silver or gold earrings and rings. Proverbs and sayings Aç gorsan hırhız olur, çok sölersen arsuz olur. (Keep someone hungry and they turn thief; nag too much and they turn shameless.) Akılsız başın cezasını ayahlar çeker. (The feet pay for a foolish head.) Bekle bite çağala, hadse yiye sağala. Can çıhmadan huy çıkmaz. (Character doesn't leave until the soul does.) Cücüğü martta sayarlar. (Chicks are counted in March.) Dam doymadan çortundan su ahmaz. (Water won't run from the gutter until the roof is soaked.) Dertli sölegen, aşık yırılgan olur. (The troubled talk, the lover sings.) Düğün evinde deve, acıhdınsa goş eve. Eşeğin canına yeterse attan yügürük olur. (When a donkey has had enough, it runs faster than a horse.) Galan işe gar yağar. (Snow falls on work left undone.) Garganan oturanın, burnu pislikten çıkmaz. (Whoever sits with crows never gets the dirt off their nose.) Garpuz kesmeknen ürek savumaz. (Cutting a watermelon won't cool your heart.) Hortut çirpisinden ataş olmaz. (Rotten twigs make no fire.) Sevilmeyen gelinin selamı ergü gelür. Suyun aharından, insanın yere bahanından gorh. (Fear still water and the person who stares at the ground.) Yağ yiyen pisiğin gözünden belli olur. (You can tell from its eyes which cat ate the butter.) Ziyareti bi çüt mumnan sınarlar. Aç gezip guyruğu tik gezmek: to owe no one any favours Ali gıran baş kesen: a bully, a swaggerer Bahar mayısı gibi sıvaşmak: to cling to someone and not let go Durup durup duz kavurmah: to repeat the same thing over and over Fıstik atıp gezmek: to eat, drink and wander about, to be in high spirits Eşeğin büyüğü ahurda: the biggest part of the job is still to come Gıçı gırıh it gibi dolaşmah: to be good for nothing Hıriğini sürütmek: to bring other guests along behind you Kortikoğlu işi: a slapdash job Pirpirin mi yedin: you're very weak Yel gelecek delügü bilmek: to look after your own interests Sevindirik omah: to show off Allah elden ayağa düşürmeye. (May God not make you dependent on others.) Allah sahlıya (God protect you) Bi yasduhda gacıyasız. (May you grow old on one pillow.) Dolu sanduhlar öğüne oturasın. (May you sit before full chests.) Gadan belan bahan gele. (May your troubles fall on me.) Rızgın bol ola. (May your livelihood be plentiful.) Boyun bosun devrile. (May you topple over, a curse.) Can evin yıhıla. (May your heart be broken, a curse.) Ezilesin, epriyesin. (May you be crushed and worn out, a curse.) O boyda kalasın. (May you stay that height, a curse.) Gotdik. Sesin Sal altından gele. (May your voice come from under the funeral bier, a curse.) Tatarhamıya gelesin. (A curse.) Yüz üstü sürünesin. (May you crawl on your face, a curse.) Zukgumun kökü Source: https://www.elazig.bel.tr/
Erzincan
The halay (a line dance) holds an important place in Erzincan, and the most famous is the Erzincan Düzü. In Refahiye people dance the dik horon, halay and bar; in İliç and Kemaliye the dik halay and bar; and in Çayırlı, Otlukbeli and Tercan the bar. The dialect of the centre is counted among the Eastern Anatolian dialects. Besides Turkish, Kurdish and Zazaki are spoken in the province. The influence of the cultures of neighbouring provinces such as Erzurum, Bayburt, Sivas, Elazığ and Malatya can be seen in the districts.
Erzurum
ERZURUM BARS Erzurum's folk dances are called "bar". The word "bar" carries meanings such as "togetherness", "community", "holding hands", "binding" and "dancing together". The bar has a very old and deep-rooted past. Although climate, geography and historical events played a part in shaping it, according to anthropologists the bar is one of the national dances the Turks brought from Asia. Erzurum is a very rich region in folk dance. This richness is kept alive today in all its beauty and true to the original. The folk-dance teams of the Erzurum Folk Dances and Folk Songs Association have had proud successes in competitions at home and abroad. Erzurum bars are danced in two groups, women's bars and men's bars. In the village of Oltu in Oltu district, the bar is danced only by men, to davul and zurna (drum and shawm). The same village also has the Şeyh Şamil dance. It is performed to davul and zurna or mey and is a solo men's dance. BAR TERMS Ağırlama: the first part of the bar, danced slowly, gently and carefully. Bar oyunu: dances whose main aim is enjoyment. Kolluk: in the line, the dancer immediately to the left of the barbaşı (bar leader). Koltukaltı: koltuk. Pöççük: the name given to the dancer at the very end of the bar line. Daldaş: dadaş. Kelleler: all the dancers between the koltukaltı and the kolluk. Sıra oyuncular: kelleler. Sekme: the part of the bar danced with quick, nimble movements. Yelleme: the name given to the second part in two-part bars; it is danced between the sekme and the ağırlama. Bar sırası: the traditional order followed when bars are danced one after another. Bar havası: a term for the melody and music of bar dances. Bar tutmak: hiring a bar troupe for money. Bar tutuşmak: the dancers who will dance the bar coming forward. Bar çeken: the barbaşı. Types of bar : A – Men's bars: Baş Bar, İkinci Bar (first aşırma), Sekme, İkinci Aşırma, Nari, Dello, Koçeri, Temirağa, Tamzara, Tavuk Barı, Felek, Çingeneler, Uzun Dere, Daldalar, Yayvan, Hançer Barı. B – Women's bars: Kavak, Çift Beyaz Güvercin, Çember, Döne, Nari, Çarşıda Üzüm Kara, Sallama, Mendilimde Kişmiş ile Badem Var, Tortumun Eymeleri, Aşşahtan Gelirem, Köylü Kızı, Delikız MEN'S COSTUME Cistik: the footwear worn for dancing the bar. Its main feature is its very soft leather, which makes the footwork easier. Those worn by older men are called markop, and those worn by young men yemeni. Zığva: trousers of navy-blue cloth with a drawstring and a loose waist, pleated into a pouch at the back. Black silk braid is worked on them as decoration. Care is taken that the pleats that make the zığva full number 32. Yelek (waistcoat) : made of navy-blue cloth. It has braided buttonholes that close to either side, and its edges and pocket openings are worked with braid. Gömlek (shirt): the shirts are white with a stand-up collar. The buttons may be white or black. The long cuffs have 4–5 buttons. Kazeki: a short jacket with long sleeves. The sleeves are wide and edged with black braid, and the front and pocket openings are decorated with patterned braid. Kuşak (sash): a cloth woven or plaited from coloured threads, once called Persian, Tripoli or Tosya shawl, which keeps the dancer's waist warm and also serves as a pocket. Gümüş köstek (silver chain) : an accessory of fine silver chain hung on the waistcoat, once used to carry a watch. Bazubent (armlet): usually beaded. There are also silver ones. Worn on the arm, it holds prayers such as the ant prayer and the Ayat al-Kursi. Mendil (handkerchief) : using a handkerchief in Erzurum bars is a matter of skill. The handkerchief is used according to the rhythm and mood of each bar. WOMEN'S COSTUME Bindallı: a velvet garment embroidered with Turkish motifs in silver thread. The chest and neck may be trimmed with lace. The same lace is added at the cuffs. The sleeves, body and waist are fitted, while the skirt is made wide for easy movement. Leçek (yazma) : a cotton headscarf decorated with sequins and beaded lace. This name is still used. Gümüş kemer (silver belt): worn at the waist of the Erzurum woman dancing the bar. The belt is made of various pieces joined with rings. It is engraved, and its buckle is more ornate. Some have mother-of-pearl inlay. Since inlaid belts are no longer made, they now have antique value. Pabuç (shoes) : the shoes are black and tie at the front. Made of soft leather, they are light and allow easy movement. Dizleme: socks knitted from white wool, reaching up to the knee. Handkerchief and other accessories: as in the men's bars, the barbaşı and the pöççük in the women's bars hold a handkerchief; women also wear a beşibirlik (five-coin gold piece) and Oltu stone necklaces at the neck, twisted bracelets on the arms and rings on the fingers. OLD ERZURUM HOUSES The building craft of Erzurum houses was handed down and developed from generation to generation. The way the houses were shaped by the harsh climate gave the area's architecture a character of its own. The large houses were built with thick cut-stone walls tied together at intervals with horizontal timber beams. This was done so that the heavy stone buildings could withstand earthquake loads. Various kinds of stone were used. Of these, the dark basalt-type karataş was used for foundations and plinths, and the light limestone-type boztaş for the outer walls. The kamber stone, tending to red and pink, is found in the houses of some wealthy families. Brick was used for partition walls, but it was not used as widely as stone and timber. Timber is the most used building material after stone. Apart from willow, poplar and pine, other kinds of wood are rarely found. Because resinous pine is durable, it was used for load-bearing beams, windows and doors, and for the timber beams inside the stone walls. The stone walls were built of cut stone at the corners, including beside windows and doors, and of rubble masonry in the middle. Besides this general practice, there are examples in rich houses where all the surfaces are of cut stone. Because the inner walls are of brick, lime mortar is used as the binder. Where partitions are made with the bağdadi (lath-and-plaster) system, grass or straw is packed between the two layers of laths for insulation. The roofs are generally flat. This kind of roof is used to cover rooms and courtyards. To roof the tandırevi, timber beams are laid diagonally in layers over a square opening left in the roof, narrowing as they rise to form an octagonal pyramid. This roof is a detail particular to Erzurum houses. There is also a simple pitched roof called the Pasin roof, used to cover barns. In all of these roofs, willow branches are first laid on the beams and then earth spread on top to finish the roof. The most important element on the façades of Erzurum houses is the projection. In some examples the upper floor, which is the ceiling of the ground floor, projects 40 to 90 centimetres outwards in angled projections. In other examples it is not the whole floor but some of the rooms that project over the street. In plan, the character of the Erzurum house is set by the courtyard and the tandırevi on the ground floor. Through the entrance door you first reach the courtyard. From here you pass to the rooms at the side, the tandırevi, and the divanhane (hall) upstairs. The plan of the tandırevi may be square, rectangular or long and rectangular. The last occurs when the tandırevi is at the back. The tandırevi is a multi-purpose space used for sitting, resting, eating and, if need be, sleeping. The smallest are 5 × 6 metres; that the space is generally square or nearly square makes it easier to build the lantern roof over it. The rooms, with their cupboards, divans and hearths, follow the same principles as in other parts of Anatolia. The sofa (hall), because of the continental climate, has shrunk a great deal and lost much of its function, becoming merely a passage. The everyday life of the sofa goes on in the tandırevi. Building materials Building materials are an important factor in shaping the main features of Erzurum houses. The main building materials are stone, timber, earth, brick and metal. 1 – Stone: cut stone was used at corners and on façades, and rubble stone walls elsewhere. There are kinds such as karataş, boztaş and kamber stone. Karataş came from around Hasankale and the village of Nene Hatun (Sivişli); boztaş from the Ağzıaçık redoubt and the village of Ağveren; and kamber stone from the quarries of the village of the same name. 2 – Timber: the most used building element in Erzurum houses after stone. The beams tying the walls, the joists carrying the earth roof, the floors, ceilings and all the joinery were made of timber. Pine, poplar and willow are the most used woods. Reeds and rushes were also used as secondary materials to cover the roof. 3 – Earth: the main roofing material of Erzurum houses and the binder in the stone walls. Earth was easily obtained from the redoubts around the city. 4 – Brick: because the earth is suitable, the bricks made are of good quality. Brick was used in partitions, on the first-floor façade and to build chimneys. 5 – Metal: used as hot ironwork. Door and window hinges, straps, nails, window bars and door knockers were made of iron. Cast bronze door knockers were also used. LOCAL LEGENDS THE LEGEND OF ÇOBAN DEDE Çoban Dede is in Köprüköy. The stones at the place where the Çoban Dede legend is told are likened to a shepherd and his sheep, and to a dragon. According to the legend, long ago there lived a shepherd. A dragon plagued his flock and took away a sheep every time it came. Days later, grieving over his dwindling flock, the shepherd begged God to turn the dragon to stone, promising in return to sacrifice a ram. God accepted his prayer, but the shepherd did not make his sacrifice, and so God turned the shepherd and his sheep to stone. THE LEGEND OF GELİN GELDİ ("THE BRIDE HAS COME") This legend concerns Gelin Geldi lake near the station in Ilıca district. Ilıca, a charming tourist district we pass through on the way to Erzurum by both road and rail, is famous for its çermik, that is, its hot springs. Hot water rises almost everywhere in the district. The story we will tell concerns the name of Gelin Geldi lake at Ilıca station, where there is such a spring. There was once a lake where Ilıca station stands today. Over time the lake shrank, and the present station was built in its place. The lake did not disappear, but it is now much smaller than before. Lovely legends are told about the name of this lake. One of them goes like this: In one of the villages round about there was a beautiful girl. A young man from a neighbouring village fell in love with her, and she loved him too. They told their families, and it was decided that the two should marry. But the young man's military service came between them. Before they could be united, they were parted. The girl in her father's house and the young man in the army began waiting for the day they would be together. One day news came to the village that the young man had been killed in action. The girl, who had been waiting to put on her wedding dress, was shaken by the news. But what could be done? Her beloved was dead. Weeping and wailing were of no use. New suitors came for the girl. Her father gave her to one of them. The wedding was arranged. The drums were beaten and the zurnas began to play. When the time came, the bridal procession led the bride's horse and set off. When the procession came to the shore of a lake on the way, they decided to rest a while. The girl got off her horse and gazed absently into the clear water, her mind always on her old love. She was thinking of him. As she looked into the sparkling water, she suddenly saw him, as if he were in the water. She sprang up and began running towards the water. She waded in, breaking its calm beauty, and vanished under the astonished eyes of the wedding party. Those in the procession waited, hoping the bride would come out of the water at any moment. Every change seen on the lake was taken to mean the bride was coming, and those waiting began to cry "Gelin geldi! Gelin geldi!" ("The bride has come!"). The movement of the water grew stronger with these cries of "Gelin geldi! Gelin geldi!". Even today this movement, that is, the rippling of the lake, still continues at these words. And the lake is known as Gelin Geldi Lake. THE LEGEND OF THE FISH LAKE OF SÖĞÜTLÜ VILLAGE, ILICA In the village of Söğütlü, 5–6 km south of Ilıca in Erzurum, there is a lake with fish. It is said that during the conquest of Anatolia, Turkish akıncı (raiders) here were shot in the back while drinking water during battle, fell as martyrs, and were turned into fish by God. One day a man from the village brought home fish he had caught in the lake and told his wife to fry them. He told her, but these fish were not fish; though they looked like fish, each was a martyred raider turned into a fish by God. The woman put the fish in the pan, and as they began to fry, the browning fish vanished from the pan. The man and his wife were astonished at what they saw, rushed outside in fear and went down to the lake. The fish they had tried to fry were swimming in the lake with browned backs. From that day these fish were considered sacred, and no one fishes in this lake. Each of the fish in the lake looks burnt in places. This is said to come from the browning in the pan. THE LEGEND OF KÜLHANCI BABA The owner of a bathhouse poured out his troubles to Külhancı Baba, a young man who worked as an attendant in his bathhouse. "Where am I going to find a stoker now? I'm in a fix," he complained. Külhancı Baba loved his master very much. "Don't worry at all. Go and rest. For forty days this bathhouse is my responsibility. But promise me you won't worry about it. Don't even look back as you go. Come back after forty days. But don't you dare get confused and come before forty days; if you don't keep your word, all my effort will be wasted," he told the owner. The owner thought: "This crazy boy is up to something, but let's hope for the best. Let's do as he says and see." He went and shut himself up at home. But every evening he came to the bathhouse and collected the takings from Külhancı Baba. He kept his word and never went near the furnace. Days followed days. In the past, strings of donkeys and mules carried firewood to the bathhouse every day; now the owner noticed that no one brought wood to the bathhouse any more. "Well, what does this crazy boy heat the furnace with? Since he took over, not one woodcutter has come by, nor have I seen a single donkey-load of wood. What does this boy heat the furnace with?" he kept wondering. The owner's curiosity grew a little every day. The days reached 39. Saying "thirty-nine or forty, it's all the same, I can't bear it any longer, I'm going to look," he went straight to the furnace. And what did he see? A single candle burning under the water tank. The whole great bathhouse was being heated by this candle. Just then Külhancı Baba came in: "You waited 39 days; couldn't you wait one more? If you had waited one more day, I would have heated the bathhouse from the unseen," he said. That is, if the owner had waited one more day, hot water would have gushed from underground and the bathhouse would have run on it. Because of the owner's haste and curiosity, Külhancı Baba's miracle was broken. The owner was very sorry, but it was too late. If he had not come and seen that the bathhouse was heated by a candle, God would have sent him hot water by His power. THE LEGEND OF LAKE TORTUM The people tell a lovely legend about Lake Tortum in Tortum, Erzurum, as follows. A shepherd from the village of Hars (Uludağ) in Uzundere, near Tortum, was grazing his flock when a voice from the unseen reached his ears… "I'm comiiing…" The shepherd was startled and looked left and right, but saw no one. He thought he was imagining things. He waited until evening and went back to his village. The next day, in the same place, the shepherd heard the same voice once more. Again there was no one. When the same thing happened on the third day, the shepherd decided to tell the village elders and spoke to them. One of them, an old villager who had seen much, said to the shepherd: "My son, if you hear the same voice again tomorrow, say 'Come on then, let's see what you'll do!' and see what happens…" On the fourth day the shepherd did as the old villager said. As soon as he heard the voice he began to shout: "Come on then, come on then, let's see what you'll do…" The moment the shepherd said these words, half of the mountain on whose slopes he was grazing his flock broke away and blocked the Tortum stream flowing below. So a lake formed on one side, and on the other the water spilling over the rocks formed Tortum Waterfall. Source: http://www.erzurum.gov.tr
Eskişehir
MEERSCHAUM (LÜLETAŞI) In this section, prepared to introduce meerschaum, one of Eskişehir's most important symbols, you can find a great deal of information about it. ODUNPAZARI HOUSES Eskişehir's Odunpazarı quarter is built on the hills in the south of the city. Preserving examples of Ottoman civil architecture, the quarter has survived to the present as a whole, with its winding roads, dead-end streets and terraced houses with carved wooden decoration and bay windows, keeping its customs, practices and traditions. Odunpazarı has religious and social buildings, public buildings and commercial buildings. The Kurşunlu Mosque and Complex was built as a külliye by Çoban Mustafa Paşa in 1525. The Akoğlan Mosque, the Müftü Mosque, the Tiryakizade Hasan Paşa Mosque, the Sivrioğlu Mosque and the Tomb of Şeyh Şehabettin are the most important religious buildings. Foremost among the public buildings are Atatürk High School, the Museum of Republican History (the former military recruitment office) and Mal Hatun Primary School, which have the style and structural features of the First National Architecture Movement. The Odunpazarı quarter has been registered and protected as the “Odunpazarı Historic and Urban Protected Area”. The Odunpazarı houses are generally of two types. In the first, the entrance is from the street and the garden is at the back. The second type has the garden in front with the house inside it, built on 1, 2 or 3 floors. The houses generally consist of a sofa (central hall) with rooms around it. In multi-storey houses the ground floor is given over to services such as the kitchen and storage, and life goes on upstairs. The corner room on the front façade, with windows on two sides, is larger and more important. The rooms usually have built-in divans in front of the windows. At least one wall is made up of cupboards that show the finest woodwork. The walls also have shelves and niches for everyday items. The sofa, linking the floors, is also the largest space in the house. There is a space called the selamlık for receiving guests. With their harem and selamlık sections, the houses resemble a double house. The houses show great skill and taste in their wide eaves, doors, windows, brackets, ceilings, cupboards and other woodwork, and the finest examples of painted decoration and carving can be seen in them. Wood, mud brick and rubble stone were used as building materials. The roofs are generally covered with pantiles. POTTERY In the village of Sorkun, 12 km from Mihalıççık, everyone works in pottery. Because they use methods from centuries ago, they are the subject of research from all over the world. Source: http://www.eskisehirliyiz.biz
Gaziantep
Handicrafts Gaziantep has a wide range of handicrafts. In the past the most common were leatherwork, copperwork, making yemeni (flat leather shoes), kilim weaving, embroidery and jewellery. Embroidery, copperwork and kilim weaving are still important, and Gaziantep's kilims with their own motifs and its copperware are very famous. Kilim patterns unique to Gaziantep include the baklava patterns, Habbap Ayağı, Kuş Kanadı (bird's wing), Zincir Göbek, Dirsek Göbek, Pençe Göbek, Çarkıfelek, Parmak Göbek and Atom Göbek. Women in almost every home also make other crafts such as Antep işi (Antep openwork embroidery), lace and knitting. Gaziantep cuisine Gaziantep has a very rich cuisine with some 512 dishes in all, more than any other city in Türkiye. Its kitchen has grown richer over the years by blending many traditions, and it is especially famous for kebabs and meat dishes. Alaca soup, altı ezmeli kebap, Arab köfte, baklava, beyti, börk aşı, çağla aşı, cağırtlak kebap, doğrama, ekşili taraklı kebap, erik tavası, firik pilavı, kavurma, kuşbaşı kebap, küşneme, lahmacun, aubergine kebab, garlic kebab, simit kebab, şiveydiz, yuvarlama and loquat kebab are just a few of the dishes and desserts unique to Gaziantep. The Antep dialect Like many provinces in the southeast, Gaziantep has its own dialect, known as “Antep ağzı” or “Antepçe” and heard especially among older people and in rural areas. Its most distinctive features are the dropping of the letters “r” and “y”, changes to “h” and “k”, and the loss of the “-iyor” suffix and some personal endings. Similarities with Uyghur are easy to notice. Folk songs and dances Gaziantep has many folk songs of its own, which fall into five groups: songs of heroism, love, migration and dance, and laments. Karayılan, Şirinnar, Allı Yemeni, Ezo Gelin, Bahçalarda Mor Meni, Evlerinde Bir İpekten Halı Var, Bahçalarda Zerdali, Emmoğlu and Deriko are just a few. Gaziantep is also very rich in folk dances, which fall into three groups: slow halays, lively halays and staged dances.
Giresun
The most special place in Giresun's culture is Giresun Island, about 1.6 km off the coast. Known as the only island in the Eastern Black Sea, it has wall remains and towers thought to date from the Pontic period, and a monastery. The island is said to have been a stop on the Argo's voyage in the Argonaut legend. The International Aksu Festival is held every year on 20 May. The best-known tradition at the festival is passing through the trivet of the Hamza Taşı (Hamza Stone), followed by a tour of the island. For the townspeople, the Aksu tradition is like welcoming the spring. In the city centre you can see buildings such as Giresun Castle, the Giresun Museum and the Kapu Mosque. The Kümbet yayla and the Hazelnut and Man Monument are also among the city's familiar symbols.
Gümüşhane
Gümüşhane's nature is also part of its culture. Mount Zigana and the Zigana Pass rise like a natural wall between Gümüşhane and Trabzon. The Karaca Cave in Torul is known for its stalactites and stalagmites, and the Taşköprü yayla in Kürtün is a stop for those who want to see Black Sea yayla culture up close. In its cuisine, Gümüşhane bears the marks of Black Sea cooking. It is known for dishes such as siron, fasulye diblesi (a bean dish) and fındıklı un helvası (flour halva with hazelnuts).
Hakkari
Cultural heritage Hakkâri has a rich cultural tourism potential in every respect, with a great many values relating to customs and traditions, religion, language, ways of life and art, some belonging to the past and some still alive today. Each of these draws visitors to the region. Hakkâri is richly varied in its cultural heritage. Some of the region's distinctive social values and material remains have been put on display or found ways to express themselves, while others have not yet had the chance to be shown at all. Among the most important of the latter, without doubt, are the finds uncovered by archaeological excavations. It is said that Hakkâri's rural areas contain many archaeological sites, even though they have not yet been registered. Rock paintings have been found at two separate sites in Hakkâri: on the Tirişin Plateau near the city centre and in the Gevarok Valley in Yüksekova. Just as important as the rock paintings, and perhaps more so, are the Hakkâri stelae. Found on the north-western slopes of Çölemerik Castle in the city centre, in today's Dağgöl neighbourhood, the Hakkâri Stelae are a group of 13 standing stones. Kept in the Meydan Madrasa in Hakkâri from 1998 to 2000, they were moved to the Van Museum in 2001 and put on display there. The stones known as stelae are rectangular but irregular in shape. Their most striking feature is that their front faces are filled, in relief and incised line, with figures of people, animals and weapons. On 11 of the stones a naked male figure with the traits of a warrior dominates the composition, and on two others human figures do. The stelae are dated, though not with certainty, to the middle of the 2000s BC. Who made them remains a mystery. Food and drink tourism (gastronomy) Especially in recent years, gastronomy has found a place in the development and shaping of international tourism and has even become, to a limited extent, a primary reason to travel. Gastronomy (food and drink) tourism, which acts as both a supporting and a complementary attraction, shows that around 25% of total tourist spending goes on food. Known for the variety of its distinctive dishes, the cuisine of the Hakkâri region reaches across an area too wide to be confined to the province's borders. It is very difficult, even impossible, to draw clear lines between the cuisines and food cultures of Hakkâri and Van to the north, Şırnak to the west, north-western Iran to the east and northern Iraq to the south. Among people who share a similar geography and socio-cultural make-up across this wide area, trying to pick out only what is unique to Hakkâri from their naturally similar eating habits and food cultures is both difficult and unnecessary. Hakkâri cuisine is one of those in which geography, and the natural environment that comes with it, the natural determinants of food habits and cuisine almost everywhere, clearly dominate. So much so that the two basic ingredients of Hakkâri dishes are meat, because the land is above all suited to livestock, and wild herbs, a gift to the people of Hakkâri from the mountains and high pastures. In Hakkâri there is a tradition of the sağdıç breakfast on the Sunday morning of a wedding. The sağdıç (the groom's best man) invites neighbours, in-laws and relatives to breakfast, either the evening before or early that morning. By the time the guests begin to arrive, the groom, who has spent the night at the sağdıç's house, has long been woken, bathed, shaved and dressed in his wedding clothes; he greets the company and everyone sits down to breakfast. Tandır bread, herb cheeses and cacık-style dishes made with pancar (wild greens) gathered in the mountains in spring, and specialities based on flour and butter are served. Local handicrafts Every motif in Hakkâri kilims lives on through stories told among the people, born of a cultural heritage that has flowed down through the centuries. Hakkâri has cultural and folkloric features, coming from the depths of history, that it both shares with neighbouring communities and holds quite apart from them: customs, traditions, ways of life and more. The rich folkloric and ethnographic features still seen today show that the region has a deep-rooted historical and cultural heritage. Handicrafts, which can become one of the main attractions of a tourist destination, play an important role as a way of remembering the places visited. The place and importance of handicrafts in Hakkâri is beyond dispute. Kilims, saddlebags (heybe), parzun, reşik, bags, socks, shawls, yazma beadwork and oya and cross-stitch embroidery are made in many homes in the province. Hakkâri kilims in particular are recognised nationally and are a favourite with visitors. Traditional houses and goat-hair tents Hakkâri is a region of high mountains and valleys in the south-eastern corner of Anatolia that has stayed on the edge of great civilisations (such as the Sasanians, Byzantines, Abbasids, Seljuks and Ottomans) throughout history. This did not change in the Middle Ages: difficult geography made travel and settlement hard, and nomadism, together with the livestock farming that goes with it, gave the culture its local character. Throughout the Middle Ages, Islam and Christianity were the two main elements shaping the cultural fabric of this mountainous land between Anatolia, Iran and Iraq. Traditional houses and rural dwellings are another of the region's important cultural attractions for tourism. Hakkâri's mansions and palaces matter both for presenting local culture and for showing visitors how the houses of Hakkâri and their outbuildings have developed from the past to today. Local people's ways of behaving are among the subjects that interest tourists most, and this is exactly why these historic places attract so much interest. The province's main historic mansions and palaces are the Dervişoğlu Mansion, the Pirozbeyoğlu Mansion and the Enver Parlak House in central Çukurca, and the Kayme Palace and Kelat Palace in Bağlar (Nehri), Şemdinli. A look at these houses shows that their layout, their construction and their form are all products of necessity, of the experience people gained and of communal life. Still, in shaping Hakkâri's traditional architecture, way of life, economic activity and, of course, geographic factors such as topography, climate and building materials have played an important part. Goat-hair tents (kıl çadır), an essential part of highland pasture culture, are a cultural heritage handed down from history and have many qualities. Still used by nomadic and semi-settled herders, they are among the indispensable shelters of the summer pastures. They are woven from goat hair. They are also put up to recreate folklore and to give atmosphere to places where historical events took place and to many other venues. As the herders' most important shelter in the open, goat-hair tents have several notable qualities. In winter the weave tightens, so rain and snowmelt do not get through. In summer it loosens back to normal, letting in a dim light and keeping the inside cool through constant air circulation. One of their most important qualities is that their texture keeps creatures such as snakes, scorpions and spiders from crawling over them. Because these creatures cannot move across a goat-hair tent, people who stay in them say they are never bitten or stung by snakes, scorpions or spiders. Known for being easy to pitch anywhere and for not catching fire unless constantly exposed to flame, goat-hair tents are also easy to fold and carry. Highland pasture festivals Highland festivals, held in the past to mark the migration to the summer pastures and to bring herders together, have in recent years become a popular event for people looking for an alternative holiday. Festivals held in many parts of Türkiye to develop highland tourism are also supported by public institutions as a way of diversifying tourism. Festivals, one of the fastest-growing socio-economic phenomena of the 20th century, tell of cultural life, traditions, the human character and the hard struggle with nature. They strengthen togetherness, bonding and fellowship. These ceremonial gatherings, held once a year, add a very particular value to tourism. The festivals held in Hakkâri show the natural side of our cultural and artistic life, our highland traditions and warm human relationships at their best. Besides the beauty of nature, those who come to the region for the festivals leave with memories of cultural value. The festivals are something like a meeting place for the people of the region. Nomads living on the summer pastures also hold festivals in the lamb-shearing season. After the lambs are washed and shorn, people dance the halay to drum and zurna. Women take part in the fistan dresses particular to the region, and men in the outfit called şal û şapik. Local sporting games such as kelanê and şekanê, along with other competitions, are also held on the pastures, after which tables are laid for the guests. Clothing, weddings and music In our fast-developing and changing world, new tourism trends have appeared and people have begun looking for new things. Among them, a type of tourist has come to the fore who wants to learn more about the ways of life and traditions of other countries and other peoples. One of these new interests is local dress. Tourists have a different kind of experience by seeing and observing new local clothing and sometimes by wearing or buying it. Like many regions of Anatolia, Hakkâri has its own clothing culture handed down from the past. Although the garments resemble those worn in other provinces of Eastern and South-eastern Anatolia in some respects, they have distinctive features in their fabrics and designs. With these features, women's and men's clothing in Hakkâri is broadly as follows. Women's clothing: kiras, fistan and a belt. Men's clothing falls into two groups: everyday clothes called şel-şepik, and clothes worn mostly on special occasions. Weddings in Hakkâri usually last three days and three nights. A wedding mostly begins after the afternoon prayer on Friday and goes on until Sunday night. The families holding the wedding invite all their relatives, friends and fellow villagers. Weddings in Hakkâri are very crowded. Invited relatives come with every member of the family (men, women and children). Of the guests who are not relatives and might be considered partly outsiders, only the men attend. The bride's guests gather at the bride's house and the groom's guests at the groom's house. From mid-morning on Saturday until late the following night, wedding guests celebrate with great enthusiasm to folk songs and stran. But a wedding is not only about entertainment. Alongside the festivities many other customs are carried out. On arrival at the sağdıç's house, a meal is eaten, much like a pre-dawn sahur meal. After the meal the groom is brought into the middle. Everyone present gathers around him in rings. Dengbêjs (bards) sing to each other in turn, giving the night a colour and flavour of its own. Henna is applied first to the groom's little finger and then to his toes. While the groom's hand is being bound, some money is placed in his palm. In the morning, when the groom unties his hand, whoever catches the money that falls keeps it. Traditionally, apart from the drum, the zurna and the pîk or kaval (shepherd's flute), few instruments are used at Hakkâri weddings; the halay is danced to stran, folk songs sung in alternation. In recent years, however, the bağlama and similar instruments have become much more common at weddings. Although this seems to have pushed the stran sung during the halay somewhat into the background, these songs are still indispensable for the people of Hakkâri. Stran are sung and danced in dozens of Hakkâri halays with different figures. The dances go by names such as iki ayak (two-step), üç ayak (three-step) and şeyhanî. Some are known by the name of the stran being sung. Source: http://www.hakkarikulturturizm.gov.tr/TR,159139/kulturel-degerler.html
Hatay
As in many branches of folklore, the music of the dances is very rich. It is not possible in this section of the research to examine all the music of the area. The traditional instruments of the area are the davul (bass drum), zurna (shawm) and argın. Today, however, many of our folk instruments accompany folk dance groups. Below is information on the argın, along with the notation of some of the area's folk dance tunes and drum strokes. HANDICRAFTS Art and works of art have been valued in very different ways from age to age and society to society, yet they have existed throughout human history. Glassmaking The Antakya–Syria–Palestine area is one of the places in the world where glass was first made. Many glass works and ornaments were produced in the Phoenician, Cilician and Roman periods. In and around Antakya, the art of blowing green glass, typical of this area, became highly developed, with production by melting down and recycling old glass. There are many glass masters in Antakya, and some have joined together to open workshops and businesses. Silk and weaving We see that silkworm rearing, once practised in almost every home in most villages around Samandağ and Harbiye, is now dying out. As silk production from silkworm cocoons in Hatay passes into history, some families who carry it on as their fathers' trade are trying to keep it alive and introduce it to Türkiye. Silk fabric is very strong and durable. It is used in the coating of the nose of supersonic Concorde aircraft and in bulletproof vests. Silk, used until recently only in the clothing industry, has thus also entered the arms industry. It lasts 20 years. In Hatay, weaving is done on wooden looms, with the warp threads stretched by tying wooden sticks and pebbles to their ends. Sheets, bedspreads and mosquito nets are usually woven on these looms. Straw weaving Weaving thread is one thing, but weaving straw is something else entirely… especially with wheat and rye stalks. The straw products most popular with domestic and foreign tourists are bags, plates, cirem, panels, half-plates and boats. The best-known name keeping this tradition alive in Hatay is Niyazi KÖLEOĞLU. Sculpture Şıh Ali and his children, who keep the art of sculpture alive in Hatay, usually make statues of gods and goddesses in black stone. These stone carvers, travelling over bridges not between generations but between civilisations, bring stones to life by carving only what they see and imagine, without any training, and still carry on their art through their own efforts. Coin making One of those carrying the coins of Harbiye, whose rich history has hosted many civilisations, into the present is İbrahim (Mehmetoğlu) Sünel. Harbiye's history drew the artist to this work. (Daphne) Harbiye has hosted a very rich culture. He produces tourist souvenirs modelled on the coins of Greece, Rome, the Ottomans and all the known civilisations that lived in Anatolia. Bronze, silver and gold are used to make the coins. Seeing his painstaking handwork take shape as a finished piece gives the artist joy. Defne sabunu (laurel soap) Soap is a product, generally used for cleaning, obtained when the fatty acids of plant and animal fats react with alkalis. Laurel oil (Oleum Lauri), obtained from the fruit (Fructus Lauri) and leaves of the laurel tree, is used in soap making and medicine. Because the fruit is part of the composition of Fiorivente alcoholate, laurel oil is used as a stomach remedy, a sudorific and a diuretic, and also in treating rheumatic and skin diseases; in recent years the oil and leaves have been exported abroad. According to recent research in the Hatay region, the annual laurel oil reserve under normal climate conditions is between 150 and 250 tonnes. There is no industrial plant that extracts laurel oil. Villagers extract the oil by simple methods, boiling it for 8–12 hours. Soap is produced with these oils and additives. Woodcarving: Carving is the art of producing a design drawn on wood by cutting away the unwanted parts with special cutting tools. It is a thousand-year-old tradition. The best-known master keeping the woodcarving tradition alive in Hatay is Ali ALTUN. Pyrography: Pyrography, also known as “dağlama resim”, is an art done as a shading technique, especially on materials such as wooden boards, by burning and working them with hot metal pens (soldering irons with various tips). The best-known masters of pyrography in Hatay are Naim and Zeynep GÜLBOL. FOLK SONGS AND FOLK INSTRUMENTS The traditional instruments of the area are the davul (bass drum), zurna (shawm) and argın. Today, however, many of our folk instruments accompany folk dance groups. Zanbır (argın): a part of our cultural heritage on the verge of disappearing. The last known player of the zanbır in Hatay is Selim ASLANYÜREK. The zanbır is an instrument made of bone. Ney: The ney, made from a knotted reed called kargı and with roots going back to the Sumerians, is a wind instrument. Apart from the banks of the Nile, the region where the best-quality reeds in the world grow is the banks of the Asi (Orontes) River in Hatay's Samandağ district. Well-known ney makers and players in Hatay are İzzet ÖZKAN and Cemil KAHİLOĞULLARI. LOCAL COSTUMES Clothing has been important for as long as humankind has existed. In the early 20th century, hand embroidery and silk weaving influenced clothing. Later, as technology developed, machine embroidery and cotton fabrics took their place. Silk is still woven and used today in Samandağ and Harbiye. Women's clothing 1 Headwear Fes, tarbuş, kefiye, tülbent (yazma, yağlık, scarf, yaşmak) 2 Underclothes Dress (entari, fistan), şalvar (baggy trousers) 3 Outerwear Waistcoat, sako, cepken (short jacket) 4 Footwear Socks, yemeni (soft leather shoes) 5 Worn at the waist Sash, belt 6 Jewellery Gold penez (coins), silver necklace, bracelet, beşibirlik (five-in-one gold coin) 7 Accessories Peacock feather (tezzak, tezat), hair tie (kaytan) 8 Adornments Kohl, henna Men's clothing 1 Headwear Arakçık (skullcap), arakçık band (poşi), kefiye 2 Underclothes Shirt, waistcoat 3 Outerwear Aba (cloak: kimlik aba, gold-embroidered aba, Aleppo or matt), şalvar (baggy trousers) 4 Footwear Socks, yemeni, edik (soft boots) 5 Worn at the waist Sash (poşi) 6 Jewellery 7 Accessories 8 Adornments
Iğdır
Iğdır, one of our rare provinces that has kept its unique character to this day with its cultural heritage, history, rich traditions and warm-hearted people, also remains, because of its geography, a symbolic province of the country's history. Iğdır Province, known as the Çukurova (fertile lowland) of Eastern Anatolia, is suited to organic farming in today's world not only for its history but also for its fertile soils and unique nature, and with its rich tourism potential it will no doubt play an important role in the growth and diversification of Turkish tourism. On one side is the Aras River, which rises in the Bingöl mountains, gives life to our province and then crosses our borders to flow into the Caspian Sea; on the other is Mount Ağrı, Türkiye's highest mountain, which aims to become an important centre of the country's tourism with both its mythological identity and its natural beauty, and which was declared a National Park by a decision of the Council of Ministers in 2004. Iğdır, a favourite centre for yayla (highland pasture) tourism, birdwatching, plant study and sports such as grass skiing, paragliding, mountain biking and horse riding, also hosts the visual feast of the salt caves in our Tuzluca district and the galleries formed by countless salt rocks. Our province, with 6,000 years of history, is rich in culture and tourism and has many historic monuments. There are a total of 65 registered cultural assets: 27 in the central district, 4 in Karakoyunlu, 7 in Aralık and 27 in Tuzluca. These cultural assets are mostly castles, cemeteries, houses, churches, caravanserais, monuments and old settlements. The province has 4 protected sites: the Korhan yayla, the old settlement of Karakoyunlu, the old settlement of Asma köy and the Kültepe mound. Source: http://www.igdir.gov.tr/kultur-ve-turizm
Isparta
ROSE GROWING AND ROSE-OIL PRODUCTION IN ISPARTA Rose growing in Isparta has a history of no more than 150 years. It was brought to Isparta by İsmail Efendi, son of Mehmet İzzet of the Meydanbeyoğlu family, who came from the Yalvaç district and settled in Isparta. İsmail Efendi planted roses over dozens of dönüms, began extracting rose oil and rose water after the harvest and, after selling these products, taught the work to those around him. “He sold the pure, unadulterated ‘rose oil’ and ‘rose waters’ he had managed to produce for their true worth, and took his money in hand. First of all, as every upright, honest, decent person does, he paid his debts. He had a new house built and furnished it according to the customs and manners of the day. He still had plenty of money left. He did not squander it either: he used it to expand his thirty-dönüm rose garden to 50, 75, 100 dönüms, to make his rose growing bigger and wider still.” “İsmail Efendi the rose grower helped those who wanted to plant roses. He showed them how to open furrows. He stood over them as they planted the saplings… Within a few years roses had been planted everywhere, and the city of Isparta found itself among rose gardens. From then on Isparta was known for its roses and remembered as a city of rose growers.” Rose oil, first produced by Müftüzade İsmail Efendi in simple, primitive stills called imbik, spread over many years and went on being made by this method. In Isparta and its surroundings, which have risen to become the most important centre of oil-rose production not only in Türkiye but in the world, the switch to industrial rose oil came with the opening of the first rose-oil factory on 30 September 1935. Following Atatürk’s instructions during his visit to Isparta, the Ministry of Economy (İktisat Vekâleti) set up a modern rose-oil factory in 1935, and village-style rose-oil production began to give way largely to industrial production. With the İslamköy Rose Oil Factory that Gülbirlik set up in 1958 and its other rose-oil plants set up in 1976, Turkish rose growing and rose-oil production changed shape. The province has 15 rose-oil factories in all, 5 of them large, belonging to Gülbirlik and private companies. There are 18 firms in Isparta set up to process the roses grown here. CARPET WEAVING IN ISPARTA The main centres of Isparta carpet weaving are Burdur (Bucak), Konya (Beyşehir, Karaman, Akşehir, Karapınar), Afyon (Dinar, Sandıklı, Dazkırı, Başmakçı) and Denizli (Acıpayam, Tavas). Isparta carpet patterns have names such as Serpme Güllü (scattered roses), Dönümlü, Köşe Göbek (corner and medallion), Naklemeli, Başgöbek and Düz (plain). There are also names such as Gülistan, Kompozisyon, Osmanlı (Ottoman), Goblen (tapestry), Çin (Chinese) and Üzümlü (grapes). Under the Isparta Regional Directorate of Carpet Weaving, Isparta, Sümerkars, Türkmen, Ladik, Milas, Bergama and other carpets are produced; fine Isparta, Isparta and Türkmen carpets in Sandıklı; Kula, S. Kars, Milas carpets and kilims in Kula; Ladik carpets in Konya; Isparta, Milas and Türkmen carpets and kilims in Denizli; Bünyan carpets in Kayseri; Yağcıbedir and Çanakkale Yuntdağı carpets in Çanakkale; silk and Hereke carpets in Giresun; silk and Hereke carpets in Karabük; silk carpets in Hereke; Hereke carpets in Niksar; and silk and Hereke carpets in Yozgat. THE ISPARTA APPLE Isparta, which grows 20% of the apples produced in Türkiye, aims to build a national brand with its registered apple. Production of the local apple, sold on the market as the “Isparta apple”, reaches 600,000 tonnes a year. The Isparta apple is tastier than apples grown in other provinces because it is fed by lake water and stored in Türkiye’s best cold stores. Source: http://www.edebiyatvesanatakademisi.com/Forum/Detay/il-il-turkiye/isparta-ili-tarihi-ve-kulturel-degerleri-dogal-guzellikleri-33906.aspx
Istanbul
Istanbul's cultural life draws on the legacy of the communities that have lived together here for centuries. Mosques, churches and synagogues stand side by side in the same neighbourhoods. Topkapı Palace, the museums, art galleries and the stages of Beyoğlu keep the city lively all year. The waterside mansions (yalı) along the Bosphorus and the streets of the old neighbourhoods are the everyday face of this culture.
İzmir
Folk music of İzmir İzmir, at the westernmost edge of Anatolia, has been shaped by the zeybek culture that also covers its neighbours Aydın, Balıkesir and Manisa. As is well known, the zeybek tradition emerged from the 16th century, and especially in the 18th and 19th centuries, when the Ottoman Empire was in administrative, political, economic and social decline. From the early 19th century the zeybeks shaped the social and cultural life of the Aegean Region and laid the foundations of its music, folk dances and dress. Most zeybek dances are solo and improvised. The melodies are in nine beats. Among the people they are classified by tempo as ağır (slow), ağırca (moderately slow) and kıvrak (lively) zeybeks, played at tempos between allegretto and adagio. The range of İzmir zeybek melodies is more than an octave, and the melodies move by adjacent steps in a descending line. They are in nine beats (9/8, 9/16, 9/4), and the group of three can come at the beginning, at the end or third (3+2+2+2, 2+2+2+3 and 2+2+3+2). Zeybek melodies mostly resolve on the rast, dügah and segah pitches. Zeybek dances are played on the davul and a pair of zurnas (or clarinet) in the open air, and on the bağlama indoors. The region also uses the kabak kemane (gourd fiddle), üçtelli (three-stringed lute), dilsiz kaval (end-blown flute), çığırtma (bone pipe) and sipsi (reed pipe). İzmir has a multicultural character. This is borne out by the survival in the region, alongside zeybek melodies, of dance tunes such as semah, bengi, mengi and güvende, as well as laments (ağıt) and songs of exile (gurbet havası). Some of the melodies found in and around İzmir are: Abacılar İnişi Saatimin Gümüşü, Ak Çeşmenin Taşları, Bergama Zeybeği, Bir Ateş Ver Sigaramı Yakayım, Cezayir, Gerizler Başında Hoplayamadım, Harmandalı Zeybeği, İzmir’in Kavakları, Kordon Zeybeği, Koca Arap Zeybeği, Kozak Zeybeği, Köroğlu, Sepetçioğlu Zeybeği, Şu İzmir’den Çekirdeksiz Nar Gelir and others. Zeybek folk dances When people speak of the Aegean Region, the efe and the zeybek come to mind first. They are known as brave, bold, daring people who stand up to injustice. The region’s folk dances are also generally called zeybek. The influence of zeybek dances is seen in the provinces west of the line through Antalya, Burdur, Isparta, Afyon, Eskişehir and Sakarya. By rhythm, zeybek melodies fall into two groups, “ağır” (slow, in 9/4 and 9/2) and “yürük” (fast, lively). They are also classified as “women’s zeybek”, “town zeybek” and “country zeybek”. Of the zeybeks danced in many parts of the Aegean, the slowest and most imposing are found in İzmir, together with Aydın, Muğla and Manisa. The dance figures vary with the dancer’s feelings and skill, so in solo zeybeks those dancing the same dance differ in their walking, kneeling and turning. The hops, knee strikes and walks in the dance symbolise the zeybek’s self-confidence, honesty, courage and challenge to the world around him. Zeybek dances are danced to davul and zurna (or clarinet) outdoors, and to the bağlama indoors. A pair of zurnas usually accompanies the dances: one plays the melody while the other holds a drone on the tonic. At the start of the dance there is an introduction played freely in the mode of the melody to come. In this section, called “gezinleme”, the dancers slowly circle the ground. When the melody begins, they start the dance with a shout. Women’s zeybeks have no gezinleme section and are faster than the men’s. In zeybek dances the arms are raised as the right foot steps forward. The arms swing on the triple beat that creates the limping rhythm, then are raised and held above the head. At the end of the dance the left arm is lowered. The body is always upright and the gaze stern. Zeybek costumes vary in colours, embroidery, decoration, jewellery and other accessories according to the area where the dance is performed. The dances are named after the place where the melody was composed (such as Çandarlı Zeybeği), after a person famous in the area (İnce Mehmet Zeybeği) or, in zeybeks with words, after the first line of the song. The best-known zeybek dances of the area are: Arpazlı, Bengi, Bergama Zeybeği, Çakıcı Efe, Çandarlı Zeybeği, Harmandalı, Karaburun Zeybeği, İkiparmak Zeybeği, İnce Mehmet Zeybeği, Koca Solak, Koyundere Zeybeği, Kozak Zeybeği, Kör Bayram, Minarede Ezan Var, Nacakoğlu Zeybeği, Ödemiş Zeybeği, Ötme Bülbül Zeybeği, Sepetçioğlu, Soğukkuyu Zeybeği, Somalı Zeybeği, Süslü Jandarma, Tire Zeybeği, Yağcılar Zeybeği, Yalabık Zeybeği and Zahide Molla Zeybeği. Beledi weaving Beledi weaving is one of our oldest cotton weaves, with roots going back to the 16th century. Historical records mention this kind of weaving in Tire and Bursa. According to the 1908 Aydın Province Yearbook (Salname), there were 60 hand looms in Tire. Beledi cloth woven in Tire for curtains, upholstery, mattresses and quilts met the region’s needs, and some was exported. Over the years the number of looms fell. Today only Saim Bayrı and Ethem Tıpırdık keep this craft alive. Beledi cloth is woven on looms with 24 frames controlled by 16 or 13 pedals. The result is a double-layered, very durable weave. Ground colours are green, red or dark blue as wanted, and motif colours are white and yellow. Patterns have names such as bademli (almond), kelebek (butterfly), hebib döşeği, evsat, altıparmak, düzbastı and sepet (basket). The cloth is generally 60 cm wide. There are two kinds, “orta” and “ala”. Very little silk is used in orta weaves, which are preferred for upholstery and for quilt and mattress covers. Ala weaves contain silk and are used for curtains. Felt making Felt, with its long and deep-rooted history, has come down to the present through centuries of tradition passed from the Huns to the Göktürks and from the Seljuks to the Ottomans. Although Tire, Bergama and Ödemiş are counted among İzmir’s important felt centres, traditional pressed-felt workshops are dwindling every day as livestock farming declines and manufactured products multiply. The workshops still operating in İzmir today make traditional products such as saddle felt, floor felt and kepenek shepherd’s cloaks, as well as items for tourists such as shoe linings, slippers, waistcoats, saddlebags, bags, shawls, cushions and jewellery. Today one workshop in the Seferihisar district carries on the craft, combining traditional methods with modern designs. Pottery Excavations show that pottery began to develop as nomadic peoples settled down. The first pots made in Anatolia go back to the Neolithic, around 7000 BC. Early pots were shaped by hand using the coiling method and usually fired in an open fire. With the invention of the potter’s wheel around 3000 BC, shaping on the wheel began, and at the same time primitive kilns came into use for firing clay. Archaeological finds from excavations show that İzmir and its surroundings (Bayraklı, Urla, Foça, the island of Samos) were an important ceramics centre. One reason pottery developed here is that the soil is rich in potter’s clay, the raw material for making pots. Another is the need for containers to store wine, from viticulture, and olive oil, from olive growing. Today pottery is well developed in the Menemen district. Clay soil from the area that is suitable for pottery is made into slip in special pools, filtered and cleaned, dried to the right consistency and then shaped by hand on the wheel. Fired in special kilns, the pots are glazed to stop water seeping through. The clay used in Menemen allows glazed and unglazed pieces to be fired together. Here, on seventh-generation wheels, electric motors have now replaced human power. Menemen has 8 large workshops, and unlike in many areas, young people are also learning the craft. Alongside everyday items such as storage jars, flowerpots, cups, small jugs and jugs, they also make souvenirs for tourists. Oya lace and embroidery Oya, one of our traditional crafts, can be defined as a needle-lace technique using various threads and tools such as the needle, crochet hook, shuttle and hairpin. Over time sequins, beads and fabric were added. In İzmir’s city and district centres, crochet oya, needle oya, shuttle oya and bead oya are mostly made. Crochet oya is found in almost every part of İzmir on the edges of headscarves and towels made for everyday use or for a trousseau. Shuttle oya is mostly made on the edges of mevlit (religious gathering) and prayer covers. Needle oya has a special place in İzmir: although it is made in almost every district, the finest examples are found in the Ödemiş and Tire districts. Embroidery, which has always held an important place in our society, is shaped by the social, cultural and economic conditions of the communities in which it develops. Historically, İzmir shows a broad cultural spectrum, and this diversity is reflected in its embroidery. Embroidery in İzmir is generally found on clothing such as waistbands, kerchiefs, handkerchiefs, three-skirted robes (üçetek), şalvar trousers and cepken jackets, and on household textiles such as bed linen, towels, and mirror or console covers. Embroidery, usually made for a trousseau, is widespread throughout İzmir, but the finest examples are found in central İzmir and in the Karaburun, Urla, Ödemiş and Tire districts. Source: http://www.izmirkulturturizm.gov.tr
Kahramanmaraş
Customs and traditions particular to Kahramanmaraş Charms against the evil eye Since ancient times people have believed that evil eyes can touch good things and harm them, and have looked for ways to protect themselves. The Turks chose the blue bead as the best protection. In the Turkic languages this word has been pronounced in forms such as boncuk, moncuk, moyucak and monşak. The reason the protective bead among Turks is a blue bead, and the special importance given to it, must be that blue-eyed Turks are rare and that there is a belief that blue eyes carry ill will. The old Turks hung talismans on their horses' necks and also put beads on the tops of their banners as protective talismans. Over time it became customary to use a great variety of objects as charms. Belief in the evil eye is still widespread today in the centre and villages of Kahramanmaraş. It is believed that the evil eye strikes the beautiful, the generous, those with outstanding talent and skill, those who know their work well, and those who are physically strong. Many people fear the evil eye of certain people, especially the blue-eyed. There are all sorts of stories about this. People say there are some whose evil eye is strong enough to stop a running horse and make it burst. The illness or death of people whose work is going well, of sturdy and beautiful children and of fine animals is often put down to the evil eye. This belief is so broad that the evil eye can even strike cars, oxen, cows, vineyards, gardens and crops. Various charms are used to ward off the evil eye. Foremost among them is the blue bead. Some of the other charms are: oleaster stones, eye beads, alum, snake bone, small tortoise shells, a small penknife, scissors, a piece of blackthorn branch cut in the shape of an amulet, animal horns, the skulls of animals such as oxen, horses and roe deer, horseshoes and so on. Those small enough to carry are hung on children's shoulders and cradles. Things such as animal skulls, horns and horseshoes are hung in suitable, visible places on shops, houses and the like that people fear may be struck by the evil eye. "Maşallah" is also written on cars and on the fronts of impressive buildings. A piece of alum hanging with a blue bead is often seen in taxis and near the driver in lorries. For children and adults believed to have been struck by the evil eye, the following is done to break it: 1. A hoca (religious teacher) is asked to recite prayers over them. 2. Wild rue is thrown on the fire and the smoke is made to pass over the person struck. 3. Coals are counted. Wedding customs How sad... time has unfortunately made us forget many old and lovely traditions. But there are still a great many customs and practices that have not been forgotten. One of them is the "wedding customs" of Kahramanmaraş. Weddings, one of society's events, are found in various forms in various countries of the world. Some of them are very strange, while others are wonderful rites, feasts, dances and ceremonies. In Kahramanmaraş, where most of the people belong to the middle class, we can still see today, in every neighbourhood, in every house and in every season, the wedding customs that have continued for centuries. These lovely wedding customs, very original and pleasant for outsiders, necessary for the families holding the wedding and fun for the children, and so the efforts made to found a happy home, can be summed up as viewing the girl, şerbet, engagement, henna, bringing the bride, the wedding, the marriage ceremony, the wedding night and the kissing of hands. Görücü (viewing the girl) In Kahramanmaraş most marriages take place through görücü (matchmaking visitors). When their son reaches marrying age, families begin viewing girls. If the family is slow to get on with it, the son expresses his wish through certain actions. For example, if he has come back from military service, he puts his identity card and discharge papers where his family can see them. He soaks his clothes in water and hangs them up without washing them. Let us tell a well-known joke here: A mother and father whose son has reached marrying age decide, because they are short of money, to sell the donkey and the old ox in the house and marry their son off. The young man, listening to the conversation through a crack in the door, begins to wait impatiently. But when days pass and he sees no move from his family, the impatient young man says one day in the middle of a conversation, "Why aren't you talking about donkeys and oxen any more?" Mondays and Thursdays are considered lucky days for viewing a girl. The görücü, the boy's grandmother, aunt and other close relatives, go to the girl's house on a Monday or Thursday. The house's marriageable daughter brings the coffee to the görücü, and after serving the coffee she waits in a suitable place by the door of the room, holding the coffee tray at chest height. If the görücü like the girl, they tell the mother and father, "We've found our match." The father also makes enquiries about the girl. On a Monday or Thursday the görücü go to the girl's house again. The girl's mother says, "Welcome, what wind has blown you here?" The eldest of the görücü says, "We're glad to be here." The boy's mother says, "Ask why we've come." When the girl's mother asks, they say, "By God's command and the Prophet's word, we have come to ask for your daughter for our son." The girl's mother says, "If God has written it, what right have we to say anything?" As the görücü leave, the girl's family asks for three days for a definite answer. The görücü say, "All right, but in three days we won't leave without the girl." After this the girl's family makes its own enquiries about the boy. Three days later the mother-in-law comes with a few people, says "Rast gele" and they go in. After the pleasantries, if they are not going to give the girl, they put them off by saying, "Our daughter is still young." If they are going to give her, they play hard to get for a few weeks, since the girl's house is the house of coyness. A string of pearls, 20–25 thin bangles, 10–11 pairs of twisted bangles and a necklace are asked for, and the travel money and the girl's ağırlık (the goods given to the bride) are settled. If the boy's family is rich, they give what the girl's family asks for and a şerbet day is set. Those who cannot meet the girl's family's demands have to withdraw. The wedding bath, bringing the bride, the henna and the religious marriage Şerbet The şerbet day is a Monday or a Thursday. Relatives and in-laws are invited to the şerbet by women hired by both families. The guests are offered the fruit, sweets and snacks sent by the boy's family. The sugar sent by the boy's family is made into şerbet (a sweet drink). While the şerbet is being handed round, the mother-in-law puts a ring on the girl. The hocas recite prayers. Ağırlık On an agreed day, the relatives of the girl and the boy give the girl's house the goods agreed beforehand. The wedding bath The girl's family, again with their relatives, go to the hamam hired by the boy's family. The girl's family undresses the bride. After she has bathed, a sevaî (a local kind of embroidered, open-fronted, collarless garment) is put on her over her underclothes. Her hair is braided and decorated with gold mahmudiye coins, and then her head is wrapped. The woman who wraps her head must be skilful, someone from whose hand water is drunk, whose yeast takes when she starts it, and who can ferment pekmez. Otherwise it is believed the bride will have no children. After this two veils are tied on the bride, green in front and red behind, and she is put in socks and yellow edik (boot-like shoes). The bridesmaids, with red ribbons on their arms, are at the bride's sides; the bath attendant goes in front, and behind come the girls of the bride's family who are of marriageable age. Henna On Wednesday afternoon the boy's family goes to the girl's house, and after the bride has kissed her mother-in-law's hand, the mother-in-law puts henna in the bride's palm. The wooden spoon used here goes to the boy's house. After everyone has gone, the bride throws the henna in her palm against the wall of the house. This act signifies that the bride has left the house as spotless as that henna. Bringing the bride Until 25 years ago the bride was brought on horseback. Today she is taken by car. The car tradition is also important. The more cars there are, the more honourable the wedding is considered. If someone from the crowd stretches a rope in front of the bride's car, the father-in-law, sitting next to the driver, throws out handfuls of coins. At the door of the boy's house the bride kisses her father-in-law's hand, and the mother-in-law breaks an empty bottle at the bride's feet and throws money to the children. After climbing the stairs, the bride passes under her mother-in-law's arm. The mother-in-law gives the bride a pomegranate, and the bride smashes it against the wall. She breaks the spoon used to mix the henna in the middle of the bridal chamber and throws it on the floor. The bride On Thursday morning henna is put on the bride's hands and feet. Her hair is combed nicely and she is dressed. The day is spent with wedding songs and dances. The men sing gazels and dance the halay. The biggest task falls to the abdal drummers and the municipal band. The more people dance, the greater the wedding's fame. That day everyone is honoured and served the "velime meal" (wedding feast); the velime meal is very often lahmacun, potato stew, rice pilaf and compote. Çörek is also specially served. The religious marriage It mostly takes place in the afternoon. Present are the proxies of the girl and the boy, the witnesses, the imam, and the fathers of the boy and the girl. The girl's proxy is taken on by a man whom she would be forbidden to marry. In taking on the proxy, this man asks the bride three times in front of the witnesses, "Do you accept me as your proxy?" If the girl says "Yes" or stays silent, he says, "Silence is consent," and takes on the proxy. The imam performs the marriage. Kissing hands The groom, the bride and close relatives go to the girl's house on a day that falls on a Sunday to kiss hands. The groom kisses the hands of his father-in-law and mother-in-law. The foundation of a happiness that will last until death is laid on this day. They got their wish, and we'll go up to the divan.. (a traditional closing formula: "they achieved their desire, let us climb onto their couch") Seğmen, the sin-sin dance, the ring game, soğan kapması Sağmen (Seymen) at village weddings in Kahramanmaraş At village weddings in Kahramanmaraş, the group from the surrounding villages invited by the groom's family is called the sağmen (seymen). Those invited from the village where the wedding takes place cannot be sağmen. The people who make up the sağmen are summoned by the groom's family sending an okuntu. Sending an okuntu means inviting to the wedding. For this, a few apples, some sugar, a square of printed cloth, a towel, a handkerchief, socks and the like are sent to those invited. These are called okuntu, and those who take the okuntu are called okuyucu. The okuyucu says to those he gives the okuntu to, "So-and-so sends you his greetings and asks you to come to the wedding next week." The okuyucu are usually chosen from people with a sweet tongue, suited to this job. Most village weddings start on a Monday or Tuesday. The sağmen procession arrives on the day the wedding begins. The sağmen bring gifts such as goats, sheep, cows and oxen with them. These are given to the wedding house. When the sağmen approach the village where the wedding is, they fire guns. This announces that the sağmen are coming. The villagers, hearing of the sağmen's arrival, go out with the drum to meet them. After meeting them at a certain place, they return together to the wedding house. The villagers share out this group in threes and fives. This is to spare the wedding host a difficult situation. The wedding host has the livestock brought to him slaughtered and serves the sağmen a meal. The sin-sin dance After the sağmen have eaten their evening meal, the halays begin. The most interesting of the dances performed at night is the sin-sin dance. For this a fire is lit in a suitable place in the village. This fire is called the alanbaş. The davul and zurna keep playing the sin-sin tune. The dancers, one by one, circle the fire non-stop with hand and foot movements. The person dancing by the fire leaves the space when someone from the group comes out. If he isn't quick to leave, the person entering the dance makes him leave by punching him on the back. On Thursday, between morning and noon, the bride is put on a horse and taken in a bridal procession with the male attendants of both sides beside her. The sağmen also take part in this ceremony of taking the bride. After evening, with the night prayer, she is given to the bridal chamber, and so the wedding ends. After the bride has arrived, there is wrestling. Well-known wrestlers from neighbouring villages are invited to these bouts along with the sağmen. The winning wrestlers are given prizes according to their ranking. By the next morning the wedding is over. The sağmen and the other guests go home. The ring game One of the games played since long ago in many villages of Kahramanmaraş is the ring game. This game has taken different forms in different places. The game we describe here covers what nearly all of them have in common. It is played at weddings and on winter nights. On the nights of a wedding, after the young people have danced the halay to the davul and zurna, they light a big fire and move on to the sin-sin dance around it. When this dance is over, they gather in a house and split into two groups to play the ring game. A bread board, a pan as the ring's place, and eleven cups are brought out (in some areas this game is also played with coffee cups and walnut shells). Each side has a leader. Before the game starts, the leaders toss a stone. The side that wins hides the ring, and the other side starts searching. If the ring is under the first cup lifted, the plate passes to the searching side. If it turns up under the second cup, it is a dimyet, and the side that hid the ring wins ten camels (points). The hiding goes on. Again the other side starts searching. If they lift the first and second cups and the ring isn't found, it is a dimyet. If the ring turns up under one of the later cups, the cups not lifted count as camels. If two cups are left at the end, the searching side lifts one of them saying "Ours". If the ring turns up under that cup, the searching side hides it next. If not, the other side wins two camels. The game goes on like this; whichever side reaches thirty camels makes the other side do the "thirty". The side that hasn't reached thirty camels kneels down, and someone from the other side acts as hoca. Another person stands with a stick in his hand. The kneeling players, together with the person at their head, lie down and get up again, saying the words below. Otuz of Beller büken otuz of Evler yıkan otuz of Kırk yaşında emekleten otuz of Çocukları yetim koyan otuz of Kara Meryem'e hizmetçi yapan otuz of. (Thirty alases; thirty alases that bend backs, that pull down houses, that make you crawl at forty, that leave children orphans, that make you a servant to Black Meryem.) When this is over, the plate is handed with an oath to the side that did the thirty. The oath goes like this: "By the enteşe, by the menteşe, by the black she-donkey in the cornel bush, by the one who lies down on Friday, have you taken on and accepted my burden (vebal)?" If they say "I have," the plate is handed over; if not, it isn't. The game continues. Whichever side reaches fifty camels recites the partala (harsh words in verse meant to anger and upset the other side). The person reciting the partala has a stick in his hand. He stands between the two sides, turns to the side he is going to recite it at and says the following: Haydin şunlara varalım, Halın hatırın soralım, Oy zalim nenni nenni, Ufacık terlerin silelim, Oy zalim nenni nenni, Demen (Değmeyin) beylere beylere, Zalimin göçü, Ark üstünden hatlatırım (Atlatırım), Oy zalim nenni nenni, Çayır çimen toplatırım, Demen beylere beylere, Alar (Ağalar) ho....., Sen bir misafir adamısn, Oy zalim nenni nenni, Çayır çimen toplatırım, Demen beylere beylere, Alar ho....., Dağdan vururlar hezeni, Gelir uzanı uzanı, Aptal Meyrem'in yol kazanı, Oy zalim nenni nenni, Demen beylere beylere, Alar ho....., Bizim soba taplı olur, Oy zalim nenni nenni, Get kendini üşütte gel, Demen beylere beylere, Alar ho....., Hocalar gelir firezden, Oy zalim nenni nenni, Seni götürürler birezden, Oy zalim nenni nenni, Demen beylere beylere, Alar ho....., Bizden olsana, Yüzük bulsana, Çalıp alsana, Yüzük bilmen neden oynan, Oy zalim nenni nenni, Merkep gibi otlatırım, Demen beylere beylere, Alar ho....., Sana biner hotlatırım, Oy zalim nenni nenni, Demen beylere beylere, Alar ho....., Adana'dan aldım kutu, Oy zalim nenni nenni, Merkep gimi otlatırım, İçi dolu sıçan otu, Demen beylere beylere, Alar ho....., Yük üstüne pala koydum, Bir ucunu dala koydum, Kaynanana ........ Yüzük bilmen neden oynan. (Come, let's go over to them and ask how they are, oh cruel one, lullaby; let's wipe their little drops of sweat. Don't touch the beys, the beys. I'll make the cruel one's household jump over the ditch and gather grass and meadow. Aghas, ho! You're only a guest here. They shoot the stag on the mountain and it comes stretching out; it's foolish Meryem's travel pot. Our stove is hot; go and cool off and come back. The hocas come and carry you off from here. Be on our side, find the ring, steal it and take it; why do you play if you don't know the ring? I'll graze you like a donkey, ride you and drive you on. I bought a box in Adana, full of rat poison. I put a sword on the load and one end on the branch… your mother-in-law… why do you play if you don't know the ring?) After the partala is over, the plate is handed on oath to the side whose partala was played: "Have you taken and accepted the burden (vebal) of the enteşe, the menteşe, the black donkey in the cornel tree, the one who sleeps on Friday, and mine?" If the answer is "I have," the plate is handed over; otherwise it is not, and the game continues. The side that reaches a count of one hundred and two "camels" has "ut" (won). The losing side kneels in a row, and first their sweat is wiped off with their own hats. After this various games are played. These games are: Soğan Kapması, Kül Yüzmesi, Duvar Örmesi, Daldala, Merkebe Ters Bindirme, Şildirşip Namazı, Bostanda Ayı Var, Bağa Tilki Girmiş, Mangır Satma, Üzümcü Köy Ağası, Kel Hüseyin'in Değirmeni and Okuma. Soğan Kapması (Onion Snatching) An onion is hung from the ceiling on a string. The players on the losing side have their hands tied behind their backs and must catch it with their mouths while the onion swings. Whoever on the losing side snatches the onion either escapes punishment or has it reduced in the other games. Those with the most faults receive heavy penalties. Next comes the game "Kül Yüzmesi" (ash swimming). Water is put in a basin, ash is thrown in and stirred, and a ring is dropped into the water. The players on the losing side search for the ring one by one by dipping their mouths into the water. Whoever finds the ring and brings it out with their mouth passes the test and escapes punishment; whoever fails loses the test and is punished. Those who lose are told "Count from the right." They are counted from the right and whoever is left over is identified. The winner is rewarded by having them hand out water. Then comes the wall building. The "master builder" comes and examines the "stones" one by one. "For all of them I need a sledgehammer, a crowbar and two labourers," he says. He picks a sledgehammer and a crowbar from among the losers, and also chooses two tall labourers from among them. The losers are made to kneel, and the labourers stack them on top of each other, bringing them to measure, and "build" them one by one. When the games are over, the losers are seated backwards on donkeys and escorted to their homes with drum and zurna. Birth Beliefs in Kahramanmaraş Province, Death Customs in Kahramanmaraş, On the Deathbed Birth Beliefs in Kahramanmaraş Province In the provincial centre, districts and villages, the practices carried out for newborn babies have long shown many particular features. The most widespread of them can be summarised as follows. When a child is born, the umbilical cord is cut with scissors five fingers' width or one "süngüç" (the distance between the thumb and the index finger) above the navel. It is believed that if it is cut a little higher the child will have a beautiful voice. If the child is a boy, the cut cord is buried in the stable so that "he may be a stockman, a man of property, a farmer." If it is a girl, it is thrown into water so that "she may wash the laundry, be hard-working and be clean." When the midwife cuts the cord, if the child is a girl, she usually gives her the name of the Prophet or of one of the people considered lucky as her "navel name". The new mother is given no water for up to three days. First a mixture of butter and grape molasses is gently boiled and given to her to drink. It is also not considered right to give her yoghurt or milk during these three days. When the child is born, the midwife salts it. This is done so that its mouth and body do not smell and so that the child will be healthy and hardy. The washing is done 5–10 minutes after birth. It is customary to hold the baby by the feet and swing it upside down while washing it, saying "May its neck and arms be long." It is then swaddled and placed in the cradle. Once three days have passed, earth is laid under the child. Laying earth continues until the child begins to walk; it is believed that a child who lies on earth will grow up sturdy. It is not considered right to breastfeed the child before three calls to prayer have been heard. The child's real name must be given by an elderly person reciting the call to prayer into the child's ear. No water is placed in the child's room until it has completed its first forty days; if it is, it is believed the child will be drowned in the water by devils. Women and children who have not completed their forty days are not brought near other women and children who have not completed theirs; if they are, "kırk basma" is feared, and it is widely believed that a child struck by kırk basma will fall ill and die. If two neighbouring women in their forty days absolutely must visit each other, they give each other a sewing needle and kiss. A woman whose children do not survive is not allowed near a newborn; if she does come, great care is taken, because it is feared she will shake herself over the other child. If this happens, it is believed the child will die or be left disabled. The woman who shakes herself thinks the misfortune in her own child will pass to the other child, and the other side thinks the same. This shaking is called "Tıbıkası Geçti". Nothing is given from the house to the neighbours until the child's umbilical stump has fallen off. A child in its forty days is never left alone at home; either the Holy Qur'an or a broom is placed at its head. Forty days after the birth, the mother's and child's forty days are "taken out". For this, three bowls of water must be poured through a strainer with at least forty holes or through a bath mitt. These three bowls of water are poured over the mother's and the child's heads. Before pouring, the woman who does it strikes the water in the bowl forty times with her hand, saying "Kırk, kırk, kırk, ..." (forty, forty, forty). Where there is a bathhouse, the woman who has given birth is made to sweat to drive out her illnesses. Besides this, an egg mixed with various spices is rubbed on her body. In some places forty-day rites are also performed on the seventh and twentieth days after the birth. Death Customs in Kahramanmaraş: On the Deathbed: a) Helâlleşme (mutual forgiveness): When a sick person is on their deathbed, their relatives "wait at their head", that is, they await their death. Relatives, kin, friends, companions, acquaintances and colleagues of the dying person come to visit in order to exchange forgiveness. Conversations usually run along these lines: - Sometimes the sick one lives and the one waiting at their head dies... May God not part us from our faith; we are all in a mortal world, all travellers on that road... and after such consolations, - "Forgive me what you are owed, and let it be forgiven on our side too": in this way forgiveness is exchanged. b) Vasiyyet (the will): The person closest to the dying person asks whether they have a will. Prudent Muslims in fact prepare their written wills beforehand, and such people answer by saying where the will is kept. Under Islam, both those who leave a written will and those who make an oral one may bequeath at most one third of their property. Wills made with this in mind are carried out exactly by the heirs. The person making the will declares what they are owed and what they owe, and also states the sum they wish to be spent on charity. While doing so they say: - "O Lord, do not let me appear before You indebted to Your servant and guilty in Your presence," and they repeat this from time to time for as long as the illness lasts. c) Haleti Nezi (the last breath): As the sick person passes to the hereafter, some of the relatives gathered to "wait at their head", in order to instil the spiritual peace of Islam and let them breathe the air of the hereafter, recite the sura YÂSİN from the Holy Qur'an, while others recite the "Shahada" in a voice the sick person can hear and help the sick person say the Shahada with their last breath. (When the sick person closes their eyes, the recitation of the Qur'an stops until the washing, "gasl".) The death is announced by the muezzins from the neighbourhood mosque and many minarets (by giving the "sela". As the sela, Yunus Emre's hymn "Yalan Dünya" (False World) or the following verse is chanted in the prescribed manner: "Lailahe İllallah Vahdehu Laşerikeleh. Lehülmülkü ve lehülhamdü yuhyi ve yümit. Biyedihil hayr ve hüve alâ külli şey'in kadir. Ve İleyhilmasir, İnna Lillah ve İnna İleyhi Raciûn". After it is repeated three times, the identity of the deceased is announced and "May God have mercy on them" is said.) An example of a funeral sela; Umulmaz bir vefâ senden Yalan dünya değil misin Erişmez hiçbiri gamden Viran dünya değil misin Niçin gafil yaşarız biz Bu dünya fâni bir dünya Hiçbir şeye güvenmeyiz Akıbeti ölüm zira. (No faithfulness can be expected of you; are you not a false world? None of them escapes sorrow; are you not a ruined world? Why do we live heedless? This world is a passing world. We can trust in nothing, for its end is death.) After this the body is placed in the coffin. The person in charge, or an elder, addresses everyone: - "Grant your forgiveness," and the coffin is carried out of the house head first. At this moment the women's cries and wailing reach their height. The body is generally brought to the nearest mosque, and in Kahramanmaraş very often to the Ulu Cami. The funeral prayer is performed, and after it someone from the congregation asks aloud: - "How did you know them?" The congregation answers together: - "We knew them as good; may God have mercy on them." People met on the way, as a last duty, carry the coffin on their shoulders for at least 7 to 10 steps. Each bearer says one of the following: - May God have mercy on them. - May their place be Paradise. - May our Prophet intercede for them. - May their questioning be easy. - May God gather us in Paradise. - May the place they lie be full of light. - May their first night be easy. - May their faith be perfect, and so on. In this way the body is carried to the grave. d) At the cemetery: On entering the cemetery, the coffin is set on the ground beside the prepared grave. The congregation may not sit before this. The gravedigger does his work, and relatives lower the body into the grave. Prayers are recited over three handfuls of earth, which are scattered into the grave. The three handfuls are accompanied by prayers expressing, first, that man was created from earth; second, that he is returned to the earth; and third, the resurrection after death. The grave is then covered with earth and the religious ceremony begins. While the hoca in charge prays, the congregation says "Amen". At the end of the prayer the Fatiha is recited and the congregation leaves the cemetery, while the hoca performs the religious "telkin" (instruction to the deceased). This telkin is given using the name of the deceased's mother. As the congregation leaves, the cover laid over the coffin, by custom most often a carpet, is given to the neighbourhood mosque to be spread on its floor. In hot weather, liquorice-sherbet sellers and lemonade sellers called to the cemetery hand out plenty of sherbet and lemonade to the congregation for the soul of the deceased (sebil). After the ceremonies at the cemetery, people go to the house of the deceased to offer condolences. Condolences continue for three days. During these three days, the relatives, friends and neighbours of the deceased send various dishes to the house, so the grieving family is spared the burden of cooking. Because more is sent than needed, the food is also offered to visitors and to the poor. In the house of the deceased, passages of the Qur'an (Aşr-ı Şerif) are recited for the soul of the deceased and tevhit is performed. From time to time Mevlid recitations are held to remember the deceased with good. The practices described above are applied within the province with minor differences. LITERATURE Examples of Folk Poets from Kahramanmaraş and Their Poems Kahramanmaraş is a city where folk poetry and the âşık tradition live on strongly and vividly. "In Maraş, out of three doors, two produce a poet." Karacaoğlan Most researchers agree that Karacaoğlan, the greatest poet of Turkish folk literature, lived in the 17th century. As well as the period in which he lived, various views have been put forward about where he was born. Yet in many of his poems Karacaoğlan says that he is from Maraş: "Maraş illerine giden kervancı Selam söyle bizim ile, obaya" "Vatanımız Adana, Maraş Çukurova ilimiz vardır." "Turna niyetiniz Maraş mı ola?" "Ahır dağından görün Maraş bağını Engizek'te derler ilin çoğunu Bayra'dan, Bertiz'den Konur Dağını Göksun güzel derler, ilin var dağlar." ("Caravaneer bound for the lands of Maraş, give our greetings to our land and our camp." "Our homeland is Adana and Maraş; we have our land, Çukurova." "Cranes, is it Maraş you are heading for?" "See the vineyards of Maraş from Ahır Dağı; they say most of the land is at Engizek; from Bayra and Bertiz, Konur Dağı; they call Göksun beautiful, you have your mountains, land.") Derdiçok Derdiçok, whose real name was Lütfü, was born in Elbistan in 1874. In Derdiçok's poems the people of the region found their own taste and affection in their natural Turkish. The Karacaoğlan vein in him can be found in the rhythm of his love poems. SEMAİ "Aman güzel yavaş yürü Yollar incinir incinir Güzelim diye nazlanma Eller incinir incinir" ("Oh beauty, walk slowly; the roads will be hurt, will be hurt. Don't play coy because you are beautiful; people will be hurt, will be hurt.") Abdurrahim KARAKOÇ He was born in 1932 in the Ekinözü district of Elbistan. Abdurrahim KARAKOÇ is one of the leading and most accomplished poets of present-day folk poetry. "Sarı saçlarına deli gönlümü Bağlamışlar çözülmüyor Mihriban Ayrılıktan zor belleme ölümü Görmeyince sezilmiyor Mihriban" ("They have bound my mad heart to your golden hair, and it will not come loose, Mihriban. Do not think death harder than separation; it cannot be sensed without seeing, Mihriban.") Hayati VASFİ He was born in 1931 in Tanır, a sub-district of Afşin in Maraş. With his rich powers of expression he wrote the lyrics of many songs. Taner ŞENER, Güzide TARANOĞLU, Zekai TUNCA, Tekin KOÇUK, Tufan ŞENTÜRK and many more composers and folk poets than we can name have set his poems to music. "Yemeniye (kelik), yoğurda (katık) Bulgur pilaına (aş) derler bizde Genç horoza (celfin), pilice (ferik) Kümese yollarken (kişş) derler bizde." ("For the yemeni headscarf we say kelik, for yoghurt katık; for bulgur pilaf we say aş; for a young rooster celfin, for a pullet ferik; and when we send them to the coop we say kişş.") Aşık MAHSUNİ He was born in 1939 in Berçenek village in the Afşin district of Kahramanmaraş. Mahzuni, who also influenced some poets of his time, is a powerful master of satire and taşlama. He took science as his guide and regarded respect for people as the starting point of every thought. "Bayramlar iki küsküne Sevgi hoştur canlısına, büstüne Güzel çağda düşüncenin üstüne Silah ile varmak çağre değildir." ("Holidays belong to two who were at odds; love is sweet to the living and to the bust alike; in a fine age, going at thought with a weapon is no remedy.") Hilmi ŞAHBALLI He was born in 1953 in Sarılar village in the Türkoğlu district. Şahballı is a versatile artist. He acted in a film and recorded 63 records and 26 cassettes. He was awarded the title of "State Artist". "Hilmi Şahballı'yım ne deyim size Sözüm hatıradır milletimize Bana ziya vermez süslü avize Köyün gazlı lüküsünü özledim." ("I am Hilmi Şahballı, what shall I tell you; my words are a keepsake for our nation. A fancy chandelier gives me no light; I miss the village's kerosene lamp.") Folk songs Merik – Maraş Maraş Derlerde Bu Nasıl Maraş – Güzel ne Güzel Olmuşsun – Kara Çadır Düzdedir Eminem – Bilalımsın Bilalım – Çamdan Sakız Akıyor – Hem Okudum Hemde Yazdım – Gökte Uçan Huma Kuşu – Garbiyalı – Fadimem Körrüye Vardım – Havada Kar Sesi var. Source: http://www.kahramanmarasdefterdarligi.gov.tr/ilimiz/edebiyat.html
Karabük
Safranbolu is at the heart of Karabük's cultural life. With its Ottoman-era mansions, mosques, hamams and the Cinci Hanı (inn), Safranbolu was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1994. Its timber and mud-brick mansions are counted among the best-preserved examples of Turkish domestic architecture. Traditional crafts live on in the market: leatherwork and handmade yemeni slippers in the Yemeniciler Arasta, and wrought-iron work in the blacksmiths' market. Safranbolu hosts the International Golden Saffron Documentary Film Festival every year; the festival grew out of the path opened by “Safranbolu'da Zaman” (Time in Safranbolu), a documentary that promoted the town. Karabük's city centre, meanwhile, took shape as a workers' town that grew with people from other provinces who came to work at the steelworks, whose foundations were laid in 1937.
Karaman
CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS The groom's shave and the groom's bath Old houses had large courtyards and gardens. On Tuesday or Wednesday afternoon, the groom's shave was held either in the courtyard of the groom's house or in the courtyard of a close relative or neighbour. Chairs and wooden benches were set out in the courtyard, and haircloth rugs were spread in suitable places. The rooms, halls and roofs of the house where the groom's shave was held, and even the roofs of neighbouring houses from which the courtyard could be seen, filled with women and children. The musicians took their places and slowly tuned up. The barber arrived, the instruments, cura, saz, kanun, oud and darbuka, began to play, and those with good voices began to sing lively, sprightly folk songs. First the groom's friends were shaved, and meanwhile rakı was offered to the musicians and to some suitable guests. The dancing women from the young men's evening parties had also been brought to this gathering, and they too danced in front of the crowd to the rhythm of the saz, showing off their skills. The most rousing songs and dances were saved for while the groom was being shaved. When the groom's shave was half done, the barber, as was the custom, said that his razor was not cutting, meaning that he wanted a hefty sum of money. Through go-betweens, the host of the wedding and the barber came to terms and the barber carried on shaving. When the groom's shave was over, the invited guests, family and neighbours did not disperse but gathered round the dinner tables laid in the same house or a neighbour's, ate the food prepared, drank their coffee, and after resting a while, at the end of the evening, began preparing to go to the groom's bath. One of the bathhouses in the town was hired specially for the day. When the bath was ready, the party set off for the bathhouse in procession, the musicians playing their instruments and singing their songs. In the bath procession, already merry since the daytime, 8–10 people would form a ring and walk along in this ring while singing. The groom's best man or a few close friends brought rakı, cheese, roasted chickpeas, pickles and other mezes suitable for drinking to the bathhouse in saddlebags. All night long the instruments played, songs were sung, drinks were drunk, and the groom was given his bath. After the time of the dawn prayer, the party left the bathhouse and returned to the house of the night before amid great commotion, singing koşmas and folk songs, playing tunes and firing pistols, and breakfast was eaten there. Games played among young people On long winter nights, young people held parties on certain days of the week. These parties were held in the homes of members of the group and were called "sıra". All the games played at these parties were based on beatings and trickery. HOCA (the teacher): The players are a hoca and three pupils. The hoca is dressed in a kavuk (turban cap), and a bowl of water is placed in the middle of the kavuk. The hoca speaks first: "I come from Damascus; my aim is to teach three pupils." Then three people who don't know the game are chosen as pupils. The hoca begins to teach them: "Ayak bütün, baş bütün hocanındır" ("The whole foot, the whole head is the hoca's"), and all the pupils repeat it. Meanwhile the hoca asks the pupils' leave: "My wife has fallen ill, so I can't stay long; I want to give each of you a keepsake so that you won't forget me," he says, and gives the first pupil his prayer beads and the second his walking stick; then, turning to the third pupil: "My child, I have nothing left to give you. You take this kavuk of mine as a keepsake," he says, and takes off his kavuk, pouring the bowl of water over the pupil who doesn't know the game. KÜLAH OYUNU (the paper-hat game): Everyone who is going to play makes a paper cone and puts it on their head. Paraffin and a mixture are spread on a tray. The players lean over the tray in their paper hats, and meanwhile someone else lights the mixture on the tray with a match. Whoever's hat catches fire must run away at once; those who don't are beaten by the spectators. YAĞCI (the butter seller): Someone who knows the game is chosen as the butter seller, and someone who doesn't as the butter skin. The butter seller enters the room, stick in hand and bent over, comes to the muhtar's council and asks permission to sell butter. Permission is given, and the seller leaves the room to fetch his butter. After a while he comes back with the young man playing the butter skin tied tightly to his back with ropes. The mouth of the butter skin is bound tightly with a cloth. The muhtar's council checks the butter and the sale begins. First the muhtar is invited to buy the butter. The muhtar sticks the needle in his hand into the butter skin; then, in turn, everyone sticks their needles into it. Because the butter skin is tied up tightly, he can't move or cry out. BERBER (the barber): Someone who knows the game says "I am a barber" and asks the village muhtar for work. The muhtar gives him permission. Then he asks for planks to make a table, and the muhtar gives him two people who don't know the game as planks. The barber ties the arms and legs of the two young men taut and piles various things on them. The barber takes his tools out of a bag: a stick, a spoon, a bucket, coal dust, mud, a brush and the like. The barber sits on the people playing the table, smears mud on one's face with the spoon and coal dust on the other's with the brush, then shaves them with a cleaver; when the shave is over, he spits in their faces. That is the barber's cologne. YILDIZ SEYRETME (stargazing): Played on starry nights. Someone who doesn't know the game is chosen, and all the players go outside. The novice is made to look at the stars through the sleeve of a jacket. While the player, who doesn't know what's coming, gazes at the stars, a bucket of water poured down the jacket sleeve soaks him all over. KARI KOCA (husband and wife): A novice player is chosen. He and someone who knows the game well get under a quilt, their faces completely covered. Two people chosen from outside will hit these two, and when the hitter is identified, the "it" players change. In fact, it is always the novice who gets beaten. Although the experienced player makes noises as if he were being hit, it is actually he who is beating the novice. YUMURTA OYUNU (the egg game): Someone who doesn't know the game is chosen, and someone else is "it". An egg is hidden inside the novice's hat while "it" waits outside; he is to find the egg, whose hiding place he already knows. "It" comes in and, so as not to arouse suspicion, pretends to really search for the egg, then suddenly strikes the top of the novice's hat hard. So the novice who didn't know the game gets washed in egg. HÖLLÜK OYUNU (the höllük game): Played by more than two people. The players hold flat stones the size of a hand or a little bigger. An egg-sized stone called the "höllük" is stood up in front. The aim is to knock the höllük far away from a set spot, by skilfully throwing the stones in your hand at it. Whoever hits the höllük paces out the distance it has travelled, saying the following rhyme in turn with each step: Nanaç, naldırnaç, gıldırgıç, kırküç, kırkdört, kırkbeş... Kırksekiz, kırkdokuz, elli, belli, sülüman süllü, ardavut, kelenavut, savt, savt bir, savt iki . . . savt on, dalla: whoever says this has won the game. (A counting rhyme of nonsense words mixed with numbers: "…forty-three, forty-four, forty-five… forty-eight, forty-nine, fifty…") YÜKSÜKLÜ (the thimble game): Played by two groups. The group that is "it" lines up 10 walnut shells on the ground and secretly hides a grape under one of them. The other group must find the grape. Once it is found, the hiding passes to the other group. If the grape is found at the very first lift, the number of remaining walnuts is scored against the group that found it. If it is found at the second lift, that counts as a "part", and the remaining walnuts are counted double and scored against the group. What matters in the game is to find the grape at the last lift. BENİM GİBİ OL (be like me): The player who is "it" comes in from outside with one sock off, his jacket turned inside out with one arm in it, and one leg in his trousers, holding a knotted cloth or a cartridge belt, says "Be like me" to those inside and starts hitting them. The beating goes on until the players look like "it". SANATKAR OYUNU (the craftsman game): Usually played in village guest rooms. Everyone in the room takes part. An "it" and an assistant are chosen from among them, and they go outside. Outside, "it" chooses a craft, such as carpenter, blacksmith or tailor, and a tool of that craft. He comes back in with his assistant. The assistant asks everyone: "My son has chosen such-and-such a craft; what does he need?" The aim is to find the tool "it" chose outside. Until the tool is named, in some places "it" is beaten, and in others the players are. Whoever names the tool becomes "it". GAMES PLAYED AT WEDDINGS TAŞKALE-ŞIH OYUNU (the Taşkale sheikh game): Similar to the Arap game, it is played at winter weddings. A group of eight or ten people, acting as they please, try to frighten the spectators with the whips in their hands. The players' costumes are as follows: they come out to play with tall pointed hats on their heads, ash smeared on their faces, white sheets over them and cushions stuffed on their backs and chests. TAŞKALE AYI DÜZME OYUNU (the Taşkale bear game): Without the host of the wedding knowing, one of the spectators dresses up as a bear. The bear is prepared like this: sheepskins and goatskins are wrapped around the player, and little bells and a halter are hung round his neck. Another player becomes the bear-keeper to make the bear dance. At some point the bear-keeper begins to tell where the bear's lineage comes from, and in the end he says its lineage goes back to the host of the wedding. At that, the bear-keeper says to the host, "Here, take him, he turns out to be your relative," and hands over the bear's halter. The host then gives the bear and its keeper a tip or a gift. İBRALA İDAM OYUNU (the İbrala execution game): As the wedding procession passes, a gallows is set up. A player is hung from the gallows by the waist with a hemp rope, and a placard listing his crimes is pinned to his chest. The main crimes are things like saying "kişt" (shoo) to the neighbour's chicken, swearing at the devil and so on. The host of the wedding comes up to the gallows, tells the executioner to pardon the culprit and saves him by paying money. The man who is saved promises to become the slave and captive of the person getting married. KABALI SÜPÜRGELİ ARAP OYUNU (the Arap game with a broom): At weddings, a broom is stuck between the Arap's legs. While the Arap plays with the broom, paraffin is poured on the broom swinging behind him and set alight. Then a stick is pushed into the Arap's sleeve, a stone into his palm, and into the stone straw packed with paraffin and gunpowder. One of the guests sets the straw alight, the gunpowder goes off, and the Arap entertains the people with this and other similar tricks. YEŞİLDERE KIZ KAÇIRMA OYUNU (the Yeşildere bride abduction game): One player becomes the girl. The other players become a mest (soft boot) seller, a simit seller, a pusu (headscarf) seller and so on. These players ask the mother for the girl's hand, and the mother agrees to give her to each of them. Last of all, a drunkard asks for her. The mother refuses, saying "I won't give my daughter to a drunkard." At that, the drunkard grabs the girl, runs off and hides in a house. The people go out to look for them, and whoever finds them gets the tip. KOÇ OYUNU (the ram game): When the sheep or goats in the village give birth for the first time, the young people of the village gather together. They put on unusual clothes and paint their hands and faces. A bell is hung round the neck of one of them. To announce the birth of the first lamb or kid to the people, they go from house to house, collecting all kinds of provisions and money. In the end the things collected are shared out among them. KÜLLÜ KOCA OYUNU (the ashy old man game): A man is dressed in women's clothes and has his head tied in a scarf. His skirt is filled with ash. As this player wanders around in the middle, he adds colour to the game by scattering ash on the people around him, and the game goes on like this. Children's games MENDİL KAPMACA (snatch the handkerchief): Played in two groups. A handkerchief is placed in the middle, and the groups split into two at an equal distance from it. At the signal of the person running the game ("it"), the groups try to be first to snatch the handkerchief and bring it back to their team. If the one who snatches it doesn't get back to their team in time, they are beaten by the other group and become a member of the opposing team. The winning group rides on the backs of the losing group and goes round a set area. AŞŞIK (knucklebones): Played with knucklebones taken from sheep. Large knucklebones are chosen as "enek" (shooters); their middles are hollowed out and lead is poured into the hollow so they are heavy and hit the target well. They are thinned by rubbing on a rough stone and sometimes painted. The players line up their knucklebones side by side. "It" throws his enek across, and the other players throw theirs. Whoever's enek goes furthest has the right to throw first at the lined-up knucklebones. He throws his enek, saying "Döğdük eneğimin aşşığına" ("We've hit the knucklebone with my enek"). If the knucklebones are hit, they must go as far as a distance fixed beforehand. If the enek thrown across stands upright, this is called "Mir Durdu" ("the mir stood"). A player who manages a mir durdu has the right to throw first at the lined-up knucklebones, however far away his enek is. As the game goes on, bigger children grab the lined-up knucklebones and run off with them; this is called "Çörleme". BİLLİ (tip-cat): The billi is a piece of wood 10–15 cm long and about a finger thick. It is played with the help of a straight branch (stick) 60–70 cm long. There are three kinds of billi: 1- Düz Billi (straight billi) 2- Yan Billi (side billi) 3- Gömmeli Billi (burying billi) DÜZ BİLLİ: Played by two people facing each other. A small hole is dug, and the billi is laid over it. Both ends of the billi are sharpened like a pencil. The player puts the tip of his stick into the hole and tries to flick the billi as far as possible. The opposing player picks up the billi where it fell and throws it either into the hole or into the circle drawn around it. If the billi lands far from the hole, the player who threw it strikes its edge, saying this rhyme as he does so: "Ginifi, gindalifi, hazıra hök, çamura çök" (a nonsense rhyme), repeated three times. However far the billi has gone, he measures the distance between the hole and the billi with the length of his stick. Whoever gets the highest score wins. If the opposing player catches the billi in the air, he takes all of the thrower's points. YAN BİLLİ: Played in two groups. The player strikes the billi lying over the hole with his stick. If he misses three times, another player from his group takes his place. The opposing group must pick up the billi where it fell and get it into the hole or the circle drawn around it. The player who is "it" must meet the thrown billi with his stick and hit it as far as possible. The distance between the billi and the hole is measured with the length of the stick. 10, 100, 150… are the key numbers; for example, "Yüzellim sandıkta" ("my hundred and fifty in the chest") means 162. When all the players on one side are out, the other group becomes "it". As in düz billi, if the billi is caught in the air, the groups swap places and all the points the group has scored go back to zero. Sometimes, if the rival player covers the distance between the hole and the billi sent off by the "it" group in three jumps, he wins the game. GÖMMELİ BİLLİ: Each player draws a circle and stands in the middle of it. One person is "it", and a separate circle is drawn for him. The chosen player hits the billi thrown by "it" as far as he can. In the time it takes "it" to fetch the billi from where it fell, the other players dig at "it"'s hole with their billi sticks. If "it" drops the billi into his own circle or into the circle of someone who is late, that person becomes "it". The person whose hole has been dug deepest loses the game. The hole is widened, and the loser is buried in his own hole. ÇANAK - ÇÖMLEK (pots and pans): Played in two groups. The group chosen as "it" stacks pieces of broken pottery, about the size of a palm, collected from the street. The other group tries to hit the stacked pieces with a ball from a set distance. If they miss, "it" changes. The group that knocks down the pieces with the ball at once runs to stack the scattered pieces again without them falling. The "it" group must catch the ball that knocked them down as quickly as possible and hit the players trying to restack the pieces. If the first group manages to restack the pieces without being hit, they win a game. MANEVERA (manoeuvres): A game played especially on summer nights. It takes agility and alertness. To choose the "it" group, someone spits on one face of a stone that is flat on both sides and throws it; whoever gets the dry side wins, and the other side is "it". The "it" group goes out to look for the members of the other group, who are hiding. The hiding group, in a good spot, whistles from time to time to give its position away to the "it" group, then changes position and hides somewhere else. When one member of the hiding group is found, the rest of the group counts as found, and the other group gets the right to hide. In times past, during such a game, a group came all the way to Karaman from their village two hours away to hide, stayed there until morning, and the next day sent word to the village that the "it" group must find them, or else they would break off the game and go back to the village. PANCARIM SÖKME (pulling up my beets): The children who are going to play line up one behind the other and hold each other tightly round the waist. The child who is "it" tries to pull the hands of the last child in the line away from the waist of the one in front, and the game goes on like this down to the last child. Circumcision celebrations in Karaman The mother and father decide to have their son circumcised, and the day is fixed with the elders of the family. Invitations are printed and friends and relatives are invited. The invitation always includes quatrains about the circumcision. Clothes and other things the boy needs for the circumcision are bought. Circumcisions are usually held at midday on Saturdays and Sundays. From 9:00, the boy to be circumcised and his friends dance to the drum and zurna (or clarinet). At around 11:00, the boy and his friends form a convoy of cars and tour the town to the drum and zurna; sometimes the boy is put on a horse or in a phaeton. At around 11:30 a team of 4–5 hocas recites the Holy Qur'an and the Mevlid, and meanwhile the circumciser comes to the house and circumcises the boy. After the ceremony, the boy's relatives and the guests pin gold and money on him and give him various gifts. Finally lunch (usually etli ekmek) is eaten, followed by ayran, soft drinks and tea. The guests slowly begin to leave, and as they go they never fail to say "Mübarek olsun" ("May it be blessed") once more. Ceremonies of the craft guilds In the past, every trade and craft organisation had its own laws and a solidarity in keeping with those laws. These were called the Esnaf ve Sanatkaran Cemiyetleri (guilds of tradesmen and craftsmen). According to Turkish tradition, the person who first invented any craft or kind of work, or who earned a living by practising it (these were either prophets or saints), was known among the people as the pir (patron saint) of that craft. The Menakıpname and genealogy of Ahi Evran Veli list 79 kinds of craft and work and the names of their pirs. Since then, every craft organisation has had a yiğitbaşı as the deputy or representative of its pir. In recent centuries these craftsmen's guilds no longer had any function anywhere, and there was hardly more than a merely symbolic yiğitbaşı. In Karaman, however, although the region's various traditional and folkloric ways of life and ceremonies were carried on in all their splendour until the mid-20th century, the tradesmen's associations and unions set up in recent years have swept away this historic way of life in Karaman too. Let us try to describe the traditional life and ceremonies of the tanners and shoemakers who worked with leather, which were kept alive in full in Karaman until quite recently: The first pir of the tanners who worked with leather is Ahi Evran Veli, from whom the craft's roots are traced: Mahmut Ahi Evran Veli, who is claimed to have been a relative of the Prophet and the son-in-law of Hz. Ali, standard-bearer at the Battle of Badr. The pir of the slipper makers is Ekber Yemani, and the pir of the yemeni (shoe) makers is İman Nehcivani. The tanners, regarded as the mother of these three crafts, had very large organisations in Karaman. In the place called Dabakhane, of which only the name remains today, the tanners had a complex covering a very large quarter, with its masjid, guild rooms, resting places and other outbuildings; in its large workshops every craftsman had his own workplace, where he carried on his craft with his own tools and equipment. Although the leather craftsmen, tanners, slipper makers and yemeni makers, were each bound to their own yiğitbaşı, the representative of their pir, who solved their problems, they had a joint administration bound by a very broad law covering the matters of all three crafts, rooted in Ahi Evran Veli, who sowed the first seed of the Ahi organisation; tanning was recognised as the leading craft, and the tanners' yiğitbaşı was accepted as the leading yiğitbaşı. The tanners' kinds of work are well known. As for the other two shoemaking crafts: the slipper makers sewed and sold the slipper-shaped outdoor shoes for women called şipidik, and mests (soft boots) for women and men. The yemeni makers, whom we call postalcı, sewed and sold yemeni, (kundura) boots, edik, clogs and two kinds of boot called istil. These two trades did their own particular work and did not sew or sell any other kind of footwear. Beside the yiğitbaşı of every craft there was also an odabaşı. The yiğitbaşı had the most authoritative say in the trade. The odabaşı was the yiğitbaşı's deputy, who ran matters of protocol as needed and, when any fellow craftsman behaved against the law and customs, used the executive power to stop such breaches and improprieties under the yiğitbaşı's instructions. What could unlawful behaviour be? For example: one craftsman has lured away another craftsman's apprentice. The master whose apprentice has been lured away reports the matter to the yiğitbaşı. The yiğitbaşı summons the craftsman who lured the apprentice through the odabaşı, investigates with the odabaşı present, and announces his judgement. If it was not really a case of luring an apprentice away, but the previous master had beaten the apprentice too much or dismissed him, or the apprentice had not gone to his master for a long time and was idling about, and the craftsman had taken this idle apprentice on, the craftsman was not considered guilty. If it was found that the master had indeed lured the apprentice away, the yiğitbaşı ordered that craftsman's workplace closed for at least three days and the apprentice returned to his real master. Then the odabaşı went to the craftsman's workplace, took the most valuable tool on his bench, his muşta (hammer), put it somewhere else, and half-closed the shop by lowering its outer shutters. If a wholesaler brought various kinds of processed leather to the town from other cities, the yiğitbaşıs fixed the price of the leather, and each craftsman bought what he needed according to his means, or the kinds of leather were shared out by drawing lots. But if a shrewd craftsman with plenty of money bought up all the goods at once, then on a complaint the yiğitbaşı, taking the odabaşı with him, went straight to this shrewd craftsman's workplace, gave him the necessary reprimand and scolding, had the leather taken out of the store by men he called, distributed it among the tradesmen, collected their money, and gave back the money of the craftsman who had bought improperly. Those accused or punished did not react at all to the yiğitbaşı's penalty. Just as there was no authority of appeal, they lived in remorse for their offence, in the shame of the gossip and of having their offence thrown in their faces before all the tradesmen of the bazaar. By traditional principle, no craftsman could leave his workplace in his work clothes, even to buy bread from the bakery or tobacco from the tobacconist 20–30 metres away. The tale of the man who came from the hereafter Once there was and once there wasn't, a man who had an only son. One day the son fell from a tree onto an adze, split his head open and died. The man was so overcome with grief that he didn't know what to do. One day, to get over his sorrow, he went hunting. His wife leaned against the wall of the house and began to brood. A man was coming from the distance. When he came up to her, the woman said: "Where have you come from, brother?" "From hell," he said. "Oh, wait, wait a moment. Didn't you see my Sülüman? Is he in heaven or in hell?" "Him? He's our friend; we're together in hell." "Is he well? Does he have bread and food?" "No, how could he? He's dying of hunger and thirst." "If I put in a little pastırma, some erişte, a little bread and some money, would you give them to him?" "Of course I will; we're friends in hell anyway." She looks around and fills both sides of a saddlebag with all the money there is and whatever pastırma and erişte she can find in the house, and gives it to the fellow. As the woman's husband was coming back from the hunt, he saw the man leaving the house. "Oh, a man is coming out of my house; my foolish wife must have given him something from the house," he says, and spurs his horse home. "Girl, who was that man coming out of the yard?" "Oh, if only you'd come a little earlier!" "What happened?" "What do you think? A man came from our son Süleyman." "From where, girl?" "He was in hell, he said." "What did you give him?" "I gave him everything there was: pastırma, erişte, money and so on." "God bless you. Put the stirrups on the horse and bring it; let me go after that man." So in short, he goes after the man. When the man with the saddlebag looked behind him and realised he was being followed, he quickly went to a mill nearby and said to the miller: "Uncle miller, uncle miller, are you bald?" "I am." "That rider coming there hits bald men on the head as he passes." "Where shall I hide, then?" "Climb up a branch of the poplar." He got him up the branch of the poplar, put on the miller's bald man's cap, took the adze and began to work the mill. He also hid the saddlebags. The rider arrived: "Peace be upon you, uncle miller. A man with a saddlebag came here a moment ago; where did he go?" "He's up there," he said, "on the branch of the poplar." Cursing, the man headed for the poplar. "Come down from there, come on down," he said. The miller in the poplar began to plead: "So what if I'm bald? God made me bald. For God's sake don't kill me." The man didn't listen and began to climb the poplar. At that, the man behind him said, "You can't climb a poplar like that; take off your boots and tie up your horse over there, then climb." The man tied up the horse and took off his boots. When the man was halfway up the poplar, the fake miller put on the boots, took the saddlebag, got on the horse and galloped off. They were left staring after him. When I came, the man was still in the poplar; he couldn't get himself down. Whether he died or lived, I don't know… Regaip Kandili ceremonies One to ten days before the first Thursday of the month of Recep, there used to be great excitement in the town, especially among the boys. They would try to get hold of instruments of their own, such as small tambourines and kavals. Some would get their fathers to buy them the lanterns called şivlili, made in various models from paper painted in different colours and sold by spice sellers and grocers. Waiting excitedly for evening, the children would rush out into the street with whatever instrument or şivlili lantern they had as soon as they had eaten supper. The children of each quarter formed a group; those with drums, tambourines or kavals played them, and those without sang mani, and with the şivlili lanterns in their hands they roamed the back streets at random amid great commotion and hubbub, and had fun in the neighbourhood square. Meanwhile the groups went off with clubs and sticks to raid and fight the groups of other quarters. The brawling and fighting would begin, each trying to snatch and break the others' instruments and lanterns. Naturally there was no shortage of children hurt by clubs and sticks. In this way, until Thursday evening, the fun went on, some evenings calm and cheerful, other evenings full of fights, brawls and wailing. They used to sing a rhyme about the şivlili lanterns: Şivlili şivlili şişirmiş Ergen oğlu pişirmiş İki çörek, bir börek Bize armağan gerek. (Şivlili, şivlili, puffed up; the young lad baked two buns and a börek; we must have a present.) Those who organised these brawling and fighting parties were the idle and unruly children of the neighbourhood. The well-behaved, sensible girls and boys, on the other hand, would build a DEDE in their neighbourhood, in a suitable courtyard of a neighbour who allowed it, at the foot of a wall. This dede is a small, pyramid-like structure of mud brick, triangular, with a base of 50–60 cm and a height of about 70–80 cm. Every side of it is decorated by sticking on broken pieces of coloured porcelain plates and coloured paraffin lamps that the children have been collecting for a long time. These pieces of porcelain and glass are called cıncık among the children. Besides the children, the grown-up girls of the house where the dede is built, or of the neighbours, also help to build it. Every evening, lantern candles brought by one or more of the children are stuck on top of or along the sides of the dede and lit, and the coloured şivlili lanterns of those who have them are hung up nearby, so that the dede is lit up all around. The children sit around the dede in a half-moon and, singing their special, strange rhymes and koşmas to the dede in chorus, they get carried away, as if in a trance. A few of these rhymes that we have been able to collect are below: Bir kavurga kavurdum Dam başında savurdum Emmim oğluna duyurdum Emmim oğlu Musaaaacıııık Elleri kolları kısaaaacıııık (I roasted some kavurga, I winnowed it on the rooftop, I let my cousin know; my cousin little Musa, his hands and arms are so short.) Aşşa çarşı çamur ooolmuuuuş Baklavalar hamur ooolmuuuuuş Şamkapı’ya gavur geeelmiiiiş (The lower bazaar has turned to mud, the baklava has turned to dough, an infidel has come to Şamkapı.) Eşşeğimin kuyruğunu kamçı mı sandın Kamçı mı sandın Kamçıyı tanlar, bir gelin ağlar Zülüfünü yağlar Lailahe illallah Hasebi nesebi Celil Allah Şeyhin oğlu Feyzullah Feyzullah’ı napmalı? Damdan dama atmallıııı (Did you take my donkey's tail for a whip? For a whip? They marvel at the whip, a bride weeps and oils her lovelocks. There is no god but God; his lineage is Almighty God; Feyzullah, the sheikh's son; what shall we do with Feyzullah? Throw him from roof to roof.) There are several more like this last example. Each rhyme begins by naming one of the donkey's outer parts: "Did you take my donkey's tail for a whip?", "Did you take my donkey's eye for a mirror?", "Did you take my donkey's belly for a drum?", "Did you take my donkey's leg for a post?". The other lines are repeated exactly as in the example above. According to old stories, the great mystic Ebubekir Muhammed Şibli, known as Sheikh Şibli, who died in the hijri year 334, received a secret in a dream one night while asleep, revealing that Hz. Muhammad was conceived in his mother's womb in the month of Recep. He woke at once, got up joyfully, dressed and went out of his lodge, and stopped at the neighbouring houses one by one, calling "Şibli, Şibli" and telling his dream to the people in the houses. The householders gave suitable food to the sheikh, the bearer of this good news, as an expression of their pleasure. Could the roots of the children's fun on the occasion of Regaip Kandili, going round with their şivlili lanterns and singing the mani that begin "Şivlili şivlili şişirmiş", go back to Sheikh Şibli? Is it a memory of Sheikh Şibli going round with his lantern, protected by mottled paper, calling "Şibli, Şibli", and a revival every year, on the same days, of this great good news? Was the name of the paper lantern called şivlili once "Şibli lantern", corrupted over time into şivlili? We have not been able to establish this for certain. Another feature of the month of Recep is the custom of lighting candles. The first Thursday of this month is full of lantern candles, large and small and sometimes coloured. Every head of the family, according to his means, would buy a few dozen candles and take them home. The children of the house would put a few of these candles on top of the dede. On Thursday after the afternoon prayer, the imam's son or a neighbour's child would set an empty sieve or basket in front of the door of every mosque and masjid and wait for the charity candles to come from around. Then the candles that every family sent in a basket, carried by their girls and boys with hennaed hands, were placed a few at a time by these children in the baskets in front of each mosque. In this way the candles the mosques would use for lighting were provided. The young people and women of the neighbourhood would watch the children's merry, high-spirited excitement with pleasure from around. Sometimes, gangs of mischief-makers roaming the back streets would raid the house where the dede stood and knock it down and run off amid the children's screams. To prevent such raids, the young men of the quarter usually kept an eye on the dede. These merry festivities went on until the night of the kandil Thursday. On the evening the kandil Thursday began, the women of every house, young and old, applied henna to their hands; little ones who were afraid of having henna put on their hands had it applied secretly after they fell asleep. When these children woke in the morning, they were delighted to see the lovely henna colour on their hands. By the night of the kandil, everyone except the men had hennaed hands. Thursday night is when the dede is knocked down. That day the children with hennaed hands would bring a few of the pişi (fried dough) cooked at home, eat them all together, and carry on with their fun around the dede. As time went on, great excitement would seize them all and they would begin preparing for the ceremony of knocking down the dede. When the dede was to be knocked down, either all together or one or two bold ones hanging from its side would bring it down. As the dede fell, a flood of laughter surrounded it. Then the food that had been brought was eaten together, and with the wish to be at the same ceremony next year, the children went home happy. As for why the dede was built and then joyfully knocked down: quite a large number of people regard this as a symbolic expression of the Turks' passage from idolatry to Islam and the great happiness they felt in destroying the idol. Receb-i Şerif ceremonies It is well known that the first Thursday of the month of Recep is Regaip Kandili. Only in Karaman is Regaip Kandili celebrated with a special ceremony. The reason is that the ceremonies and feasts held for hafızes who had memorised the whole Qur'an at the town's Darul Huffaz (schools for Qur'an memorisation) and earned the right to an icazetname (licence), to receive their diplomas, were held on those days. The day before the first Thursday of Recep, the town crier would make an announcement and warning in suitable parts of the bazaar along these lines: ALLAH’U AZİM’Ü-Ş ŞAN BU AYLARA -,BU GÜNLERE YİNE ERİŞTİRMEK NASİP VE MÜYESSER EYLESİN? AMİN;PADİŞAH ALEM PENAH EFNDEMİZİN ATINI EŞKİN, KILICINI KESKİN, DÜŞMANINI MÜNHEZİM EYLESİN. AMİN. HÜCCAC-I MÜSLİMİNE VE ASAKİR-İ İSLAMİYYEYE BERREN,BAHREN SELAMETLER İHSAN BUYURSUN.AMİN. YARINKİ PERŞEMBE GÜNÜ SABAH NAMAZINDAN SONRA SAAT...DA..........CAMİİ ŞERİFTE RECEB-İ ŞERİF DUASI VARDIR. DUADAN GAFİL OLMAYALIM. (May God, great in glory, grant us to reach these months and these days again. Amen. May He make the horse of our lord the Sultan, refuge of the world, swift, his sword sharp and his enemy routed. Amen. May He grant safety by land and sea to the Muslim pilgrims and the soldiers of Islam. Amen. Tomorrow, Thursday, after the morning prayer, at … o'clock, there will be the Receb-i Şerif prayer at the … mosque. Let us not neglect the prayer.) After this, he would also go to the homes of the hafız candidates who were to receive their licence that Thursday and announce the ceremony by repeating the announcement in front of each hafız family's house. This joyful news filled the members of the family whose son was to become a hafız with great joy, and in the extravagant generosity born of their joy they gave the crier tips and presents. The ceremony on Thursday was held in one of Karaman's largest mosques, Dikbasan or Araboğlu, with the richest of the families of the graduating hafızes taking on the cost of the honey or sugar sherbet. Choosing the mosque was the right of the family paying the costs. In some years, choosing the mosque caused arguments and quarrels between families. The day before, large cauldrons were brought to the mosque and made ready, and early in the morning the family preparing the sherbet dissolved the sugar or honey. In years gone by honey was plentiful and cheap, and it was often the produce of the bees of the family paying for it. Meanwhile, for a week or ten days beforehand, feverish preparations went on in the homes of the hafız families. Kin, relatives and neighbours gathered and, in a happy, cheerful mood, busied themselves preparing the feast. Pişmaniye (floss halva) was generally prepared for the hafız feasts. Pişmaniye masters came, the flour was roasted in pure butter, sugar was crushed and brought to the right consistency. At the same time, neighbours brought copper trays large and small from their homes to dish up the pişmaniye, and the pişmaniye was put onto three, five or more trays. If the family was also generous at heart, crushed walnuts were put between layers of the pişmaniye on the trays and the trays pressed. To press it, another empty tray was laid over the tray of pişmaniye, someone climbed on top and trod lightly in their shoes, so that the walnuts and pişmaniye were pressed together, and then the pişmaniye was cut into diamonds. Pişmaniye made like this was delicious. Meanwhile various dishes were also prepared along with the pişmaniye, and feasts were given at home. On Thursday, after the morning prayer, until the time of the prayer in the mosque, a suitable hoca gave a sermon. When the time came, the old hafızes took their places facing the mihrab and recited short passages (aşır); if there were reciters who knew the vücuh (variant readings), they recited their passages in the vücuh style. Those who had been at home or prayed the morning prayer in other mosques slowly began to gather in this mosque. Meanwhile the hafız candidates would arrive at the mosque, dressed in newly made scholarly robes, the LATA (overcoat), with white turbans wound round their fezzes for the first time, together with their best men, hafızes who had received their licence a year or two earlier, carrying ornate bundles under their arms. In the places vacated by the hafızes reciting the passages, each hafız's best man spread out the prayer rug he had brought in his bundle, of velvet appliqué or Bursa work, felt embroidered with coloured silk motifs, and the young hafızes knelt on these rugs. There was a particular method and order to spreading these rugs, done with great elegance; the hocas showed and taught the best men how to spread them a few days in advance. Depending on how few or many young hafızes had taken their places (for example, if there were 15 hafızes), the hafız at the head began with the sura Tekasür of the Qur'an and each hafız in turn recited a sura; the 14th hafız recited the Fatiha and the 15th the first three verses of the sura Bakara. When he had finished, an old hoca or hafız with a powerful voice ended the Qur'an recitation by saying "Sadakallah’ü-l azim" and recited prayers in Arabic. When this was over, whoever was the greatest kurra (expert Qur'an reciter) of the town went before the mihrab, and the hoca with the powerful voice, raising his hands, offered prayers and wishes in a voice like David's. Until recently the greatest kurra in Karaman was Macarzade Osman Efendi. When the prayers began, the hafızes' relatives, from several directions, began handing out bowls of sherbet on large trays with handles: pale pink, rose-scented sugar sherbet or honey-coloured honey sherbet. After the great hoca's prayer, "Amen" was said and this sacred ceremony came to an end. After this ceremony the hafız candidates were officially considered hafızes. After the ceremony, a tray of pişmaniye, baklava or biscuits and, depending on the family's means, a gold sarı lira, dress fabric or small items of clothing were sent to the homes of the hocas who had taught the hafızes. In those days, too, feasts were given in the hafızes' homes for crowds of friends and relatives, and so the days were spent happily. The hafızes also gathered together and went as a group to the homes of all the hafız families, kissing the hands of each other's elders. This ceremony still continues in Karaman, but it has lost its former splendour and extraordinariness. Source: http://www.karamankulturturizm.gov.tr
Kars
The products that emerge as people strive to realise their feelings, thoughts and dreams, giving priority to their own needs, and express this effort through various materials, have been described with terms such as folk arts, traditional arts and handicrafts. Folk arts, begun by an individual's own labour and later adopted by society and becoming a shared undertaking, are studied in three main branches: handicrafts, household arts and bazaar crafts. Because women generally carry most of the work in these three branches, these works are also called “women's arts”, and we can see them in every corner of Türkiye. But a clear difference appears in the creative work of some centres. For example, Antep embroidery, the needle lace of Bursa, Konya and Alaşehir, Sivas socks, Tokat printed headscarves, Mardin needle lace, Beypazarı silverwork, Trabzon gold bracelets, Buldan weaving and Konya spoons are fine works that have kept their fame for years. Handicrafts are themselves grouped by type of work, as follows: 1- Tailoring and sewing: the traditional clothes of villagers in each area and the kinds of woven fabric used. 2- Weaving: divided into fine and coarse, with plant- and animal-based materials. 3- Embroidery: treating clothes and objects to be decorated according to their material and adorning them with motifs. 4- Knitting: like weaving, fine and coarse knits are distinguished by material and tools. 5- Earthenware: jugs, roof tiles, pots, bricks and so on. 6- Woodwork: joinery, carpentry, cart making, carving. 7- Ironwork: horseshoes, nails and other building materials. 8- Leatherwork: shoemaking, yemeni (soft shoe) making, saddlery. 9- Building work: masonry, minaret building, mortar, well digging and so on. Dyeing and spinning, which concern several branches, can also be counted. The features common to all this work better show the importance and meaning of handicrafts. They can be listed as: 1- Tradition dominates. 2- It shows creativity. 3- It passes national artistic taste from father to son and grandmother to granddaughter. 4- It easily enables communication in social life and shared thinking. 5- It supports artistic taste and aesthetic creation within the family. 6- It saves the family significant expense. 7- It keeps up morale and reflects spiritual life. 8- It helps improve the family's social, economic and educational situation. Source: http://www.karsevi.com/kars-el-sanatlari-ve-zanaatlari-nelerdir-bl109.html
Kastamonu
LOCAL HANDICRAFTS OF KASTAMONU Weaving, needle lace and sheet-edge knotting In Kastamonu, people usually wove, dyed and made ready for use most of what they needed every day: clothes, mattress, bed and quilt covers, sheets, carpets, kilims and so on. The rest of their needs they bought from the tradespeople of the bazaar. Besides these, the bazaars sold cotton and silk cloth from places advanced in weaving, such as Damascus, Aleppo, Bursa, Tosya, Tokat and India. Goods from outside were more expensive than local weaves, and the city’s notables and senior officials preferred imported cloth. According to the historian Halil İnalcık, Kastamonu was among the important weaving centres of Anatolia between the 15th and 18th centuries. Local needs were largely met, and the rest of the cloth produced was exported from the ports of İnebolu, Sinop and Samsun. The Balkapanı Han (Pembe Han), built in the reign of Sultan Bayezid II, is thought to have been a place where mainly cotton was bought and sold. Along with cotton cloth, silk fabrics from Tabriz and Aleppo reached Crimea by way of Kastamonu. Woollen goods such as felt, broadcloth (çuha), mohair cloth (sof), wool carpets, kilims and clothing were mostly made for local needs and not exported. Raw materials came from the mohair market set up in Kastamonu. From the time of the Candaroğulları, mohair-cloth weaving (sofçuluk) was one of Kastamonu’s most important livelihoods, and the sof weavers are known to have lived mostly just below the castle. Even so, Kastamonu was never as well known for it as Ankara. The Kurşunlu Han built by İsmail Bey was used in places by cotton merchants as a warehouse. Cotton usually came to Kastamonu from Adana and Aydın. During the War of Independence, the women of Kastamonu gathered together to knit the undershirts, socks and sweaters our soldiers needed and sent them to the front. Weaving has been one of Kastamonu’s largest sources of income throughout history. In the early years of the Republic, in the 1930s, almost every house had a loom, and the women of the family, bride and mother-in-law alike, always did weaving at home, adding a good income to the family budget. There are said to have been 35,000 looms. Today looms have been set up again by various associations and individuals, and various weaves are also made at the Handicrafts Centre attached to the Governorship of Kastamonu. Hand-loom weaving, plain and coloured, of bed sheets, aprons, women’s work aprons, headscarves, towels and undershirts can still be found in the central district and in Cide, Doğanyurt, Tosya, Azdavay, Seydiler, Araç, Pınarbaşı and Devrekani. In Tosya, along with interlining cloth (tela), inner sashes, bath mitts and three-strip sashes are made from mohair. Kastamonu and its surroundings show variety and richness in traditional crafts. Although constant migration to the cities, technological change and fast, cheap production have steadily reduced handicrafts in recent years, traditional crafts are still alive in and around Kastamonu. Here are a few of them: The most widespread income-earning craft of Kastamonu and its districts is çarşaf bağı (sheet-edge knotting): decorative knots tied in cotton thread, without tools, using only the women’s fingertips and nails, along the two long edges or all four edges of locally woven “sarı kıvrak” bed sheets. Linen weaving is found in the Cide, Şenpazar, Küre, Azdavay and Pınarbaşı districts. Plain and coloured weaves of bed sheets and böze cloth (for women’s work aprons, headscarves, towels and shifts) are found, though not often. Tela (interlining) made in our Tosya district survives to meet the needs of the clothing sector. Plain white mohair inner sashes, coloured three-strip sashes and bath mitts from Tosya are sought after throughout Türkiye. In the central district and in Daday and Devrekani, tablecloths called “sini bezi” are made by dipping wooden blocks of various sizes, carved or raised by hand in linden wood with plant and geometric motifs, into a specially prepared single-colour dye and printing them on plain white calico. Many crafts are disappearing because of modern developments, and oya lace is one of them. This research was begun to record the knowledge and experience of the craftswomen who made needle oya for a living in Kastamonu while they are still alive. Forty-two oya makers aged 45 to 80, living in the Topçuoğlu, İsfendiyarbey, Aşağıimaret, Kırkçeşme, Hisarardı, Beyçelebi and Aycılar neighbourhoods of central Kastamonu, were reached. After the interviews, their work was examined and samples were taken. Needle oya is a knotted lace made with silk thread and a needle on handkerchiefs, printed scarves and shift collars, or made first and then sewn on. In Kastamonu, keepsake needle oya is traditionally kept in boxes and chests and handed down from generation to generation. A piece of oya that an 80-year-old lacemaker inherited from her grandmother’s mother is at least 150–200 years old. Oya making is thought to have existed in Kastamonu since even earlier, and needlework lace is said to have passed from Anatolia to Greece in the 12th century and from there to Europe (Özben, 1948:4). According to living sources, in the late Ottoman period women whose men had gone to war made a living by selling oya to Europe through merchants. Today a few people still keep this craft alive. Adornment is something women care about. Because producing the silk and making the oya were entirely their own work, oya let them adorn themselves more cheaply; at the same time, by bringing out their artistry, it gave them status in society. It also gave women economic independence. Coppersmithing Kastamonu, 68 km south of Küre, which has the richest copper deposits in the central Black Sea Region, was another of the most important cultural and trading cities where copper mined at Küre was worked. For lack of written records, we cannot yet say for certain whether the coppersmiths and cauldron makers produced goods from the Middle Ages onwards. But in all likelihood some of the copper from the Küre deposits, known to have been worked since the beylik period, must have been processed in Kastamonu’s workshops. In the second half of the 16th century, copper from the Küre mines met the needs of cauldron makers in the cities of the central Black Sea and Central Anatolia, as well as the copper needs of cities in north-western Iran and Mesopotamia. A decree sent to the kadıs (judges) of Kastamonu and Küre in 1568 says, in summary: “… It is reported that 400–500 merchants have come from the direction of Iran and bought large quantities of copper; not a single dirham of copper is to be given to anyone…” It is clear that the coppersmiths and cauldron makers of Kastamonu were producing very actively and even met the needs of tradesmen in neighbouring provinces. A decree written to the kadı of Kastamonu in 1568 says, in summary: “… The coppersmiths of Sivas, Tokat and Amasya are not to be prevented when they wish to buy copperware in Kastamonu, but care is to be taken that no copperware is taken out of the country…” An order sent to the bey of Kastamonu in 1573 says, in summary: “… The cauldrons and other equipment needed for the gunpowder works built in Erzurum are to be prepared and sent at once…” Another decree sent to the kadı of Kastamonu in 1578 says, in summary: “… 1,000 kantars (56,408 tonnes) of copper are to be sent from the Küre mine for use with the cauldrons to be made for the gunpowder to be processed in Baghdad…” The trade of the coppersmiths and cauldron makers was Kastamonu’s largest industry. Most of the copper ore from Küre was smelted in Kastamonu’s smelting houses (kalhane). The cheap, plentiful, high-quality raw material the city’s smelting houses supplied played a large part in making coppersmithing and cauldron making such a lively and profitable trade in Kastamonu. A document from 1783 tells us that Kastamonu’s cauldron makers used copper from the Küre mines: “… Copper from the Küre copper mines has long been sold to the cauldron makers and merchants of Kastamonu at nine kuruş a batman, but disputes arose when copper from Tokat and elsewhere began to be sold. Therefore copper from elsewhere is not to be allowed to be sold…” The most important feature that set Kastamonu’s smelting houses apart from those in other cities is that they were still working actively until about 40 years ago. One of them stood below the Yakup Ağa Mosque, built on one of the highest hills in the city. For hundreds of years the copper ore has been smelted in the smelting houses by the same technique, melted with charcoal in a furnace with the help of bellows and then poured into moulds. The moulds come in very different shapes and sizes. The two-part moulds are made of brick. Some of the one-piece iron moulds are 10 cm in diameter, and the open moulds produce 2.5-kilo ingots. Another iron mould, 45×30 cm and 5 cm deep, produces copper ingots of between 35 and 45 kilos. The ingots taken from the moulds are heated in the furnace and then beaten by a team of seven into sheets of different weights. Hammering the ingots into sheets is done just as craftsmen are shown hammering copper ingots into sheets in the miniatures of the Surname-i Hümayun and the Surname-i Vehbi. Although this process has now died out in Kastamonu, in Anatolia copper ingots are still hammered into sheets only at Kavaklıdere in Muğla. Many of Kastamonu’s coppersmiths and cauldron makers also worked in workshops in Istanbul, and written sources give quite detailed information about this. Various objects and kitchen vessels made by Kastamonu craftsmen in workshops in Anatolia and Istanbul clearly show the Kastamonu style. Between 1934 and 1936, 50 masters, 35 journeymen and 48 apprentices worked in coppersmiths’ shops in Kastamonu. In 1942 there were 22 workshops in the Coppersmiths’ Bazaar, but today only 3 are still producing. For hundreds of years, lidded dishes, bath bowls, güğüm jugs and ewers have been the characteristic vessels of Kastamonu’s workshops. Ahmet Ortaakarsu, the living master of Kastamonu coppersmithing, takes part in festivals organised by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and regularly wins prizes. Woodcarving Since ancient times, the first handicrafts appeared above all for covering and protection. Because handicrafts reflect the feelings, artistic tastes and cultural features of the society that creates them, they spread over time and became traditional. Today great masters of woodcarving are still at work in Kastamonu. Tablecloth printing This is one of the important products particular to the area, made in central Kastamonu and in the Daday and Devrekani districts. It is made by dipping wooden blocks of various sizes, carved or raised by hand in linden wood with plant and geometric motifs, into a specially prepared single-colour dye and printing them on plain white calico. The black-on-white “sini bezi” has been used as a tray cloth, tablecloth, table cover and women’s headscarf. In recent years sini bezi, Kastamonu’s most popular souvenir, has been adapted in various ways and is seen used as skirts, curtains and covers. Pocket knives and knife making The hand-made pocket knives of various sizes made in the centre of our Tosya district, with one plain edge and one saw-toothed edge, are known locally as the “Tosya çakısı” (Tosya knife). Because one edge is saw-toothed, the Tosya knife is very useful to farmers for small jobs in the vineyard and in farming. The old knife makers of Tosya, pictures and names… ALİ BAYRAK HACI HAFIZ HASAN ÇELİK İSMAİL YANIK ŞERİF ORUÇ The handle of the knife is first cut from water-buffalo horn and then shaped with an iron rasp. The blades are made specially of chrome steel, so they do not rust and are very sharp. Kitchen knives of various sizes with chrome-steel blades and bone or hardwood handles are also sought after. Basket making Baskets made in Kastamonu are woven from willow or hazel branches; those made in the Daday and Araç districts are woven from hazel branches. Known as Kastamonu baskets, these are made by weaving fine willow branches by hand into various shapes after preparing them with special treatments. There is another kind, made by cutting fresh hazel branches into thin, narrow strips with special tools and weaving them by hand into various shapes according to their use; depending on their use, they are known locally as the lidded market basket, the egg basket and the straw fence basket. Undershirt weaving (fanila) What is a fanila? The fanila is one of Kastamonu’s local hand-woven crafts. The most important thing known about its past is that during the War of Independence the army’s underwear was supplied by Kastamonu fanilas. Once worn only as underwear, fanilas are now worn as both underwear and outerwear. The most important feature of the Kastamonu fanila is that it is made only from 100% cotton yarn, so it can be worn in all four seasons: it is preferred for keeping the body warm in winter and for absorbing sweat in summer. Its stitching and lace are done by housewives. Rope making Throughout history, making rope from hemp has been one of the most important livelihoods in Kastamonu, and a large share of the people and tradesmen made their living from it. The han known today as the Urgan Hanı (Rope Han) in Kastamonu was begun by Reis-ül Küttap Hacı Mustafa Efendi and completed in the mid-18th century (1748) by his son Aşir Efendi. The hemp hans and shops are said to have opened early every morning with prayers. The Yanık Han was used mostly as a hemp han. Hemp was grown widely, especially on the Taşköprü plain, so in the Seljuk, Candaroğulları and Ottoman periods the need for hawsers and rope was met from the region. Istanbul’s need for hemp, rope and hawsers, above all for the navy, shows how widespread rope making was. Rope was among the products most exported from the ports of Sinop and İnebolu. Today, with the decline in hemp production and the spread of ready-made nylon cord and rope on the market, rope making has lost its former importance in and around Kastamonu. Source: http://www.kastamonur.com/kastamonu-el-sanatlar/
Kayseri
Customs and traditions : although Kayseri's known history begins with the Hittites, traces of Assyrian trade and works from the prehistoric Bronze Age have also been found. Conquered by the Seljuk Turks a few years before the victory at Manzikert in 1071, Kayseri has since remained under Turkish states and principalities; older cultures faded and the city was shaped by Turkish-Islamic culture. Folk dances : Kayseri's customs, dances and music carry the character of the Central Anatolian plateau. It is very rich in folk songs, mani (quatrains), tales, riddles and legends. Folk literature : Kayseri has produced many famous folk poets, the best known being Âşık Kerem and Seyrânî. Handicrafts : weaving and copperwork have been widespread since Seljuk times. Kayseri's carpets and kilims, decorated milk and water jugs and ewers were once very famous. Carpet weaving here was developed by the Seljuk Turks, and carpets from Kayseri, Bünyan, Yahyalı and Yeşilhisar are sought after at home and abroad; many homes have carpet looms. Other long-established crafts include decorative painting, wood carving, inlay and jewellery. Plasterwork, marble carving and reliefs are highly developed. Over the centuries the greatest Turkish architects, above all Mimar Sinan, came from this region. Local dishes : fried içli köfte, mantı filled with sucuk meat, nevzine dessert, Circassian chicken pie and tray-baked mantı. Dress : for women, the three-skirted dress, çinti, salta and cepken jackets, the embroidered bindallı gown, silk şalvar trousers, scarves edged with needle lace (oya) and decorated headdresses and sashes; for men, a conical lambswool cap, the sako (a kind of jacket), a sash and baggy trousers of wool or goat hair. Education : Kayseri has been an important centre of culture and learning in Anatolia since Seljuk times. The world's first medical school was founded in 1206 as the Şifaiye Medrese. Literacy in Kayseri approaches 80%. There is no village without a school, and some villages even have a middle school. The province has 18 nursery schools, nearly 700 primary schools, nearly 100 middle schools, 13 vocational and technical middle schools and nearly 60 high schools and vocational high schools. Kayseri University, founded in 1978, was renamed Erciyes University in 1982. The province has 25 libraries; the Raşit Efendi Library dates from the Ottoman period. Source (in Turkish): http://www.kayserikent.com/site/page.asp?dsy_id=9691
Kırıkkale
Cultural heritage and art OLD HOUSES Some of the Ottoman-period old houses and mansions in our area are still preserved. Our districts, towns and villages have houses that keep their original structure. These houses generally have 2 storeys, with rooms opening off a large hall. In the stone and mudbrick buildings, the windows, doors and ceilings are of carved wood. In the sections called yüklük (bedding cupboards) you can see fine examples of woodwork. Woodwork made and decorated with techniques of chiselling, carving, inlay, veneer, moulding, turning, pyrography and gilding has been found especially in the Ballı Mosque in Balışeyh, the Pehlivanlı Mansion in Beyobası, and in Ottoman-period religious and civil architecture in Keskin. HANDICRAFTS Handicrafts are very widespread in our province and are kept alive especially through the work of the Public Education Centres in the area. At the courses and exhibitions held, handicrafts made with tools such as the needle, shuttle, crochet hook and hairpin lace fork are displayed, showing the fine examples particular to each technique. Needle lace can be divided into groups such as ulamalar, hotoz lace, crown lace, branch lace, and flowerpot and wild-flower lace. The lace generally copies natural beauty, and care is taken to use all the colours in nature as well as geometric shapes. Bead lace uses thread and coloured beads. This lace is used especially on the yemeni (headscarves) women wear, on some folk-costume headdresses, on bed, table and side-table sets as covers, or as an accessory in a corner of the house. WEAVING Carpet and kilim weaving used to be very widespread in our province. But today, as a result of social and economic development, this tradition is being forgotten. In our districts of Karakeçili, Keskin, Balışeyh and Sulakyurt there are still old looms, but they are rarely used. Research in the area has found that old carpets and kilims were used spread on floors, sedirs and divans. The area's carpets and kilims have no single dominant colour or pattern. Generally 4 main colours were used, decorated with patterns. Karakeçili carpets and kilims are the preferred weavings. Carpets, cushions, saddlebags, prayer rugs and runner carpets are popular products. KESKİN WEAVING Source: http://www.kirikkale.gov.tr/kulturel-varliklar-ve-sanat
Kırklareli
Local handicrafts In our area, until the middle of the 20th century, weaving, cart making (taliga making), woodwork, dyeing and pottery were very common, as were, in the days before tractors when oxen and horses were used in farming, the making of yokes and zelve (yoke pins), saddlery, farriery, çarık (rawhide sandal) making and clog making. Today almost all of these have disappeared; apart from 1 pottery workshop in the province, local weaving in the village of Poyralı in Pınarhisar, and a hand-broom workshop, the old handicrafts have lost their importance and vanished. In our area, in every settlement including the province centre, districts and villages, girls make for their trousseaux wool socks and çetik on five needles; needle lace and shuttle lace worked with a crochet hook on the edges of headscarves and kerchiefs; bedspread sets; television, fridge, side-table, display-cabinet and table covers; wool mats; and wool kitchen napkins and cloths. Young girls also make clothes for the groom from wool or sheep's fleece to put in their trousseaux, such as gloves, shawls, sweaters, jumpers, cardigans, socks and skullcaps. Some poor and elderly women also make some of these handicrafts and sell them for money. In our area, until the middle of the 20th century, almost every village had looms, and everyone wove what they needed: towels, aprons, çarpana weavings, cloth, floor spreads called pala, kilims, prayer rugs (namazlah) and felemen cloth. With the modernisation and mechanisation of everything, these looms have disappeared today. When you go to the villages and look at the animal sheds, granaries and toilets, you can see that some parts of these looms have been used as timber in building them. Despite the mechanisation and modernisation of everything, local weaving is still done today in the town of Alpullu in Babaeski and the village of Poyralı in Pınarhisar. Until 2000 weavings called çul, çultar and çimdik were still made, if only a little, in the villages of Devletliağaç, Malkoçlar and Tatlıpınar in Kofçaz and Armutveren and İncesırt in Demirköy, but today (2014) these weavings are no longer made either. Çimdik and çultar were woven to be spread on the floor and sat on, and çul to cover animals. In the villages of Kofçaz and Demirköy in particular, şayak (homespun woollen cloth) woven from sheep's fleece and goat hair, used to make trousers and jackets and the shepherd's coat called "kebe", was very widely made, but with the arrival of factory-made fabric this şayak production also came to an end. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who came to our province on 20 December 1930, liked these şayak weavings very much, asked about them and wanted them to spread. Until recently (the early 2000s), in our province, in the town of Kavaklı in the central district and the village of Armutveren in Demirköy, young girls wove carpets on hand looms to traders' orders, but today these too have disappeared. From these pieces, paid by the piece, the village girls earned a little money for their own trousseaux. As part of the public cultural education courses planned by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism to keep alive and promote our handicrafts that are dying out across the country, to prevent their decline and loss, and to pass them on to future generations by teaching them faithfully and training staff and masters, a course called "Poyralı Village Weavings" was opened in 2007 in the village of Poyralı in Pınarhisar, Kırklareli. The course, started in the village's disused primary-school building, lasted 250 hours and trained 21 women under the instruction of Resmiye Gökerbüyük, born in Poyralı in 1946, who learned weaving from her grandmother. During the course, weaving saddlebags, runners, prayer rugs and cushion covers was taught and learned. Some of the looms used in the course were wooden looms inherited from the trainees' grandparents, and 10 were looms made by a carpenter working in the village as exact copies of the old looms. The cotton yarn for the warp and the yarn for the weft and patterns used in the Poyralı village weaving were bought from a wool dealer in the centre of Pınarhisar. The trainees from this course continue weaving at their homes in Poyralı and sell what they weave to those interested. Inspired by the women who learned to weave on this course and started weaving, other women in Poyralı asked us to open another course, so another course was opened in 2010. This course was also taught by Resmiye Gökerbüyük, and a total of 15 trainees learned to weave. In Poyralı weaving is done only by women and young girls, on looms in their homes. In the time left over from daily housework and fieldwork, they set up looms in a corner of the house in winter and a corner of the garden in summer and weave, both to use their spare time and to earn some money. In Poyralı weavings the warp thread, called eriş, is black. White, red, yellow, green, blue, cream, purple, black and light and dark tones of the primary colours are used in the weft and pattern threads. Black is preferred for the warp because many colours can be used in harmony on it. The weavings are shuttle weavings; no beater comb (kirkit) is used. Until the 1980s our province was, together with Edirne, one of the biggest broom-producing provinces in the country; today (2014) 10–15 broom workshops remain. Because these workshops cannot sell their brooms at the price they want or sell all they make, this craft too is dying out. Our province had nearly 30 pottery workshops until the 1970s; as of 2014, 1 pottery workshop remains. Its owner, master potter Hüseyin Çokan, says: "I'll close this workshop, but since there's no other master making pottery, I'll keep going as long as my health allows. This craft will disappear with me." A field survey carried out in Lüleburgaz in 2014 found that: - In the centre, crafts such as glass decoration, ceramics, woodcraft (spoon and walking-stick making), quilt making and farriery are still practised. Source: http://www.kirklarelienvanteri.gov.tr/halk-kulturu.php?id=43
Kırşehir
Kırşehir is known as a city of culture and the arts in the middle of the Anatolian steppe. It is known as the place where the Ahi tradition (Ahilik) was born and spread; the Tomb of Ahi Evran is one of the city’s symbols. The 13th-century poet Âşık Paşa championed the Turkish language and wrote poems in Turkish; his tomb is in Kırşehir. The name of Caca Bey, a scholar of astronomy, Islamic law and Sufism, lives on in the city’s Caca Bey Mosque and Madrasa. In 2019 Kırşehir became the first Turkish city to join the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in the field of music.
Kilis
Quilt making is Kilis's best-known craft, and the Kilis quilt is a registered geographical indication. Making yemeni (flat leather shoes) and embroidery are also traditional crafts of the city. Kilis cooking carries traces of both Anatolian and Aleppine cuisine. Kilis Tava, Kilis Katmeri and grape molasses (pekmez) are among its best-known specialities.
Kocaeli
İzmit, the centre of Kocaeli, was known in antiquity as Nicomedia, named after King Nicomedes of Bithynia. Emperor Hadrian had the city repaired after the earthquake of 123, and the city council gave him the title "Restitutor Nicomediae". The city's museums are varied. The Kocaeli Archaeology and Ethnography Museum is housed in the historic railway station completed in 1910. The TCG Gayret Ship Museum has served as a museum since 1997. The Kasr-ı Hümayun, built in the reign of Abdülaziz, opened to visitors in 2007. The Sabancı Cultural Centre opened on 3 December 1988. The Süleyman Demirel Cultural Centre is home to the Metropolitan Municipality Theatre.
Konya
Konya is the city of Mevlana. Since 1926 the Mevlana Museum has occupied the complex of buildings that was Mevlana's dervish lodge. The tomb, known as the Yeşil Kubbe (Green Dome), rests on four massive piers. Commemorations are held in the weeks around 17 December, the anniversary of Mevlana's death, known popularly as Şeb-i Arus. The Konya International Mystic Music Festival was first held in 2004 and has taken place in September since 2008. The Seljuk heritage is rich too. The Alâeddin Camii was built in 1220 by Alaeddin Keykubad I, and eight Seljuk sultans are buried there. The Karatay Medresesi is a museum of tile works, and the Sırçalı Medrese a museum of tomb monuments. Çatalhöyük was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2012.
Kütahya
Kütahya is the city of tiles. The first examples of tile making appear at the end of the 14th century, but the real development began after the second half of the 16th century. When tile making ended in İznik in the 18th century, the art carried on in Kütahya alone. In the city centre several museums stand together, such as the Archaeological Museum, the Kossuth House Museum, the Porcelain Museum and the Tile Museum. The Kossuth House keeps alive the memory of the Hungarian refugees settled in the city after 1848. The city also has strong ties with music. It is said that music was taught at the Kütahya Mevlevi Lodge, and that because Ahmet Yakupoğlu trained more than forty ney players, the city was called the “Town of Ney Players”. Oya lace made of silk, each pattern with its own name, is another craft particular to the area. Every 6 May, Hıdırellez and the Conquest of Kütahya are celebrated together.
Malatya
FOLK DANCES Malatya lies in the halay region, but dances other than the halay are also found. Cultural exchange with other provinces has increased the variety of dances: for example, the delilo is danced in Elazığ, the beşayak in Adıyaman and the papuri in Bitlis. Halays are danced to the davul (drum) and zurna (shawm). Locally, leading a halay is called "Dillân Çekme". The dancer leading the halay, which is danced by five people, is called the "halay başı" and the dancer at the end the "Pöççü"; both hold a handkerchief. The instruments played are above all the davul, zurna and kaval (flute), as well as the bağlama, cümbüş and darbuka; in Arapgir district the clarinet is more common. Besides the halays there are semahs, danced in a group and ceremonial in character. In and around Malatya the Hızır Semahı, Bozok Semahı, Demdem Semahı, Arguvan Semahı and Kırat Semahı are danced. The folk song known as the henna song, "Yüksek Ayvanlarda Bülbüller Öter" (Nightingales sing on the high verandas), is danced by girls and women while henna is applied. The costumes in Malatya's dances do not fully reflect the region, and different costumes are found from district to district. In folk dances men generally wear a white embroidered "papak" (cap) called "küm", though sometimes they dance bareheaded. Women wear on their heads a fez called "küllük", edged with gold coins, with a "pusu" over the fez and a dolak or printed scarf on top. They wear "şalvar" (baggy trousers), an "üç etek" (three-skirted robe) and over it an apron called bernavile. A white and red handkerchief is pinned to the edge of the coloured sash wound around the waist, and on the feet are embroidered socks and black yemeni slippers. The main dances are: Ağırlama (Grani, Ağır, Ağır Malatya) / Alkışta (Arkuşta, Yarkutta, Halkuşta, Harkuşta) / Aşırma Halayı / Arapgir Halayı / Bapuri (Papuri, Papori, Pagpuri) / Berde / Başayak Halayı / Çarşı Su Halayı / Cezayir Oyunu / Çeçer / Dillan / Değirmenci Halayı / Delilo Halayı / Gelin Halayı (Yüksek Ayvanlarda Bülbüller Öter) / Gerzani Halayı / Gezinti / Güvenk (Kevenk) / Güzeller (Nâri) / Hem Hime (Hımhime) / Heyhat / Hoplama / Halayı / Hoşgeldin / Karahisar Halayı / Keçike (Koçike), Keçikey, Lorke (Lorki) Halayı / Kemaliye Tamzarası / Kırıkhan / Kol TRADITIONAL DRESS In cultural life, dress has been shaped by features particular to the region. Men's dress changed with the Republican period, while women's dress developed slowly, keeping pace with changes in the social structure. Cotton and woollen weaves predominate in traditional dress. "Arapgir Kemhası" woven on home looms, and şalvar cloth, aba and shirt cloth woven on culfa (weaver's) looms were the main materials of dress. The thick peştemal and çinko peştemal woven in places closest to the provincial centre, such as Yukarı Banazı, Yakınca (Kilayik), Gündüzbey, Barguzu and Yeşilyurt (Çırmıhtı), were used in women's dress until around 1975, and continue to a small extent today. In short, local weaves, striped linen and goat-hair fabrics were used in traditional dress. Finely woven peştemal cloth called çinko, akkaralı and checked alaca çarşafs (wraps), çıbın of flannel and linen silk, and "Bervanik" as a peştemal were widely worn. Embroidered (nakışlı) socks complete the outfit. Today, clothing reflects everyday modern dress. a) Traditional men's dress: Şalvar, a shirt, a waistcoat, a sash, embroidered socks and black yemeni slippers make up men's dress in the region. b) Women's dress: On their heads, women wear a felt "fez" called "küllük", held under the chin by a strap called "sakındırak"; the top of the fez, fastened with string, is called the "tepelik". On it is placed a thin embroidered plate of silver or copper, and sometimes a row of gold coins is strung along the front of the tepelik. Over the tepelik a printed scarf or a black, white and purple "poşu" is set on a thin hoop and tied at the back. Over the küllük they wear an "izar" of fine white muslin measuring 1–1.5 metres, with the part at the back left long so it falls below the waist. TRADITIONAL HANDICRAFTS The region's handicrafts were still thriving until 25–30 years ago, but technological change and changing needs have caused them to be forgotten, even to disappear. Carpets, kilims and saddlebags are still woven, especially in villages that raise sheep and goats. Culfa weaving and çarpana (tablet) weaving, once common in some villages, have lost their character. Coppersmithing continues on a limited scale, while trades such as wood carving, cartwright work, packsaddle making and yemeni making have died out; only in packsaddle making are a few masters trying to carry on. In jewellery, the bracelets known as Aleppo work and Damascus work and the twisted pearl necklaces called hap, once important, have lost their importance. As for woodwork, carved wooden decoration and other woodwork were widely used in Malatya's mansions: three-compartment "ambar" (granaries) for storing grain, wire-mesh food cupboards, hollow güğüm used as churns, troughs, spinning wheels, winnowing machines, spoons, the pitchforks used in winnowing, carved wooden coffee and grain mortars and hearth hoods. Today these have lost their importance. The Coppersmiths' Market, which once served a wide function, has turned to making souvenirs. Today porcelain, steel, aluminium and glass have replaced copper. Until quite recent years, teşt (basins), cauldrons (don kazanı, bulgur kazanı, kuşgana, cıngırlı kazan), sitil (buckets), sini (large trays, medium trays, trays), bowls of various sizes, sehen (plates), ewers and eleğeni were made. They were decorated with Seljuk and Ottoman ornament and with stylised flowers and motifs of deer, roe deer and birds. Pottery included water jugs of fired reddish clay, wide pans and pots. This craft has also completely lost its function today. Cloth and fabric printing with wooden blocks, such as çit printing, curtains, tablecloths and printed scarves (yazma), kept its importance in Malatya and Arapgir district until recent years. Today, tablecloth printing and the making of "bervanik", used as aprons/peştemal especially by older women and by women in folk-dance groups and which efforts are being made to popularise as clothing, are carried on by one master. Developments in weaving present a broad picture. Alongside carpets, kilim and cicim weaving have declined. Culfa-type weaves have lost their importance, though runners and table covers are still made on these looms in small numbers. In Yeşilyurt district, the weaves known as "cırmıktı", woven on hand looms in past years, are used for rough clothing and floor coverings. In Arapgir district, "Manusa weaving" was once a broad field of work: up to 1,100 flat and jacquard looms met the fabric needs of the area, and their products were taken to many parts of Anatolia and by caravan to Aleppo for sale. Among Malatya's woven products, the carpets of Ören, Kürecik, Dirican, Parçikan, Başören and Sinan village are famous. Malatya kilims are distinguished by borders of castle-tower motifs framing the rectangular field, with hexagonal and octagonal medallions in the centre. Bird and camel-neck, scorpion-foot, ram's-horn and geometric motifs are found. Besides red, black, brown, beige, navy and white are often used. Locally the kilims are called "Yedi dağ çiçeği" (seven mountain flowers). Dirican kilims are known as "Dirican gözü ak kilimi" and "sık kilim". In sıklı kilims the field is divided into rectangles, each called a sık. In Sinan kilims the border is a diamond and the main pattern is the rose. In Malatya, cicim is woven on horizontal looms and used for rugs, sacks, saddlebags, bags and shepherds' bags. Malatya is also a city famous for its carpets; the carpets of Ören, Başören, Dirican, Parçikan and Kürecik in particular have made their name. Today carpets woven on looms set up in villages by the Public Education Centre with state support are developing widely. The region's famous Ören carpets have borders and medallions in the centre. The most common ornaments are ram's horns, dragon claws, stylised flowers and plant shoots, in white, black, red and navy; some have cotton warps. Carpets and products woven with this technique, such as side rugs, floor rugs, divan rugs, prayer rugs, carpet cushions, bags and saddlebags, have created a wide range of uses. Malatya carpets have about 700 knots per dm². Some have plain fringes and some braided. In the past the wool was dyed entirely with natural root dyes, but this has declined and ready-made dyes have taken their place. VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE After mud brick, wood is the material most used in Malatya houses. The beams binding the walls, inner and outer joinery, floors, windows, doors, stairs and cupboards are all of wood. Iron was used only for grilles on doors, windows and the vents above doors. The large houses of Malatya, generally called konak, have a "selamlık" (reception section). It is entered through the wide street door. This section is the house's guest room and is large. Today traditional Malatya houses are disappearing fast. The mansions are scattered, especially the "Beşkonaklar" on Sinema Street and in other neighbourhoods; among the districts, this character has been preserved to a small extent in Yeşilyurt and Arapgir. Source: http://www.malatyatecde.net/sayfa_oku.asp?id=52
Manisa
Handicrafts With industrialisation, some of our traditional handicrafts have declined and some have begun to disappear. Even so, Manisa still has handicrafts that are kept alive, carpet weaving above all. Weaving such as carpets, kilims, cicim, sili and çarpana, as well as güveç pottery, wooden horse-cart making, felt making, packsaddle making and coppersmithing, still survive in the area. The Turkish tribes who began settling in the area from the 13th century kept many habits of their old way of life even after settling down. Living mainly from livestock, these tribes dyed the wool of their own animals with natural dyes and made carpets, kilims and similar weavings for their own needs, with traditional patterns made up of symbolic motifs. Carpet weaving, which spread further after settlement, became famous from the 17th century, and the Yunt Dağı villages of central Manisa and the districts of Gördes, Kula and Demirci became important carpet-weaving centres. In the 19th century, growing demand for these carpets in Western countries, and orders from carpet-trading companies and merchants for mass production suited to European taste, led to the abandonment of the double-knot technique particular to the Turks and of natural dyes, and to the degeneration of patterns; in short, quality was lowered for commercial reasons and the area's carpet weaving declined. This went on until years of work by the relevant institutions, in cooperation with universities, brought about a return to traditional features in the area's carpet weaving. The carpets are named after the area where they are woven: Gördes, Kula, Demirci and Yunt Dağı carpets. Other important handicrafts in the area are kilim weaving in the villages of Yunt Dağı, Kula, Sarıgöl and Selendi; felt making and the production of functional or decorative miniature sprung horse carts and ox carts (kağnı) in Akhisar; güveç pottery in the town of Gökeyüp in Salihli; and coppersmithing in Kula. Gördes carpets Gördes, famous more for its prayer rugs than for floor carpets, was an important carpet-weaving centre of western Anatolia in the 17th and 18th centuries. In Western countries the name Gördes came to be used to mean a prayer rug, and the weaving technique particular to the Turks called the “double knot” became so famous that it is known as the “Gördes knot”. In the carpet-weaving centres founded in our country in the 19th century, such as Istanbul, Bursa, Bandırma, Hereke and Kayseri, Gördes prayer rugs were used as models, with various local changes and additions to their patterns. Classic Gördes prayer rugs, with wool weft and warp woven in the double-knot technique, are dominated by dark red, blue, camel and cream. One of their most distinctive features is a stepped inverted “V” or horseshoe-shaped mihrab (prayer niche). The mihrab arches are connected to the inner border and colonnettes, and the inside of the arch is decorated with symbolic motifs or stylised plant motifs. The spandrels between the mihrab arch and the border are decorated with motifs of small flowers, leaves and branches. The same elegance and finesse can be sensed in the spandrels of 17th-century Gördes prayer rugs, which were strongly influenced by 16th-century palace prayer rugs. The field and inscription panels have panel designs made up of stylised motifs. The borders consist of stylised plant motifs resembling flowers, apples and pomegranates, or of striped borders decorated with tiny plant motifs. Gördes prayer rugs are given different names according to their design or borders. The type with large red rosettes that resemble apples, the result of stylised flower motifs, is called Elmalı (Apple) Gördes; the type with schematic serrated leaf motifs, Taraklı (Comb) Gördes; the type with colonnettes, Sütunlu (Column) Gördes; and the type with tiny flower motifs on the field, Sinekli (Fly) Gördes. Because Sinekli Gördes was usually woven for a girl's trousseau, it is also known as Kız (Maiden) Gördes. Kilim weaving In the Yunt Dağı villages of central Manisa; the villages of Güneydamları and Şeyhdavutlar in the Sarıgöl district; and the villages of Karakozan, Eskin, Kazıklı, Dumanlar, Kürkçü, Karabeyler, Zıraman, Kınık, Mıdıklı, Yukarı Güllüce, Aşağı Güllüce, Karaselendi, Avlaşa, Çinan and Kabaklar in the Selendi district, kilims with traditional motifs are woven in different qualities, both for people's own needs and for trade. There is also a cooperative in the village of Tavaklar in Selendi. Felt making Felt making, which we have carried on since Central Asia as a legacy of nomadic life, was until recently an essential part of daily life in the form of floor coverings, shepherds' cloaks (kepenek) and parts of harness, but it is gradually sinking into the past. Workshops in central Manisa, Akhisar, Alaşehir, Demirci and Kula were active until recently, but as use declined they closed, except for a few still working in central Akhisar and in Kula. The remaining felt makers try to survive on orders from nearby villages and tourist souvenir sellers. Horse-cart making Before motor vehicles and asphalt roads became widespread, there were various workshops in the Manisa area that made and repaired sprung horse carts and ox carts. The wooden sprung carts were brightly painted, decorated with pictures of flowers, plants and landscapes, and used for travel and transport. There are still workshops doing this work in the Akhisar district. But as living conditions changed, production almost disappeared, and the workshops survived by making carts identical to the originals but smaller. The sprung horse carts made in Akhisar are now used as garden and interior ornaments by people seeking nostalgia. Güveç pottery In the town of Gökeyüp in Salihli, reached by the Salihli–Köprübaşı road, güveç (earthenware cooking pots) are widely made at home, mostly by women. Clay suitable for the work, brought by the men from nearby, is pounded fine and kneaded, then shaped into various cooking vessels, dried and fired on fires lit in gardens to make them ready for sale. Packsaddle making In the past all kinds of goods were carried in the city by “donkeys” or “horse carts”. Today, now that transport is by motor vehicle, that is, goods reach the city by tractor, animals such as horses and donkeys have lost their importance, and the craft of packsaddle making has almost been abandoned. The packsaddle, made on a wooden frame and stuffed with reeds between leather and felt, then wrapped and sewn so that the load does not hurt the back of horses, donkeys and mules used as pack and riding animals, is a craft that demands great care. Packsaddles are now also made in miniature for tourists. Coppersmithing In the centre of the Kula district, coppersmiths survive despite advancing technology by making copper vessels to be used as gifts and ornaments. Dyeing There was dyeing in almost every centre of weaving in Anatolia. The “dyers' guild”, which dyed both weaving yarn and cloth, performed an important function. In Manisa in the 17th century, all those working as dyers are said to have been Turks. The dyers shared out the cloth and yarn among themselves to dye. Madder, which gives red, could be grown almost anywhere in Anatolia, but the best and most famous came from the town of Bakır near Kırkağaç. The madder of Manisa, Akhisar and Gelenbe was also among the best. Banners were made from Alaşehir's “kızıl ivadi” (red cloth). Madder, the basis of “Turkish red”, was practically driven out of Turkish agriculture towards the end of the 19th century, defeated by the chemical industry. Source: http://www.manisakulturturizm.gov.tr
Mardin
Mardin lies on the Silk Road; the province has five inns and a caravanserai. Its mosques, tombs, churches and monasteries show how different faiths have lived side by side in the same city. The “Mardin Cultural Landscape” is on the World Heritage Tentative List. The city's name is written Mâridîn in Arabic, Marde in Syriac and Mêrdîn in Kurdish, a small sign of its multilingual past. A biennial has been held since 2010, as well as the International Mardin Film Festival. The Mardin Museum and the Sakıp Sabancı Mardin City Museum are open to visitors. Local crafts include telkari (silver filigree), stone carving, copperwork, wood carving, pack-saddle making, herbal soap making and home winemaking.
Mersin
Mersin has a lively cultural life. The first state opera and ballet to open in Turkey after the three largest cities is in Mersin, and it stages its performances at the Mersin Culture Centre. The International Mersin Music Festival is held every year. The Mersin City Literature Award, given since 2007 with the support of the Mersin Chamber of Commerce and Industry, is cited as the first and only literary award in Turkey given in the name of a city. Festivals are held for citrus fruit, Tantuni, film (Altın Limon), theatre, Mut apricots, Tarsus grapes and Silifke Batırık. Arslanköy hosts a paragliding and outdoor sports festival.
Muğla
Muğla houses have an architecture all their own. They stand out for their woodwork, ceiling decoration and the chimneys that have become the city's symbol. The houses have an open front hall called the 'hayat', courtyard gates called 'kuzulu kapı' and wide roof eaves. About 400 buildings, roughly 100 to 300 years old, are protected, and a large restoration programme has begun. There are 103 ancient sites within the province. The Theatre of Halicarnassus, the Tomb of Amyntas and Bodrum Kalesi are among the best known.
Muş
TRADITIONS Traditional structures still dominate social life in Muş and its surroundings. Historically, the aşiret (tribe), the most deep-rooted and distinctive structure in the Turkish state tradition, still keeps its character. In the history of the Turkish states, families joined to form obas (clans), obas joined to form aşirets (tribes), aşirets joined to form oymaks (tribal confederations), oymaks joined to form beyliks (principalities), and beyliks joined to form states. From this, customs combined with faith came to hold an important place, and especially in our villages this way of life appears as a factor strengthening the social structure. BIRTH CEREMONIES The people of Muş keep up their customs and traditions through many set ceremonies handed down from long ago. With modern medicine entering our lives, birth ceremonies too are being forgotten. Preparing for the birth: The house where the birth will take place is prepared with a thorough cleaning, and the air is freshened with pleasant scents. The mother-to-be is bathed and dressed in new clothes. Mothers of many children, called göbek annesi (the woman who cuts the baby's cord), and experienced grandmothers are invited. Buns and dishes prepared by the neighbours are offered to the guests. As the birth approaches, the household's food and drink are usually provided by the neighbours, who prepare a meal and bring it to the mother-to-be's home. This continues for seven days after the birth. Forty days after the birth, or once the forty days are over, the father takes his wife and the newborn to his father-in-law. After a while, his wife and child are brought back either by him or by the father-in-law. CEREMONIES AFTER BIRTH Naming: Within 3–7 days of the birth, the elders of the father's (groom's) side and the mother's (bride's) side are invited to name the baby. Giving the baby the name of one of the elders without consulting them and getting their approval is frowned upon. When the baby is named, the swaddled baby is taken in someone's arms. The ezan (call to prayer) is recited into the right ear and the tekbir into the left, and the baby is given cornelian cherry or sugar water in its mouth. At the end of this ceremony the child is named. For each child born, families who can afford it sacrifice animals called “Akika”, to be shared out among poor families. Close neighbours are also invited to a meal. The cradle: Forty days after the baby is born, the mother gets up and goes outside the house. This ceremony is held so that the new mother's mother, sister and father can send her to their home. On the fortieth day, close neighbours and relatives are invited. Each guest brings various gifts for the child, such as clothes and cradle accessories, always including a nazar boncuğu (evil-eye bead). These gifts are attached to the cradle or pillow prepared beforehand, and prayers are said... After the guests leave, an elderly, respected woman (usually the new mother's mother-in-law) prepares “Kırk Suyu” (the water of the forty) in a basin. The person whose task is to cut the child's hair cuts it, and the child is taken to be washed. Water is taken from the “Kırk Suyu” with a bowl or a large wooden spoon, with prayers, and poured over the child's head, and the child is washed in warm water in which the mother's jewellery has been dipped. The woman who did the washing then rocks the baby once, and the baby is dried, powdered, dressed and swaddled. The hair from the baby's shave is collected and weighed, and gold, silver or money equal to its weight is given to the person who shaved it. Wealthy families also sacrifice an animal as a vow and share the meat among seven poor families. The baby's hair is wrapped in a new cloth and kept. Circumcision: If the baby is a boy, he is circumcised with a close relative as kirve (sponsor), who takes on the costs. The circumcision can be done when the baby is a week old or delayed up to the age of seven. The kirve's whole family is regarded as kirve to the family of the circumcised child, creating a new bond. This tradition appears as an extension of the ancient “Putlaç” tradition. (Putlaç, in the kirve tradition, means that — although it is not a rule from Islam — the kirve's family and the child's family do not intermarry, raising kirve status to the level of kinship.) Diş hediği: In our province, this is a form of fortune-telling based on certain practices and interpretations, used to determine what profession a child will choose in the future, or to learn how a child living far from home is faring. When the child cuts its first tooth, at a small ceremony called “Diş Hediği” attended by close relatives, objects each representing a different profession, such as a knife, pen, book, bracelet and bread, are placed in front of the child. It is believed the child will later choose the profession of whichever object it reaches for and takes. If the mother is the first to notice the tooth and surprises an elder with it, it becomes customary for the first person to see the child's teeth to buy the child a gift. MARRIAGE TRADITION A patriarchal family order prevails in our province, so traditional arranged marriage appears as a way of life that came from Central Asia. As is well known, in the Dede Korkut epics, when Bamsı Beyrek was to be married, his father told Kanlı Koca the qualities of the girl he would marry, that he would marry according to these qualities, and that they could go to see the girl on that basis. We even find in the Bamsı Beyrek story of the Dede Korkut epics something similar to beşik kertmesi (betrothal in the cradle), traces of which are slowly disappearing today. Seeing the girl (bakma): The elders of the man's side decide to go and see a girl. Intermediaries are approached. Word is sent through someone close to the girl's side (usually a relative), or they go together to see her. Those who go observe the girl's manners at home and her beauty. She is asked to show her embroidery to demonstrate her skill at handwork and housework. Water is asked for as a formality. Attention is paid to how she comes and walks when bringing the water and how she stands when offering it. The girl is also careful and trained in these matters. When offering the water she puts her hand on her chest and smiles slightly and respectfully, repeating this when taking the glass back. These gestures are considered important signs of the girl's upbringing and refinement. As the visitors leave, they also note how the prospective bride places their shoes in front of them. Asking for the girl and hand-kissing: This is arranged jointly by the two families. People usually go to ask for the girl on Thursdays; today weekends are also used. The man's side, with the leading men and women among close relatives and neighbours, goes to the girl's house after the night prayer. The men gather in a separate room. The refreshments offered are deliberately declined at first; after enquiring after everyone's health, the eldest of the man's side opens the conversation: “Sir, you haven't asked us why we came here.” (The girl's guardian is a little uneasy.) “Welcome, you have brought us joy. Asking guests why they have come has no place in our customs and traditions, and besides, it is not for us to ask.” “Well then, let us explain why we came: by God's command and the Prophet's word, we have come to ask for your daughter ....... for our son ......... God's will matters more than man's. One must obey the will of the Creator. Our Prophet commanded: ‘Marry.’ It is right to follow this sunnah.” If needed, other guests join in. In the end, after consulting his household and his daughter, and if it is considered suitable, the girl's father says: “Guests, you are welcome. If you think it fitting, so do I; she is a daughter, I give her to you. May God make it happy and blessed,” giving his consent. The youngest of the man's side then kisses the hands of the girl's side, starting with the eldest. This ceremony is called “el öpme” (hand-kissing). Meanwhile, the refreshments prepared but declined at first are asked for again, and a warm conversation follows. Word is sent to the room where the women are. The man's mother, father or sister puts the promise ring on the prospective bride. After refreshments, the men begin to discuss the gifts requested for the bride's side. These are usually agreed as a horse, a gun, jewellery and başlık parası (bride price). In some parts of our province the bride price is called “Süt Hakkı” (milk right). Although these customs are being forgotten today, they still continue in a few villages. Şerbet içme: The engagement ceremony is called “şerbet içme” (drinking the sherbet) locally. It is usually held on Sundays. The man's side announces it by going round friends and family or through a koçurgan (inviter). The ceremony takes place at the girl's house. At least two women from the man's house go to the girl's house early in the morning to make and serve the sherbet. Sugar brought from the man's house is dissolved in water, and cornelian cherry syrup is added to colour it. While the sherbet is served, one woman holds a dry towel and another a wet one for the guests. The man's side's guests attend the ceremony until noon. Guests are welcomed by the man's father and the neighbourhood imam. The sherbet is served in silver cups. When the men's ceremony ends, the women's begins and lasts until midnight. The women first gather at the man's side's house and then go together to the girl's house. Here the festivities begin; the women sing dance tunes together and play the def (frame drum). As the night goes on, the celebration moves towards the place where the engagement will be held. The man's side's chest of goods is placed in the middle of the room, opened, and its contents shown one by one to the women who come. The jewellery is put on the bride-to-be, and so the ceremony goes on. In the morning, the girl's side sends the engagement ring to the man's house with a jug of sherbet. The groom-to-be puts the ring on his finger and gives sherbet and a tip to the woman who brought it. In every month between the engagement and the wedding, a “Pay Töreni” (Gelin Görme, seeing the bride) is held. Source: Archive of the Muş Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism
Nevşehir
The Kayaşehir (rock city) quarter of Nevşehir covers an area of about 437,400 square metres. The rock-cut hillside settlement around the castle includes a monastery going back to the 6th century and a Byzantine rock church dated 1215–1217. The Kaya Mosque, the Kara Mosque and the Damat İbrahim Pasha Complex are among the city's important buildings. In the Hacıbektaş district are the Tomb and Museum of Hacı Bektaş-ı Veli, and in Avanos you can visit the Suspension Bridge and the Hair Museum.
Niğde
The Niğde Ethnography and Archaeology Museum was built in 1976 and displays 12,000 works from antiquity and the Seljuk and Ottoman periods. The Ak Medrese is also used as a museum. The Alâeddin Mosque, built in 1233, is the city's oldest mosque. The Sungur Bey Mosque was built in 1335, the Ak Medrese in 1409 and the Hanım Mosque in 1452. The Hüdâvend Hatun Kümbet (tomb) dates from 1312–13. The Gümüşler Monastery, from the Roman period, is 8 kilometres from the city. The Clock Tower was built in 1901–02. There are many restored old houses and mansions in the city centre.
Ordu
BIRTH: In our region births now take place in hospitals. Home births with the help of a midwife, as in the past, have almost ended. For 40 days after the birth the mother is not given any work. On the 40th day the mother and child go on a visit called kırk uçurma. When the newborn starts teething, a dish called "diş buğdayı" (tooth wheat) is prepared and offered to neighbours and relatives. CIRCUMCISION: In our region circumcision is usually done when boys are at an odd-numbered age (1, 3, 5, 7, 9). Dressed in circumcision outfits, the boys are driven around in a convoy of cars before the circumcision. A circumcision bed is prepared at home. The Quran is recited for the boy and refreshments are offered to guests. At circumcision celebrations held in halls there is also entertainment. The boy is given various presents, and money or gold is pinned on him as a gift. MARRIAGE: Both on the coast and in most of our districts and towns, arranged marriage is one of our customs that is being forgotten. The henna night, held at the bride's house the night before the wedding, which takes place at the groom's house or in halls in the city centre, keeps its traditional form. In our province, especially in villages, on henna nights the groom's family takes henna to the bride's family, and the bride's family takes various trousseau items and gifts, called bohça, to the groom's family. On henna nights there is a henna ceremony and a ceremony of making the bride cry (gelin ağlatma), during which local folk songs are sung. The wedding itself consists of several parts: led by the wedding steward (düğün kahyası) and another appointed person, guests are welcomed with a band of drum, clarinet and kemençe; rifles and pistols are fired at the chimneys and eaves of the wedding house; guests are served food, above all keşkek; local dances are danced; people go to fetch the bride; there is a welcome at the bride's house, where chest and door tips are given; the road is blocked to collect tips; and a sacrificial animal is slaughtered. Military service and working away from home: Throughout our province, young men who have reached military age visit their older relatives to kiss their hands and say goodbye. At the send-off ceremony people dance to drum and zurna, and the farewell is made with friends and relatives. Hıdrellez: 6 May is Hıdrellez, the festival of culture and spring. Our people keep Hıdrellez alive from generation to generation, from 7 to 70, by displaying the customs and traditions connected with this day. Hıdrellez, believed to be a day of abundance and plenty, when wishes are granted and Hızır and İlyas meet, has a very important place in our society. People go to springs, the seashore, groves and similar places to celebrate in various ways. Mayıs Yedisi (Seventh of May): “Mayıs Yedisi”, celebrated every year on the twentieth of May, is known as the day Hızır and İlyas meet each other at the point where the sea water touches the land after the waves break. Mayıs Yedisi gathers around the same beliefs and customs as Hıdrellez, but there is a difference in days arising from the Gregorian and Hijri calendars. On this day there is a strong belief that passing through seven waves is extremely beneficial and will free you from that year's illnesses and troubles. LOCAL DISHES: Hamsili pilav (anchovy pilaf), karalahana çorbası (collard greens soup), karalahana sarması (stuffed collard leaves) and Ünye pilaf, hamsi tava (fried anchovies), hamsi buğulaması (steamed anchovies), içli hamsi (stuffed anchovies), pancar sarması (stuffed beet leaves), mısır çorbası (corn soup), Circassian chicken, tirmit (mushrooms), yumurtalı sakarca (sakarca greens with eggs) and yağlı. LOCAL DRESS: Women's costume: Underneath, a shirt of white woven linen is worn. The shirt has a stand-up collar and long sleeves. It is open at the front to the waist and fastened with silver buttons. On each side of the front there are stitched decorative pleats. Below, baggy trousers (don) with a high crotch are worn. The legs of the don are pulled up to the knee so that about a hand's width shows below the dress, and tucked into the socks. Patterned knee-high socks called "Yargan Garası" or "Alaçorap" are worn with çarık sandals. Over the shirt a fistan dress is worn, gathered or loosely pleated at the waist. Over the fistan an işlik is worn, made of the same fabric as the fistan but in a different colour, reaching to just below the bust. A striped woollen sash is wound around the waist; this rectangular sash, folded diagonally, takes the shape of two offset triangles. A white çember headscarf edged with sequins is put on the head, folded into a triangle, passed under the chin and tied at the top. Over it a second white çember edged with beaded oya is worn: first folded into a triangle, then folded narrower, placed on top of the head with the point at the back, and tied at the back. Gold coins strung on a red ribbon are worn around the neck. Men's costume: First an undershirt is put on, open at the front to the waist and fastened with a single button. Over it goes a mintan called entari: white, with a slightly stand-up collar, buttoned at the front. Below, a zıpka is worn, made of şayak, a cloth woven from black sheep's wool. The zıpka has a drawstring waist and is loose, narrowing towards the ankles. The hem of the entari is tucked in and the drawstring at the waist is tied tightly. The trouser legs are tucked into knee-high woollen socks called "yargan karası" or "alaçordup", with çarık sandals worn over the socks. A black leather belt with a silver şapşak (a flat dangling silver ornament) on each side is worn at the waist, with a pistol on the right and a dagger on the left, and a yağlık (yağdanlık) hung at the back. Over the entari a waistcoat of the same fabric as the zıpka is worn, reaching to the waist, and over that an aba coat of the same fabric, with a Haydari collar and long sleeves. A beaded purse is put in the breast pocket and left hanging out. Over the aba a hamail (shoulder strap) is worn diagonally from the right shoulder to under the left arm. The headgear is also of the zıpka fabric, lined with red cloth. FOLK DANCES AND FOLKLORE: Since its founding, Ordu province has generally been a stopping and resting place for many peoples, so the peoples who came to Ordu have had a great influence on its folklore. Although Ordu's folklore therefore does not come one hundred per cent from its own sources, it cannot be denied that it has a folkloric character born of the mingling of these peoples. Ordu province has a folklore shaped by the horon, Caucasian dances and the halay, so its folk songs, like its dances, have the mild air of a quick tempo. People from Trabzon and around brought the "HORON", those from Batumi and around the "CAUCASIAN" dances and those from Central Anatolia the "HALAY", developing and blending them in both dance and music, and so styles of dance particular to Ordu emerged, for example "METELİK" and "ORDU KARŞILAMASI". These two dances are neither horon nor Caucasian, but if you look closely you will see figures from both in them. That is why "Metelik" and "Ordu Karşılaması" are dances that belong to Ordu. The dances widely performed in Ordu can be summed up as follows. 1- Horons: a) Gürcü Horonu b) Dik Horon c) Mısırlıoğlu Horonu d) Sallama 2- Karşılama-type dances (line dances): a) Ordu Karşılaması b) Ordu'nun Sokakları c) Su Sızıyor Sızıyor d) Miralay 3- Pıtık dances danced everywhere a) Horons - Mısıroğlu Horonu - Tulum Horonu - Sallama - Nalcı Horonu - Melet Horonu b) Karşılama-type dances (line dances) - Lazutlar - Miralay - Bahçelerde Pırasa c) Dances in halay style - Tamzara - Temurağa d) Religious dances - Semahs WHAT ORDU PROVINCE IS FAMOUS FOR: Türkiye's hazelnut and honey store, Boztepe, the Çamlık picnic area, Cape Yason and its church, the Keyfalan Plateau WHERE DOES THE PROVINCE'S NAME COME FROM? Its old name is "Kotyora". The people changed this name over time. Source: https://www.topragizbiz.com/threads/ordu-yoresel-gelenek-ve-gorenekleri-adetleri.466/
Osmaniye
Karakucak wrestling, a traditional style of wrestling held in Kadirli, is one of the province's best-known events. Karatepe kilims and Kadirli prayer beads carved from juniper (andız) wood are handicrafts registered as geographical indications.
Rize
Rize's folklore is rich. Mani (quatrains) known locally as atma or kesme türkü, proverbs, idioms and riddles are widespread. The horon and the karşılama are the leading folk dances. On the coast the dances are accompanied by the kemençe (Black Sea fiddle), and inland by the tulum (bagpipe). In the Güneysu area the harmonica is played, and in some Laz and Hemşin villages, though rarely, the boxwood kaval. Dress also varies by area. On the coast the peştamal (wrap), a waistcoat called the fermene and a linen kamis (shirt) are worn. Hemşin women's dress is notable for the foga, an apron called the koknoç, and the şar and puşi (headscarf pair). Men's dress includes a hood called the kukula and shoes called çapula.
Sakarya
Sakarya has a multicultural character. This variety shows in its food culture, its wedding, circumcision and funeral ceremonies, its folk dances and its traditional handicrafts. The dishes made in the province are said to number more than nine hundred. The Hanımeli Mansion in Taraklı is counted among its historic buildings. The house where Atatürk stayed on his visit to Adapazarı now serves as the Sakarya Museum. In 2021 Adapazarı won the title of cycling city with an award it received in Denmark.
Samsun
SAMSUN CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS In Samsun, especially in the villages, great importance is given to customs and traditions. Foremost among those that live on are weddings, funerals and religious holidays (bayram), which are observed with great care. At both weddings and funerals, everything is done in unity and solidarity. For example, all the women help with the food for a wedding: they gather at the wedding house a few days beforehand and roll out the pastry for desserts together. Once the dishes and desserts are made, they are offered to the guests. At the groom's house drums are played or the Qur'an is recited, and at the bride's house the saz is played. The groom's side takes a henna tray to the bride's house. The village girls gather around the bride, sing henna songs to her and try to make her cry. Food is served on the henna night, and so the night ends. Around noon the next day the groom is brought before the wedding party and gifts of jewellery are pinned on. Then they go to fetch the bride, who is taken to the groom's house, and the hands of the elders are kissed. As the bride arrives at the house she is given a Qur'an, bread, water and a glass; as she enters she pours out the water and breaks the glass. In the morning the duvak (veil) ceremony is held and the wedding ends. At funerals, the sala (call announcing a death) is given after the death. The deceased is washed, shrouded and taken to the mosque, where the funeral prayer is performed. After the burial, Yasin is recited. No food is cooked in the house of the deceased on the first night; neighbours and relatives bring food. The Qur'an is recited on the first night. After the fortieth day, a mevlit is recited. During this period, people visit the house to offer condolences. At the bayrams, graves are visited the day before. On the first day of the bayram the village men go to the mosque for the bayram prayer, and on leaving the mosque they kiss the elders' hands. At Ramazan Bayramı a meal is eaten on returning home. People put on clean bayram clothes, kiss the hands of the village elders and exchange greetings. Children are given sweets, chocolate, handkerchiefs and money. At Kurban Bayramı the sacrificial animal is slaughtered on returning from the mosque, a meal is eaten and the bayram is celebrated. SAMSUN TRADITIONAL DRESS Men's dress: Men wore a shirt called içlik, aba (woollen) breeches or English-style riding breeches, and an aba jacket. On their feet they wore patterned or plain knitted wool socks and pointed çakır (rawhide sandals), later rubber shoes or pointed, high-heeled lace-up shoes or aceska. A woollen sash was wound around the waist. In rural areas hand-knitted woollen hats called ‘kalabalık', kalpaks or eight- or twelve-panel caps and waistcoats are worn. Even today, in almost every district of our province except the central one, you can still see people wearing aba jackets, pointed high-heeled shoes and eight- or twelve-panel caps. Women's dress: Women wore an undershirt of sile cloth, a velvet cepken (jacket) embroidered with metallic thread, sire satin şalvar (baggy trousers) beneath, and a velvet üç etek (three-skirted robe) embroidered with metallic thread covering the whole body. Over the üç etek went a cloth apron, peştamal or shawl, and around the waist a fine knitted wool belt or a silver belt. A sequinned yaşmak (head scarf) was tied on the head, a beşibirlik (five-in-one gold coin) was worn, and on the feet embroidered or plain wool socks and çarık (rawhide sandals). Women's dress of this kind has been carried down to the present especially in the village of Tahtaköprü in our Vezirköprü district. SAMSUN LOCAL DISHES Keşkek and tirit lead Samsun cuisine. Besides black cabbage, yoghurt soup and corn soup, yazı pancarı and the dessert Kocakarı Gerdanı are also famous. Breads particular to the area are made in the villages, and the fame of Samsun pide has spread all over the world. Corn, cabbage and dried beans are prominent in Samsun's diet. Dishes with meat, rice and dough are common. Poultry such as goose, chicken and duck holds an important place in the traditional diet. Plants such as lorgon, kırçan, kaldırayak, madımak and nünük are made into fried dishes or soups. Local dishes include Tir (goose yufka), Yer Pancarı (Yazı Pancarı), Mısır Çorbası (corn soup), Yoğurtlu Çorba (yoghurt soup), Mercimekli Bulgur Pilavı (bulgur pilaf with lentils), Keşkek, Karalahana Çorbası (black cabbage soup), Hamsili Ekmek (anchovy bread), Hamsili Pilav (İli Pilav), Oymaağaç Kebabı, Halukça and Kocakarı Gerdanı (Burma). SAMSUN FOLK DANCES AND FOLKLORE Samsun lies where the Eastern and Western Black Sea meet, and its very ancient civilisation and its highly changeable make-up, owing to migrations in the 19th and early 20th centuries, give it a varied culture. Research has been carried out in Samsun on marriage, folk cuisine, folk medicine, folk veterinary practice, circumcision customs, lullabies, dishes, winter preparations and foods, birth, tongue-twisters, death, kani, gelin ağlatma (making the bride cry), riddles, proverbs, legends, tales, folk drama, beliefs, the folk calendar and weather lore, vernacular architecture, handicrafts, folk dances and dress, and added to the archive of the Ministry of Culture's General Directorate of Research and Development of Folk Cultures. Some of the dances of the Samsun area are performed holding hands, holding hands with elbows linked, or with hands on shoulders, and there are also dances performed face to face without holding hands. Figures include crouching, clapping, crossing steps, heel or toe tapping, and turning. The dances are usually performed by the dancers moving around within a set area; a few are danced in a straight line (for example the alafranga dance). A circle is never formed. The dances generally begin slowly and speed up in later parts. In some dances the dancers let out shouts (Sarhoş barı and kaba ceviz). Karşılama-type dances commonly feature a shoulder-shaking figure, and men's shoulder-shaking is heavier and more upright than women's. In terms of folk dances, Samsun is one of our country's transition zones. Balkan immigrants who settled in the region after the founding of the Republic brought the hora and karşılama. Migration from the Eastern Black Sea made varieties of horon widespread. Semah, the religious dances of our Alevi citizens in areas such as Ladik district, can also be found in Samsun. As you can see, dances of all three different characters of Turkish folk dance can be found in Samsun. Alaçam: Sarıkız, Tombul gelin, Samsun sallaması dances. Bafra: Sarıkız ikileme, Demirağa, Zirto, Kabadayı, Kasap, Samsun horonu, Tombul gelin, Rumeli dik horonu, Köroğlu, Kızlar havası. Çarşamba: Çarşamba çiftetellisi, Çarşamba düz oyun havası, Çarşamba karşılaması, Sağır perde, Anadolu çiftetellisi, Karaçalı, Kasap, Kaba ceviz, Alafranga, Gürcü horonu. Salıpazarı: Üçlü horon. Terme: Üçlü horon, Gürcü horonu, Horon kurma. Ladik: Üç ayak, Makinalı, Tamzara, Hoşbilezik, Temurağa, Sarhoşbarı, Sarıkız, Oduncular, Ağam ben yandım, Yelleme, Ladik horonu, Ladik semahı. Vezirköprü: Sarıkız, Oduncular. KNOWN FOR: Tobacco production, the Çarşamba and Bafra delta plains, the Havza and Ladik hot springs, the Atatürk Monument, Bafra pide Source: https://www.umiforum.org/il-ilce-koylerimiz/10974-samsun-gelenek-ve-gorenekleri.html
Siirt
Folk poetry and poets: Anthologies contain no works by folk poets from the area. The mixed social structure and the features of the local languages are among the main reasons for this. Manis (folk quatrains): The tradition of singing manis is not as lively and widespread in Siirt as in other provinces. When women mani singers come to weddings, they sing Arabic quatrains resembling manis to the groom and his brothers. These are mostly praises sung in the hope of a tip. As mani singers have grown fewer, and the quatrains have lost their appeal through constant repetition, the tradition has all but disappeared. Proverbs and sayings used in Siirt: - Do not give a job to the unqualified. - Whoever fears the evening rain takes precautions in the afternoon. - A black dog does not turn white. - Inviting is custom; if they come, we are grateful; if they don't, it is a blessing. - To the poor: where from? To the rich: welcome. - The potter drinks water from a broken bowl. - Whoever keeps a camel keeps a wide door. - The lion the fox has tied, the mouse sets free. - When the ox falls, the knives are sharpened. - Whoever finds no one to consult should consult a stone. - Work Saturday and Sunday, get used to not being in need. - My life ended before I knew who my friend was. - May God not make the ignorant a master. - No trousers on his backside, yet he wants trouser cuffs. - Those who know, know; those who don't take it for a pinch of lentils. - When the valley is empty, the fox becomes governor. - Pity the land whose ruler is a child. - Turn the jug upside down: the daughter takes after her mother. - Some misfortunes make you laugh, some make you cry. - Better than nothing, even a sip of water is good. - For the sake of his desires he ended up in jail. - The father of the winner has gone to Aleppo. - Debt is worse than a sore eye. - The creditor does not strangle the debtor. - Pessimism darkens, happiness brightens. - The ewer became a gentleman, the broom a lady. - He prepared the fodder before the horse arrived. - I am looking for a loyal friend, for hard days. - Were it not for death, hardship would never end. - Ten people together could not kill one mouse. - At the end of every hardship there is relief. - God said, “Get up and I will get up with you,” not “Lie down and I will pour it into your throat.” - Whoever does not value their feet tires their hands. - God gave plums to a mouth with no teeth. Poems of Siirt: In his poems of the East, Hilmi YAVUZ, who is from Siirt, voices the sorrow and pain of the East. The book, which opens with the legacy of the East, contains its loves, deaths, women, babies, exiles and migrant workers. These poems give the history of the East, its life today and the questions asked in the face of this sad, painful life. In his poem “Doğunun Bebeleri” (Babies of the East), the East is drawn in full with a realistic view: the babies of the East are not stone dolls / they spend pain on trachoma, daytime on labour, / the day on a future / say their mothers are the plain, their fathers the mountain / and their pacifiers rifles. After this poem, which tells of the East in a deep flow, the poet describes Siirt in his poem “Doğudan Bir Kent” (A City from the East). Siirt is a city that symbolises the pain, sorrow, past and present of the East. Siirt, a city of treeless graveyard childhood, natural lime, / there every well knows as much water as a saint / a city of clay for sorrow, sand for anger, / there oleander fills feeling from end to end / Siirt, a city of windy, epileptic youth, a caravanserai for all, / it picks over time like the rice of fear / its beggar, a blind narcissus city, / buries a dead honey in a bee without a comb / Siirt, a city of grapes as mirrors, old age of concrete tulips, / there even autumn withers, along with pain / exiles rot in the bedding cupboards / and death, like a great family, / scatters through its mansions (English rendering of the Turkish poems) Source: http://www.siirtmanset.com/kultur-sanat/siirt-kulturu-hakkinda-bilmedikleriniz-h24.html
Sinop
Two famous names stand out in Sinop's cultural life: the ancient philosopher Diogenes and the poet Ahmet Muhip Dıranas, both from Sinop. The prison in Sinop Castle held figures such as Sabahattin Ali, Nâzım Hikmet, Refik Halit Karay and Zekeriya Sertel; “Aldırma Gönül”, one of Sabahattin Ali's poems about the prison, became very well known. The first library was founded in 1924 under the leadership of Dr. Rıza Nur and named after him. Local music and dance use the drum, zurna, frame drum (tef), bağlama, tulum (bagpipe) and kemençe; Ayancık Eymeleri, the Boyabat Çiftetellisi and the Black Sea horon are among the dances. The TRT repertoire lists 27 folk songs from Sinop. Sinop Museum was restored in 2006, and the prison welcomed 45,000 visitors in 2004.
Sivas
Folk poets and minstrels (ozan) No doubt our folk poets, like our other artists, each have their own distinct features. No poet is exactly like another. But because almost all of them come from the same traditions and customs, they are not without similarities either. All of them play their poems on the saz and sing them. We cannot separate the folk poet from his saz. Is the magic in the saz or in the words? We cannot tell. The âşık (minstrel) looks after his saz like the apple of his eye. Âşık Veysel's saying, "Ben ölürsem sazım sen kal dünyada, Gizli sırlarımı aşikar etme" (If I die, my saz, you stay in the world; do not reveal my hidden secrets) is surely very meaningful. Almost all our poets dealt with themes such as love, death, longing, heroism, nature and religion. Love holds the place of honour. Before death our poets are meek and resigned, but deeply grieved. They sing of the devastation death leaves behind and of lost beauty and friendship. The poets and âşıks of Sivas are: Şemseddin Sivasi, Pir Sultan Abdal, Ruhsati, Kul Himmet, Suzi, Âşık Veysel, Zaralı Halil Söyler, Mesleki, Âşık Talibi, Recep Kamil, Şeyh Halit. Our other âşıks are: Sefil Selimi, Âşık Talibi, Gürünlü Âşık Rıza, Ali İzzet Özkan, Veysel Cehdi Kut, Kul Gazi, Feryadi, Belcikli Seyit, Karasarlı Seyit, Âşık İsmeti, Ali Dayı, Şükrani, Nuri Sivasi, Kul Himmet. The theme of nature, too, has been handled superbly by the poets of Sivas. It is one of the richest sides of our poets. They complete the picture of nature by depicting various animals. Besides the beauties of nature, various disasters have also found a voice in the heart of the poet and minstrel. Then it became poetry, an epic, a türkü. Looking across the Anatolian plateau, one sees that Sivas is a cradle of âşıks. The poets of Sivas are also the great figures of Sivas. All of them sang in the clearest, most essential Turkish. Their türkü and sayings have entered our everyday musical life. The türkü of almost all of them are included in radio and television programmes. We cannot go on without mentioning Muzaffer Sarısözen, founder of the Yurttan Sesler choir and master collector of folk music. In addition, the master storyteller Eflatun Cem Güney, Tevfik Aksoy Kayabeyzade, Memduh Bey and, among today's poets, Vehbi Cem Aşkun wrote essays in literature; and the radio artists Ömer Altuğ, Emel Sayın and Selahattin Erorhan are singers of Turkish classical and folk music who grew up in Sivas. Some famous sayings of our folk poets that describe their characteristics can be listed as follows. ÂŞIK VEYSEL He was born in 1894 in the village of Sivrialan in the Şarkışla district. His father was Karaca Ahmet and his mother Gülüzar Hatun. When he was 7 he lost one eye to smallpox. A cataract formed over his other eye. Before long he had lost both eyes. To keep him occupied, his father bought Âşık Veysel a saz. He took lessons from the saz masters Çamşıhlı Ali and Molla Hüseyin. At first he sang the türkü of masters such as Pir Sultan Abdal, Yunus Emre, Âşık Kerem and Âşık Erzurumlu Emrah. In 1933 the publication of the epic he wrote for the 10th anniversary of the Republic and his success at the Sivas Âşıks' Festival drew attention. With the help of Ahmet Kutsi Tecer, Veysel began to produce his own works after the age of forty. He taught saz at various Village Institutes. Âşık Veysel married twice. He was the father of two sons and four daughters. In his poems he dealt with love of country, brotherhood, unity and love of learning. On 21 March 1973 he was embraced by the black earth he called his "Sadık Yarim" (faithful love). Sivas cuisine The province's cuisine rests on farm produce. After the threshing (in autumn), preparations of winter food begin. The main ones are grinding flour, pounding and cracking bulgur, and making erişte, kadayıf and tomato paste, drying vegetables and slaughtering animals for meat. The local dishes are based mainly on flour. Keş, peskütan and çökelek are among the foods made from dairy products. In the countryside, local dishes in summer are usually ayran soup, beet-leaf soup, madımak, evelik and düğücek aşı. In winter, dough-based dishes such as tırhıt, sübüra, kelecoş, tarhana, içli köfte and hingel are eaten. In the city, vegetable dishes are usually made. Sivas kebab is famous. Kül çöreği baked in the tandır, fotla, kömbe made with potato or cheese, kete and lavaş are among the common breads of the area. Sivas local dictionary The Sivas dialect: local words and expressions Abrası olmak: one trouble coming on top of another Ağartı: foods such as milk and yoghurt Ağlenmek: of a cart: to stop, to linger Aleşmek: to sit somewhere, to settle, to stay Ahıldane: someone who gives everyone advice, a know-it-all Ahraz: mute Aktarmak: to turn and cook yufka on the sac griddle Alayı: all, the whole lot Al karısı: a legendary creature believed to visit women who have just given birth Anışdırmak: to remind someone indirectly so that they understand Arık: thin Arlanmak: to be ashamed Atlı: shameless Avgun: a hollowed stone where irrigation water is divided Avkalamak: to shake with the hands Avuz: colostrum, a mammal's first milk after giving birth Ayıtlamak: to pick over, to clean Aynı gelmek: for the reply to a letter to arrive Ayrıksı: odd, not fitting in Azınsımak: to find too little, not enough Babalanmak: to eat, in the sense of 'stuff oneself' Bacılık: sworn sisterhood Bad: a meat filling for dolma made with fine bulgur Bağdaş kurmak: to sit cross-legged Batal: big, large Bayah, bayahtan: a moment ago, just now Bekitmek: to make firm, to fasten Beslek: servant, foster child in service Bezirgân pilavı: bulgur pilaf made with onion, fat and minced meat Bezmek: to get fed up Belemek: to swaddle a baby Bıldır: last year Bibi: paternal aunt Bir cimcik: a pinch of salt; also said of a very small person Bir goşam: two handfuls Bişgel: food that cooks quickly, or well-cooked food Bişirim: enough for one cooking Bun: distress, oppression Burunlamak: to look down on Büngüldemek: to boil Cambaz: livestock dealer Camuz: water buffalo Can leğeni: the large basin in which food for a funeral is cooked Cazı: a sullen, quarrelsome, spiteful woman Ceht: determination to do something Cingan: Roma (Gypsy) Ciyiş: an elderly woman who is a close relative or neighbour Cıbır: poor, penniless Culuk: turkey Cücük: chick Çalınmak: to hunt around hastily for something Çeç: the heap of wheat separated from winnowed chaff Çecik: a way of tying a headscarf round the head Çemkürmek: to scold, to talk back; the yapping of a small dog Çemrenmek: to roll up one's trousers Çepük: applause Çelpeşük: sloppy, muddled, tangled Çevrüntü: the weed seeds, chaff and soil that collect in the middle of a sieve Çığırmak: to call; to sing a türkü Çığrık: spinning wheel, once used to spin wool Çıngı: spark Çıtlatmak: to hint at something Çimmek: to bathe Çir: dried sour apricot Çor: illness, trouble Çöçelenmek: to be unable to speak or get anything done Çöğlenmek: to tilt to one side and topple Çördük: small wild pear Çullu: well-off Çulsuz: poor, down-and-out Dadanmak: to get used to, to keep coming back to Dalamuk: slender, delicate Darazımak: of clothes: to wear thin and split at the seams Darıkmak: to be in a tight spot Dartılmak: to be haughty. Dartıla dartıla iş görmek: to work slowly and lazily Dayak: prop, support Deli depek: an unbalanced person Dene: grain, wheat Depme: large flour sack woven from wool Devlik görmek: to make winter preparations Devrisi gün: the next day Dındıklamak: to over-scrutinise Dilmek: to chop finely Dinelmek: to stand up Dingildemek: to wobble, to move about Dirliksiz: quarrelsome Dolak: a long woollen band wound round the head or knee Donak: clothing, dress, finery Donanmak: to get dressed Döşürmek: to gather Döşürüksüz: untidy; a woman who doesn't know how to keep house Dulda: a place sheltered from sun and wind Duluk: cheek Düğülcek: the finest part of bulgur, used for soup Düremeç: a snack made by putting cheese or the like inside bread Düve: a one-year-old heifer Düven: threshing sledge: a wooden board studded underneath with flints, pulled by oxen over cut crops Düzayak: a single-storey house with no stairs Eccük: a little Eğin: back Eke toka: knowing, grown-up Ekis nükte yapmak: to speak mockingly and hurtfully Eksük görmek: to buy what the household, or a girl about to marry, needs Ekti oğlak: a young animal whose mother has died, raised by another animal Elçim: a handful of wool taken up for one carding Elleşmek: to meddle, to touch Em: ointment, medicine Eme: father's sister Emiceklik vermek: to give hope, to reassure Evme: to hurry Erinmek: to be too lazy to do something Farfara: chatterbox Fing atmak: to keep dashing from place to place Firik: wheat grains roasted on the stalk Farımak: to grow old Fetil: thick yufka bread made to be eaten fresh Gabala: wholesale, in bulk Gadinge: sister-in-law; the wives of uncles or close relatives Gamga: piece of firewood Garametli: unlucky, ill-fated Geçmiş: aged, grown old; of halva: over-roasted Gelberi: an iron tool for raking ash out of the tandır Gejgere: a small two-handled stretcher Gevşemek: to chew the cud Gicişmek: to itch Gıdik: kid (young goat) Gılik: bread with a hole in the middle Görümcağız: little sister-in-law (husband's sister) Gursaklı: proud, with self-respect Gübür: rubbish, dirt Gümen: doubt, the unknown Gümenli: pregnant Güvermek: of plants: to turn green; of the body: to bruise after a knock Güvertme: a small boil on young children Harar: sack woven from wool Hasput: ox-cart wheel Hasuda: aside: a light dessert made with flour, fat, sugar and water Havflenmek: to be afraid Hayvah: alas Hedik: boiled wheat. Diş hediği: wheat boiled for a baby's first tooth Helki: water bucket Herslenmek: to get angry Hırtlak: throat Hızan: poor Horam: a handful of grass Hozan: stubble left in the field after harvest Ihmak: to collapse Ismarıç: something bought for someone else, an order İki tek: a little İleğen: basin İndiriş etmemek: to not condescend İskemi: chair İşkillenmek: to become suspicious İşmar: a wink, a sign İt dirseği: stye Ivga vermek: to incite İyeşmek: to rub up against, to clash Kanatlı: a double street door opening both ways Kanayak: woman Kanlı: murderer Karış: curse Karmak: to talk behind someone's back Kârınsıma: to count as profit Katık: ayran Kavramak: to pull up crops by hand Kavum hısım: relatives Kavurma herlesi: soup made by lightly frying flour in fat and adding salt and water Kaygana: a dish of thick beaten egg fried in fat Keçe delen: very heavy, steady rain Kehle: louse Kelecoş: a kind of thick soup made with peskütan Kelik: old shoe Kemçük: toothless Kenger: a plant whose sap is made into chewing gum Kesek: a large hard clod of earth in a field Kesmük: chaff mixed with the wheat during winnowing Keşik: turn Kete: a rich pastry filled with roasted flour Kıyımsız: stingy Kızıllanmak: to be jealous Kızı olacağı: stepdaughter Kivra: kirve, circumcision sponsor Kor (Kör): pit, grave Kömbe: a thick, rich bun once baked in the ashes Köp: the part of an ox-cart that comes under the oxen's tails Köremez: a food made from a mix of milk and yoghurt Kötülemek: to fall ill Közlemek: to roast over embers Kurcalamak: to stir, to poke about Kuşhana: a large lidded copper dish Küflet: household, family Kürük: young donkey Mahana: excuse Malamat: to be disgraced before everyone Mısmıl: good, clean Mundar: filthy, unclean Mundar etmek: to waste or spoil something Müzevir: troublemaker Nâlet: curse Natır: female attendant at the women's hamam Nekes: stingy Nemârek: what's it to me Nemrut: sullen, glum Nörüyon: What are you up to? What are you doing? Onmak: to see good days, to be happy and prosperous Ovmaç: a buttery dish made from crumbled yufka bread Oynaş: friend Öcbelemek: to insist, to keep at Öndüç: loan Özelemek: to mash yoghurt by stirring Partalcı: braggart Pehli: an aubergine dish with fried meat Pepe: stammerer Peskütan: a winter food made by cooking yoghurt with a little flour Pıskırık: sneeze Pin: henhouse Puhari: chimney Rapata: a pad used to stick dough to the wall of the tandır Sâbi: small child Seğirtmek: to run Seyip: stray, untended Sınamak: to try out Sınıkçı: bonesetter Sınmak: to break Sille: slap Sitil: bucket Soharıç: onion, fat and minced meat fried together Sohum: mouthful; a piece of bread put into the mouth Sokranmak: to grumble Sorutmak: to stand Sünmek: to stretch Süyem: the span between thumb and index finger Şeremet: quick with the hands Şire: syrup poured over desserts Şişek: a ewe of a certain age Şişmek: to be spoilt Taze gelin: new bride Tirit: the fatty juice of a dish Tohma: food that bloats and upsets the stomach Tokaç: a wooden paddle, flat at one end, used for washing wool, carpets and kilims Toklu: a ram of a certain age Tökezimek: to trip over something Tummak: to sink into water Tutam: as much as one hand can hold Tutmaç: a soup made with cut dough, lentils and yoghurt Ucun ucun: little by little Uğmaç: a food made by rubbing bread into crumbs Uğundurma tutturmak: to leave someone hungry Umma: swelling of the breasts after childbirth Urum: Anatolia Uruplağ: an old grain measure (about 13 kg for barley, 16 kg for wheat Üğürlenmek: to sway coquettishly, muttering to oneself Üleş: carcass Ürümek: to bark Variyetli: rich, well-off Vergili: a girl promised in marriage Yağarnı: back Yahşi: good, nice Yal: dog food Yarımağız: unwilling Yarımlağ: half an uruplağ Yaşmak çalmak: to tie a headscarf so that it covers the mouth Yavan: without fat, tasteless, unsalted Yayan: on foot Yeğnik: light Yekinmek: to get up suddenly Yemeni: light leather shoe Yeygü: animal fodder Yoğşumak: for dough to reach the right consistency for rolling Yumak: to wash Yumuş: errand, order Yük kemeri: bedding cupboard for mattresses and quilts Yüz yavuncusu: someone who smiles to your face Zelve: a curved peg fitted so the ox's yoke doesn't come off Zerze: a ringed door knocker Zilingir: someone who hasn't had enough sleep Zürriyet: offspring, lineage. Local expressions of Sivas This part covers oaths, prayers, curses, proverbs, riddles and idioms from the Sivas area. Oaths 1. To convince someone: - Ekmek çarpsın ki (may the bread strike me) - Işığa kör bakayım ki (may I look at the light blind) - İki gözüm çıksın (may both my eyes come out) - Kur’an’a el basayım (I'll put my hand on the Quran) - İki gözün önüme aksın (may your two eyes pour out before me) - Mus’ab çarpsınki (may the Mushaf strike me) - Yavrumun hayrını görmeyeyim (may I never see good from my child) - Falanca ile zina edeyim (may I commit adultery with so-and-so) - Eve gitmek nasip olmasın (may I never make it home) 2. To get a secret out of someone: - Allahını seversen (if you love your God) - Allah aşkına (for God's sake) - Peygamberin hakkına (by the Prophet's due) - Allah lillah aşkına (for the love of God) - Allahını seversen söyle (tell me, if you love your God) - Sevdiğinin başı için (on the head of the one you love) - Sevdiklerine kavuşmayasın (may you never be reunited with your loved ones) - Babanın canı ananın başı için (on your father's life and your mother's head) - Benim hatırım için (for my sake) 3. To make someone keep a secret: - Çocuklarının ölüsünü öpesin (may you kiss your children's corpses) - Oğlunun kızının ölüsünü öpesin (may you kiss the corpses of your son and daughter) - Ölmüşlerinin etini yiyesin (may you eat the flesh of your dead) - Kıldığın tuttuğun elin olsun (may your prayers and fasting go to others) Prayers and curses Our blessings: - Allah seni yüzseksenbeş yaşına kadar kocaltsın. (may God let you grow old to the age of 185) (Moses is believed to have died at the age of 185.) - Son beşiğim altın eşiğim. (my last cradle, my golden threshold) - Allah İmandan kur’an’dan ayırmasın (may God never part you from faith and the Quran) - Allah ne muradın varsa onu versin. (may God grant whatever you wish) - Allah görünmez kazalardan esirgesin. (may God protect you from unforeseen accidents) - Allah tuttuğunu altın etsin. (may God turn everything you touch to gold) - Sofrana Halil İbrahim bereketi dolsun. (may your table be filled with the abundance of Abraham) - Yerin durağın cennet olsun. (may your resting place be paradise) - Kötü talih kapını çalmasın inşallah. (may bad luck never knock at your door) - Hızır yoldaşın olsun. (may Hızır be your companion) Our curses: - Allah seni yok eder inşallah (may God destroy you) - Allah seni yerin dibine sokar inşallah (may God sink you into the ground) - Allah karaltını kaldırır inşallah (may God wipe out your shadow) - Allah cızırtını vere (may God give you grief) - Atlar kuyruğunda gidesin inşallah (may you be dragged off at horses' tails) - Ölmeyesinde sürüm sürüm sürünesin (may you not die but drag yourself along in misery) - Babasının gözünü yılanlar vura (may snakes bite his father's eyes) - Boynu altında kalsın (may his neck be broken under him) - Anan baban derine gide (may your mother and father go deep under) - Boyu devrilesica (may his stature be felled) - Çatında budunda kala inşallah (may you be stuck where you are) - Doğmaz olaydın (if only you had never been born) - Eskin eskine kalmaz inşallah (may your old things not stay with you) - Karaltın kalkar inşallah (may your shadow vanish) - Gidişin ola da dönüşün olmaya (may you go and never come back) - Son gittiğin olur inşallah (may this be your last journey) - Ömrün kesilasıca (may your life be cut short) - Yerde yaşayasıca (may you live on the floor) - Yerde oturasıca (may you sit on the floor) - Oyunun ola koyunun olmaya (may you have fun but no sheep) - Koyunun ola konun (ağıl) olmaya (may you have sheep but no fold) - Konun ola da koyunun olmaya (may you have a fold but no sheep) - Allah tavuğumu çalının çırnağı gözüne batsın, tüyü yüzünde bitsin (may the thorn of whoever stole my chicken pierce his eye and its feathers grow on his face) - Allah belanı versin (God damn you) - Allah canın alsın (may God take your life) - Ocağın sönsün (may your hearth go out) - Adı bilinmedik derde düşesin (may you fall to a nameless illness) - Gidişin olsunda gelişin olmasın (may you go and never return) - Her nefesde döşünden sızı gelsin (may your chest ache with every breath) - Aşından ekmek çıksın (may your food lose its bread) - İyi nimetlere perhiz tutasın (may you have to abstain from good food) - Yavrunu bağrına bastığın zaman kuçağında taş göresin (when you hug your child, may you find a stone in your arms) - Damı çökesice (may his roof cave in) - Ocağı batasıca (may his hearth be ruined) - Bugünler de mazarını kazsınlar (may they dig your grave one of these days) - Döşekte uzanıp ölmeyesin (may you lie in bed and be unable to die) - Kazancın ilaçlara yetmesin (may your earnings not cover your medicine) - Ömrün uzun olsun dert ile yaşa (may you live long, in sorrow) There are also sayings that look like curses but are not. These are called reverse curses. For example: - Çekilsin damarın kanın kurusun (said fondly, literally: may your veins shrink and your blood dry up) - Yastık yoldaşınla ihtiyar olma (literally: may you not grow old with your spouse) - Davulu önünde gidasıca (literally: may you go with a drum before you, i.e. to your own wedding) - Cuma günü ölesıce (literally: may you die on a Friday, a blessed day) - Allah cezanı alsın (literally: may God take your punishment) - Ölü kargalar gözünü oysun (literally: may dead crows peck your eyes) - Göçmüş duvar üstüne yıkılsın (literally: may a fallen wall collapse on you) - Susuz, derelerde boğulasın (literally: may you drown in dry streams) Idioms Acısını çıkarmak (to make up for a loss) Adamlığı öğrenmek. (to learn how to behave) Ağırdan almak (to drag one's feet) Ağzını toplamak. (to watch one's words) Aklına koymak (to set one's mind on something) Ayakkabı dar olunca, dünya geniş olmuş, ne fayda? (when your shoe is tight, what use is a wide world?) Bit yeniği (something fishy) Burnu sürtülmek (to be taken down a peg) Cereme çekmek. (to pay for someone else's fault) Çırasını yakmak. (to light someone's torch, i.e. to set them up) Çizme rafa çıkmış ama, ne muştalar yemiş. (the boot made it to the shelf, but after taking many blows) Dâvâ çalmak (to bear a grudge) Değirmen sele gitmiş sen şakşağını arıyorsun. (the mill was swept away by the flood and you're looking for its clapper) Eliyle etmek (to bring something on oneself) Eşeğe gücü yetmez, palanını (semerini) döver. (he can't handle the donkey, so he beats its saddle) Ezel yemez idim bal ile kaymak şimdi tablalardan keşkapan oldum. (once I wouldn't eat honey and cream, now I scrape the leftovers from the trays) Gafil avlanmak (to be caught off guard) Gelin oyunu sever, düğün mahana (bahane). (the bride loves to dance; the wedding is just the excuse) Gelin de severdi gülüp oynamayı bahtından güvey de çalgıcı çıktı. (the bride loved laughing and dancing, and as luck would have it the groom turned out to be a musician) Gönlü olmak (to be willing) Günahını almak (to wrong someone by suspecting them) Hatır yıkmak (to offend someone) İçi açılmak (to cheer up) İflahı kesilmek (to be worn out) İnadım inat, kör Murat. (stubborn as blind Murat) İssisi (sahibi) veriyor da tellalı vermiyor. (the owner is willing to sell, but the broker isn't) Karış vermek: (Beddua etmek) (to curse someone) Kirli çıkı (dirty bundle, i.e. a dark secret) Küsen yatağını ayrı sersin. (whoever sulks can make their bed elsewhere) Lokman Hekim gelse çare bulunmaz. (not even Lokman the physician could cure it) Mescidin içi dururken dışı haramdır. (while the inside of the mosque is free, praying outside is forbidden) Nefis körlemek (to take the edge off one's hunger) Nuh der peygamber demez. (he says Noah but never prophet, i.e. he won't budge) Ocağı kül olmak (for one's hearth to turn to ash, i.e. to be ruined) Ölür müsün, öldürür müsün ? (would you die or kill? said of something maddening) Para delisi (money-mad) Püsküllü belâ (a real nuisance) Sarmısağı gelin etmişler kırk gün kokusu çıkmamış (they made the garlic a bride and for forty days its smell didn't go) Sulu göz (crybaby) Surat etmek (to sulk) Şafak attı (dawn broke, i.e. one's time is nearly up) Şeytan kulağına kurşun (touch wood) Taşa tutmak (to pelt with stones) Un ufak etmek (to smash to pieces) Üst başa geçmek (to get above oneself) Vergili el (a generous hand) Verip veriştirmek (to give someone a piece of one's mind) Vursan ölür, vurmasan kısmetini elinden alır. (hit him and he dies, don't and he takes your share) Yağlı ballı olmak (to be very close friends) Yan çizmek (to shirk) Yedi canlı (having seven lives) Yüze gülmek (to smile to someone's face) Riddles Alaca karga, bulaca karga, içi dolu kavurga ? (nar) (a speckled crow, full of roasted grain inside? (pomegranate)) Altı odunluk, üstü unluk ? (iğde) (wood below, flour on top? (oleaster)) Anası su, babası taş, yedi âleme baş ? (tuz) (its mother is water, its father stone, it rules seven worlds? (salt)) Avcuma sığar, ambara sığmaz ? (övendire) (fits in my hand but not in a barn? (ox goad)) Bahası büyük, yükü yeğnik ? (altın) (high in price, light in weight? (gold)) Bir küçücük fıçım var, iki türlü su yutar ? (yumurta) (I have a tiny barrel that holds two kinds of liquid? (egg)) Bir tencerem var kapaklı, etrafı saçaklı ? (göz) (I have a pot with a lid and a fringe around it? (eye)) Bir yorganım var, toprağı tutar denizi tutmaz ? (kar) (I have a quilt that covers the land but not the sea? (snow)) Burdan attım kılıcı, halep’te oynar bir ucu ? (şimşek) (I threw a sword from here and its tip dances in Aleppo? (lightning)) Çalı dibinde mum yanar ? (tavşan) (a candle burns under the bush? (hare)) Çıt demeden çalıya geçti ? (güneş ışığı) (it crossed into the bush without a sound? (sunlight)) Dağ başında kara papak. (keçi) (a black fur cap on the mountaintop (goat)) Elemez melemez, ocak başına gelemez, gelse de duramaz ? (yağ) (it can't come near the hearth, and if it does it can't stay? (butter)) Etten kantar, altın tartar ? (kulak-küpe) (a scale of flesh that weighs gold? (ear and earring)) Ey milidi milidi, dış kapının kilidi, yatsıdan sonra bize gelen kim idi ? (uyku) (lock of the outer door, who was it that came to us after the night prayer? (sleep)) Ey yurtlar yüce yurtlar, yusuf’u yiyen kurtlar, tırnağından su içer, tepesinden yumurtlar ? (buğday) (high lands, wolves that ate Joseph, it drinks water from its toes and lays eggs from its top? (wheat)) İki küçük mil taşı, dolanır dağı taşı ? (göz) (two little millstones that roam mountains and rocks? (eyes)) Kabuğu var içi yok, sopa yer suçu yok ? (davul) (it has a shell but no inside, it gets beaten through no fault of its own? (drum)) Kat kattır ama katmer değil, kırmızıdır ama elma değil, yenir ama meyva değil? (soğan) (layered but not a pastry, red but not an apple, eaten but not a fruit? (onion)) Kokusu var gül değil, toz gibi ama kül değil, dağı taşı devirir dev değil ? (barut) (it has a smell but isn't a rose, it's like dust but isn't ash, it topples mountains but isn't a giant? (gunpowder)) Oniki oğlu, dört kızı var ? (yıl) (it has twelve sons and four daughters? (the year)) Uçar kuş değil, karadır taş değil ? (tıstan böceği) (it flies but isn't a bird, it's black but isn't a stone? (dung beetle)) Dağda tapılar suda çıpılar arşın ayaklı burma bıyıklı ? (balta, balık, leylek, tavşan) (it thuds on the mountain, splashes in the water, has yard-long legs and a curled moustache? (axe, fish, stork, hare)) Kuyu, kuyunun içinde suyu suyunun içinde yılan yılanın ağzında mercan ? (gazlambası, gazyağı, fitil, ateş) (a well, water in the well, a snake in the water, coral in the snake's mouth? (oil lamp, paraffin, wick, flame)) Keser sapı kol, el, parmak, tırnaklar.) (an adze handle? (arm, hand, fingers, nails)) Gara dağ Gara dağın altında kalem dağ Kalem dağın altında ışıldar Işıldarın altında mışıldar Mışıldarın altında bir torba kıl ? (saç, baş, göz, burun, bıyık, sakal) (a black mountain, below it a pen-shaped mountain, below that something that shines, below that something that snores, below that a bag of hair? (hair, head, eyes, nose, moustache, beard)) Proverbs Acı (yiti) sirke küpüne zarar verir. (sharp vinegar harms its own jar) Bakan göze yasak olmaz. (there's no ban on a looking eye) Çıkacak cana ceza olmaz. (a departing soul can't be punished) Dağ dağ üstünde olur, ev ev üstünde olmaz. (iki aile bir arada barınamaz) (mountains can sit on mountains, but houses can't sit on houses: two families can't share a home) Deli dağdan, aşık sudan, akıllı yeşillikten hoşlanır. (the madman likes mountains, the lover water, the wise man greenery) Eken biçer, konan göçer, cennetin kapısını cömertler açar. (who sows reaps, who settles moves on, the generous open heaven's door) El karnı ağrıyınca kara donu giydirir. (when a stranger's stomach aches, he dresses you in black) El yumruğunu bilmeyen kendi yumruğunu değirmen taşı sanır. (one who hasn't felt another's fist thinks his own is a millstone) En kötü koca bir dağdan iyi gölge verir. (even the worst husband gives better shade than a mountain) Gavur içinde din artmaz, yoksul içinde mal artmaz. (religion doesn't grow among unbelievers, wealth doesn't grow among the poor) Gönül halden bilmez, Erciyes’ten kar ister. (the heart doesn't understand circumstances, it asks for snow from Erciyes) Gurbette öğünmekle hamamda türkü söylemek kolaydır. (boasting abroad and singing in the bathhouse are easy) Hak doğrunun yardımcısıdır, arşa çıkıncaya kadar. (God helps the honest, all the way to heaven) Hançer yarası geçer de dil yarası geçmez. (a dagger wound heals, a wound from the tongue doesn't) Huylu huyundan vazgeçmez, ya öle, ya gebere. (a creature of habit never changes, until he dies) İşine (sanatına) hor bakan, boğazına torba takar. (who looks down on his trade ends up with a nosebag round his neck) İtinen (itle) yatan bitle kalkar. (who lies down with dogs gets up with lice) Kadındır adamı deli eder, kadındır deliyi adam eder. (a woman can drive a man mad, and a woman can make a madman a man) Kadının yüklendiği göç şuraya varmaz. (a move loaded by a woman doesn't get far) Kaynanalı gelin hatun gelin, kaynanasız gelin natır gelin (dir). (a bride with a mother-in-law is a lady, a bride without one is a bath attendant) Kel ölür sırma saçlı, kör ölür badem gözlü (olur). (the bald man dies golden-haired, the blind man almond-eyed) Kılıç kınını kesmez. (a sword doesn't cut its own sheath) Leyleğin ömrü lak lakla geçer. (the stork's life passes in clattering) Mal biter malamatlık bitmez. (wealth runs out, disgrace doesn't) Mart ayı dert ayı (dır). (March is the month of trouble) Meyvalı ağacı taşlarlar. (people throw stones at the tree that bears fruit) Nasibi kesilen itin kurban bayramı arifesinde ayağı kırılır. (the unlucky dog breaks its leg on the eve of the Feast of Sacrifice) Ne ekersen onu biçersin (you reap what you sow) Nerde kazan kaynar orda maymun oynar. (where the cauldron boils, the monkey dances) Oğlan anasını, inek danasını bilir. (a boy knows his mother, a cow its calf) Olan dört bağlar, olmayan dert bağlar. (the haves tie four knots, the have-nots tie troubles) Paralı adamdan dağlar da korkar. (even mountains fear a rich man) Rahat koyun yerinden oynamaz. (a contented sheep doesn't stray) Rüzgâr eken fırtına biçer. (who sows wind reaps a storm) Saç sefadan, tırnak cefadan uzar. (hair grows from pleasure, nails from hardship) Sağırın oğlu ağlamaz. (the deaf man's son doesn't cry) Su aktığı yere yine akar (water flows where it flowed before) Şalgam suya düşünce yağ oldum sanır. (the turnip falls in water and thinks it has become butter) Toprağı işleyen, ekmeği dişler. (who works the soil gets to bite the bread) Yenenle yanana dağ bile dayanmaz. (not even a mountain can withstand those who eat and burn) Zülm ile âbâd olanın, ömrü berbat olur. (whoever prospers through cruelty has a ruined life) Ağustostan sonra ekilen darıdan Bal vermeyen arıdan Kocasından sonra kalkan karıdan Haram kazanılan paradan Kimseye hayır gelmez (millet sown after August, a bee that gives no honey, a wife who gets up after her husband, money earned unlawfully: no good comes to anyone from these) Allahümme ferden Sakın kelden körden İlle topaldan ille topaldan (Lord, protect us from the bald and the blind, and above all from the lame) Altundan kupa olsa, susuz çeşmeden dolmaz (even a golden cup can't be filled from a dry fountain) Yiğit ne kadar mert olsa, düşenin dostu olmaz (however brave a man is, the fallen have no friends) Ananın ilki olmaktansa dağlarda tilki ol. (better to be a fox in the mountains than a mother's firstborn) Aslı paktan kemlik gelmez şek Katıra güvenme babası eşek (no doubt no harm comes from good stock; don't trust the mule, its father is a donkey) Ayağını sıcak tut başını serin Kendine bir iş tut düşünme derin. (keep your feet warm and your head cool; find yourself work and don't brood) Deh demeden giden at Buyurmadan gören evlat Eve girince gülen avrat Gir oyna çok oyna. (a horse that goes without urging, a child who helps without being told, a wife who smiles when you come home: go in and dance to your heart's content) Deh demeden gitmeyen at Buyurmadan görmeyen evlat Eve girince gülmeyen avrat Gir ağla, çık ağla. (a horse that won't go without urging, a child who won't help unless told, a wife who doesn't smile when you come home: you'll weep going in and coming out) Dostun sofrasında ben yemem deme, elin gitsin gelsin yemesen de. (at a friend's table never say you won't eat; keep your hand moving even if you don't) Dur dur durmuşa var Askerden gelmişe var Karısı ölene var Kıymetini bilene var (Kıymetini bilenle evlen) (marry a settled man, marry one back from the army, marry a widower, marry the one who knows your worth) El oğlu hilebazdır kimse bilmez fendini Her kime iyilik edersen sakın ondan kendini. (strangers are tricksters and no one knows their ploys; guard yourself against whoever you do a favour for) Ev yapayım dersen himinden (temelinden) başla Zengin olayım dersen durmadan işle Fakir olayım dersen uykuya başla Uyku seni bir kenara götürür. (if you want to build a house, start from the foundations; if you want to be rich, work without stopping; if you want to be poor, take to sleeping; sleep will leave you by the wayside) Geçme muhannet köprüsünden koy aparsın su seni Yatma tilki gölgesinde koy yesin aslan seni. (don't cross a coward's bridge, let the water carry you instead; don't lie in a fox's shade, let the lion eat you instead) Irmak kenarında ev yapma sel için Dağ başında harman yapma yel için Kocalıkta genç karı alma el için. (don't build a house by the river because of floods, don't thresh on a mountaintop because of the wind, don't take a young wife in old age because of other men) Önce deveni bağla, sonra tevekkül et. (first tie up your camel, then trust in God) Sev seni seveni, yer ile yeksân ise Sevme seni sevmeyeni Mısır’a sultan ise (love the one who loves you, even if they are lowly; don't love the one who doesn't, even if they are sultan of Egypt) Söz bilirsen söyle ibret alsınlar Söz bilmezsen sus ki adam sansınlar. (if you know what to say, speak so others may learn; if you don't, keep quiet so they think you wise) Tarlada ekinim var deme ambara girmeyince Hayırlı evladım var deme el koynuna girmeyince Sadık dostum var deme başına bir hal gelmeyince Vefakâr karım var deme yok gününü görmeyince (don't boast of crops in the field until they are in the barn, of a good child until they have married, of a loyal friend until trouble strikes, of a faithful wife until you have seen hard times together) Unu eleyene, kızı dileyene vermeli (give the flour to the one who sifts it and the daughter to the one who asks for her) Üzümünü ye, bağını sorma (eat the grapes and don't ask about the vineyard) Yolcu isen er (erken) git Borçlu isen ver git Rençber isen herk et (toprak işle) (if you're a traveller, set off early; if you're in debt, pay it; if you're a farmer, till the soil) Atalar sözü yerde kalmaz (the sayings of our ancestors never fall to the ground) Ata dostu oğula mirastır (a father's friend is his son's inheritance) Alışveriş güldür, çabuk solar (trade is a rose; it soon fades) Başın (canın) sağlığı, dünya varlığı (good health is worth the world) Büyük evin nimeti, küçük evin ziyneti (the bounty of the big house, the ornament of the small) Ev sahibinin aşına değil, kaşına bakılır (you look at the host's brow, not his food) Ustasız zenaat haramdır (a craft without a master is forbidden) Her adam bir olmaz, her çiçek gül olmaz (not every man is the same, not every flower is a rose) İyiliğe iyilik her kişinin kârı, kötülüğe iyilik er kişinin kârı (anyone can repay good with good; only a true man repays bad with good) İnsanı bir gemi Akıl dümeni Fikir yelkeni Kullan kendini (a person is a ship, reason the rudder, thought the sail: steer yourself) Göreyim Kanma kötü sözüne bilse İyisini söyler (let me see; don't be fooled by bad words, one who knows speaks well) Ağarmadık saç, ağrımadık baş olmaz (there's no hair that doesn't turn grey, no head that doesn't ache) Ağır taş yerinden kalkmaz, yuvarlanan taş yosun tutmaz (a heavy stone doesn't shift, a rolling stone gathers no moss) Ağızdan burun yakın, kardeşten karın yakın (karın:insanın kendi, nefsi) (the nose is closer than the mouth, one's own belly closer than a brother (belly: one's own self)) Ev sahibinin nefesi eve direktir (the master's breath is the pillar of the house) Ev dediğin evrendir, ucu dönmez kervandır (a home is a universe, a caravan that never turns back) Alma mazlumun ahını, gökten indirir şahini (don't bring on yourself the sigh of the wronged; it can bring the falcon down from the sky) Ana baba ne demek bal ile kaymak yemek (what are mother and father? eating honey and cream) Kardeş kardeşi atmış, yar başında tutmuş (brother pushed brother off, then caught him at the cliff edge) Ar gitti Mısır’a, namus da ardı sıra (shame went to Egypt, and honour followed) Kağnı gider de Kayış ne çeker (the oxcart moves on, but what the strap goes through!) Araba devrilince yol gösteren çok olur (once the cart overturns, plenty show the way) Bana benden olur her ne olursa, başım rahat bulur dilim durursa (whatever happens to me comes from me; my head finds peace when my tongue stays still) Zengin arabasını dağdan aşırır, fakir düz ovada yolunu şaşırır (the rich man drives his cart over mountains, the poor man gets lost on a flat plain) Source: http://www.sivasbulteni.com/sivasin-kulturu-1810h.htm
Şanlıurfa
Art and literature in Urfa from Antiquity to the present When we look at a map of the world, there are special cities in certain geographical places. These are also central cities. They have kept a finger on the pulse of history and shown humanity the way. A Mediterranean culture, an Anatolian culture, a Greco-Roman culture and, beyond these, an Islamic culture were formed starting from a few central cities on this world map: Athens, Rome, Alexandria, Mecca, Medina, Jerusalem, Baghdad, Damascus, Aleppo, Istanbul and Urfa…. What we call civilisation came from these cities, moving from one to another in turn. Urfa, known as the city of prophets, has a position in the sense we have just described: it has been a place where religions and civilisations arose and passed through. That is why it has been a focus of interest at every stage of history and has played very important roles in art, literature, thought and history. Urfa, which has a particularly important place in cultural history, represents, today as in the past, a tradition that hands art and literature down from generation to generation. If we remember the 2,000-year written history of this city, whose past goes back a very long way, it is easier to understand how deep-rooted and firmly founded its artistic and literary life is. Because different religions and peoples lived together in Urfa throughout history, it is possible to find traces of many cultures and civilisations here. With its pluralist character, Urfa has drawn the world's interest through the cultural blending it created, and still does. Invaded by various nations throughout history, Urfa absorbed the cultures that came without losing any of its own characteristics, setting centuries ago an example of the pluralism that is loudly proclaimed today. The warm, sincere behaviour of Urfa's good-natured, gentle people is a trait that comes from history and has been nourished by art and literature. Because art and literature are a field that rejects coarseness and sharpness and speaks to the soul and the heart, the cultures that came to Urfa shed their coarse and sharp sides and, adapting to the city's cultural fabric over time, left very important works of art and literature. This urban civilisation is also important for the birth of Christianity and is worth dwelling on for its role in building up that religion's cultural heritage. In addition, this land, which became Muslim with the Islamic conquest, was a turning point for world cultural history. The University of Harran, where Jewish, Christian, Muslim and Sabian scholars taught side by side, won its fame in exactly this pluralist period. The rise of the philosophical schools we call the Urfa and Harran Schools and the translation movements brought cultural vitality and formed Urfa's most brilliant period in art and literature. The cultural richness and literary tradition visible today took their inspiration from this historical heritage and carried it to the present. It is not possible to divide Urfa's artistic and literary life with sharp lines. As we said above, probably because of its multi-religious, multicultural character, its literary life was continually influenced and nourished by different religions and civilisations. Moreover, although art and literature carry national features, they speak to the universal, so we should accept them as a common denominator of the world. In a society where Jews, Christians and Muslims lived together, the vein that fed literature and art could not be cut off from geography and tradition. In this sense, Urfa is a city that has raised great artists, writers and thinkers over the centuries. We should see the great people this city raised as above, first of all, religious and sectarian bigotry. However, to understand Urfa's artistic and literary life better, we need to examine it under four separate headings. Source: http://ekitap.kulturturizm.gov.tr/TR,80730/ilkcagdan-gunumuze-urfada-sanat-ve-edebiyat.html
Şırnak
CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS WEDDINGS Most marriages in Şırnak are arranged, though some come about when a couple see and like each other at weddings or in the street. A young man tells his mother about the girl he wants to ask for, and his mother chooses a suitable moment to tell his father. If they find the girl's family suitable, they decide together to ask for her hand. They usually send an elderly woman or man who will cause them no harm as a go-between; a woman speaks to the girl's mother and a man to her father, though the go-between is usually a woman. She begins persuading the girl and her family as best she can. The girl's mother tells her husband, and the go-between is given some time. The girl's father usually consults his brothers and they decide together. If the match is approved, the go-between is told on her second visit, "If God has willed it, so be it." If not, it is turned down with a suitable excuse such as "Our daughter is still young", "We have promised her to her cousin", or "Her mother is alone, we have no one else to work at home, and her elder brother is not married yet." If the girl's family approve of the young man's household and family, they tell the go-between, "Let them come and ask on such-and-such a day." Then the "yol açma" (opening the way) stage begins: the young man's family invite people close to them to go to the girl's house, word is sent to the girl's house, and they all go together in the evening. First the young man's mother puts on the hand of the girl who is to be her daughter-in-law a pair of bracelets, a single bracelet or another piece of jewellery, according to her means; then the young man's other relatives pin on the girl the jewellery and money they have brought. Then the sweets they have brought are handed out to the recitation of the Fatiha and blessings on the Prophet. With this the girl is officially promised and engaged. Next comes the "başlık kesme" (settling the bride price) stage. The young man's father completes his preparations as soon as possible and sends word to the girl's father to ask permission for the bride-price visit. The girl's father sets an evening and lets him know. For the bride-price evening, usually 2 sacks of sweets, 10–15 kg of chocolate and 10–15 kg of lokum are bought. The young man's father invites 10–15 friends and acquaintances, appoints one of them to negotiate the bride price and hands him the money prepared for it. The girl's father also invites 5–10 people close to him, appoints a negotiator and tells him the minimum. So the young man's side comes to the girl's father's house. After a joke or two, the bargaining begins. At last a common figure is settled, the bargaining ends with the Fatiha, and the sweets are handed out. The young man's negotiator hands the money he was given to the other side. Apart from this, the young man's side gives an amount it considers fitting to its standing, to be given to the girl's mother in return for her mother's milk. Then the trousseau stage begins. The girl's side usually prepares the whole trousseau. When it is complete, the young man's side asks the girl's father for a wedding date, and the girl's side gives one. A week before that date the engagement ceremony is held: again two bags of sweets, chocolate and lokum are taken, along with jewellery suited to the family's means, which is put on the girl. Two days before the wedding day the following week, the young man's side sends a messenger to all friends and acquaintances to announce the wedding, and the next day the wedding begins. It usually begins on Saturday; on Sunday night the henna is taken and applied to the bride's hands, and a gold coin is again pinned on. On Sunday the wedding goes on until the afternoon prayer, with halays danced; men and women dance together in the halays and other dances. After the afternoon prayer the wedding procession goes to the front of the girl's house. The bride, adorned, is shut in a room. A representative appointed by the groom's side negotiates the "pışder" (behind-the-door) payment and again gives the girl's side an amount befitting his means, and the "piresar" (an experienced woman attendant) takes the bride by the arms and helps her into a car or onto a horse. The bridal procession passes through the main streets and roads in a large convoy, with ululations. Meanwhile the groom's side has made its preparations: the groom climbs onto the roof with his best men on either side. When the bride comes level with him, he pours earth mixed with coins, which has been placed at his feet, on her head; this is meant as her first lesson. After that a family close to the groom hosts him, and various entertainments go on in that house until morning. The groom's friends and relatives come to his selamlık; that is, on the first night the groom does not sleep in his own home. The next morning he is brought to his own house, and the wedding goes on until noon and then ends. After this the religious marriage of the bride and groom is performed. In the following days a "selamlık" is held to help out: the groom's friends and relatives bring an amount suited to their means to the bride's selamlık, which lightens the burden the groom's side has taken on. DEATH In Şırnak and all its districts, the moment a death is heard of in any house, close neighbours, relatives and acquaintances, and all the men passing by, leave their work and wait at the door of the house. As in many things in Şırnak, there is great mutual help and solidarity, especially at deaths. Everyone takes on a task: some run to have a coffin made, some go to buy the shroud and cotton, some go to call the imam. Some go to dig the grave, and those waiting at the door or at the cemetery who can read the Qur'an each take a section (cüz) and read it, so that a complete reading (hatim) is offered for the soul of the deceased. Meanwhile the body is washed and shrouded. If there is another hoca among those waiting, as there usually is, he preaches on death and patience; otherwise those waiting speak very little. The washed and shrouded body is laid in the coffin on its right side and the lid is closed. The coffin is covered with a cloth embroidered with Qur'anic verses, or with a carpet or similar cover, and carried on the shoulders either to the cemetery or to the nearest mosque. Along the way, people who had not come earlier join the funeral, so they earn the merit of carrying the coffin and more people take part in the funeral prayer. After the funeral prayer the body is placed in the grave at once. After the covering slab (latih) is laid, the gaps are closed with small stones and brushwood so that earth does not fall on the coffin. Meanwhile an imam or a knowledgeable person recites Sura al-Qadr seven times and pours earth into the grave. When the grave has been closed, the imam comes to the head of the grave to recite the telkin (instruction to the deceased). The people stand with their hands folded in front of them and wait. After the telkin, all together recite the Fatiha for the soul of the deceased. Then the imam says aloud: "O congregation, what do you say of the deceased?" and everyone says "May God have mercy on him." Then the crowd disperses; those closest to the deceased wait at the head of the grave for 5–10 minutes before returning home. Those closest to them go with them on a condolence visit, so as not to leave them alone and to comfort them. If the deceased belonged to a well-off family, a group of imams is engaged to read the Qur'an, either in a tent set up at the grave or in a room set aside in the house. Then the condolence period begins; usually an imam sits with the mourners to preach and offer consolation in patience. Those who come recite the Fatiha and offer comfort with wishes such as "May God forgive him", "May God perfect your faith", "May God give you patience" and "May those left behind be well." Condolences usually last three days, but those who cannot come then may visit later. RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS The bayrams are among the things the people of Şırnak value most. Preparations begin 10 days ahead; clothes are even ordered from tailors a month and a half before, and homes slowly begin to get ready. Three days before Ramazan Bayramı, fitre (alms) begin to be given, and food for the bayram is prepared and shopping done. On the morning of the bayram most men go to the mosque for the bayram prayer and sermon. When they come home, the children, starting with their father and mother, kiss the hands of their elders and wish them a happy bayram. At breakfast they eat dishes prepared since the evening before, such as pilaf, türlü (vegetable stew), içli köfte, stuffed leaves and vegetables, hoşaf (compote) and zerde. After breakfast the bayram visits begin, first to neighbours, then to relatives, friends and acquaintances. These visits are treated almost as a debt and are returned. The bayram visiting lasts three days. For children, especially in our Cizre district, Ferris wheels, swings and car rides are organised, which are great fun. LOCAL DISHES: 1- KUTLIK: Fine bulgur and fine cracked wheat (the kind used for çiğ köfte) are mixed and kneaded into a dough, filled with fried minced meat and onion, and cooked in boiling water. They are taken out, dipped in egg, fried in oil and served. 2- SERBIDEV: Cracked wheat is cooked thoroughly and placed on a large plate. A well is made in the middle and filled with kurut (keşk, çortan) liquid and butter. Pieces of kavurma (preserved fried meat) are arranged on top and it is served. 3- PERDE PİLAV: A dough kneaded with egg and butter and rolled into a thin sheet is placed in a round-bottomed pot. Lightly cooked pilaf is mixed with chicken, spices and almonds and placed inside the dough sheet. The top is closed again with thin dough brushed with butter and egg, and it is cooked over a fire top and bottom or in the oven, then served. 4- KİPE: A sheep's intestines are washed thoroughly and their glands removed. They are turned inside out, washed and cleaned, then stuffed with uncooked rice and minced meat, put into hot water and boiled. Once cooked, they are served. 5- HEKEHEŞANDİ: Pilaf is made without fat, then minced meat is added and kneaded in. It is shaped and fried in oil, coated in egg, and served. 6- ŞIMŞIPE: The local name for the dish known today as dolma. Onions, aubergines, tomatoes and courgettes are opened up and hollowed out, and chard or vine leaves are prepared. Rice and minced meat are washed, mixed and seasoned, then stuffed into the vegetables, arranged in a pot, cooked and served. 7- MEYRE (Mehir): Ayran and pounded wheat are put on the fire. Beaten egg is added and stirred constantly until it boils. Pieces of squash and chard leaves are added. After cooking a little, it is taken off the heat and served cold. 8- BIRINZER: Sugar and water are mixed into a syrup and brought to the boil. Rice is added and cooked, with a little cinnamon and yellow colouring. It is taken off the heat and served cold. 9- MAHMILATIK: Fine bulgur is put in a large jar. Turnips are boiled, cooled, strained and added to the jar, with a little water and a little dough (it must be leavened dough) on top. The mouth is covered and sealed with mud. After forty days it is opened and used like a pickle. 10- FIREYDİN: Sac bread dough is rolled out thin. Crushed walnuts mixed with granulated sugar are spread over it. It is rolled up neatly and coiled round like a simit. The fıreydin is fried in hot oil and grape syrup (şıra) is poured over it. It is served once cool. 11- SURYAZ: The suryaz herb is chopped, washed and boiled in water, then strained and squeezed. Chopped onion is fried in hot oil, the suryaz is added and stirred, kavurma is added, and it is stirred and served. LOCAL DRESS: In Şırnak and its districts men generally wear the şal-şepik and women the fistan (entari, long dress), though day by day these are being replaced by suits and other women's clothing. Older and middle-aged men mostly wear şalvar and a jacket, but the garment the people of Şırnak still cannot do without is the şal-şepik. It is woven by masters in and around Şırnak from very fine mohair yarn and is tailored and worn in a particular style. The şal-şepik consists of four pieces, including the waistcoat and the şelema, and there is another piece called levendi, attached to the cuff of the kıras worn underneath in place of a vest. The şal has wide, straight legs and is worn instead of trousers. Over the shirt goes the piece called şapik, and a wide, thick sash called şeleme is tied around the waist. Then the waistcoat is put on, the levendi (wrist band) attached to the cuff of the kıras (vest) is wound around the wrist, and a kefi (keffiyeh) or a hat is worn on the head. Women's general dress is the fistan (entari), which reaches to the ankles. It is usually made of velvet, a fabric called çemçem or other valuable imported fabrics. The chest is slightly open, and underneath is worn a waistcoat whose front closure is trimmed with lace and decorated with colourful pieces of fabric tied off at the tips to the size of a chickpea. The levendi attached to the sleeves of the long underskirt called kıras are wound around the wrists over the fistan, and a thin cloth is tied around the waist. Women tie on their heads a long muslin called kıtan, decorated with beads and lace. They also wear various gold-framed ornamental stones on the chest; earrings called bergahar, linked to each other at the throat; necklaces called tetreme or semek; and other jewellery. They wear a hızma (nose ring) in the nose. Women also wear other jewellery such as the hicol, serkezi and hırhal. FOLK DANCES AND FOLKLORE: The dances of Şırnak and its districts are generally performed to the davul and zurna. In recent years the bağlama, cümbüş and darbuka have also been played to accompany local dances. THE MAIN DANCES OF THE AREA: 1- İkiayak 2- Üçayak 3- Yerinde 4- Şıhani 5- Bablekan 6- Sınvan 7- Kulungi 8- Ağır 9- Berite. 1- İKİAYAK: Danced to the davul and zurna, with dancers holding each other by the little fingers. The right foot is first struck forward and stepped to the side, the left foot follows alongside, the right is stepped out again and the left foot comes to join it. Then the left foot steps back and the right is brought to it. 2- ÜÇAYAK: Dancers hold each other by the little fingers. The dance begins with the right foot, which is struck on the ground. Three steps are taken, right, left, right, left, right, and the left foot is brought beside the right. As the left foot steps back, the right is brought beside it. 3- YERİNDE: A lively dance performed without big steps. Arms are linked and hands held behind with the fingers. The hands are near the hips and the shoulders touch. The right arm always rests on the left arm of the dancer alongside. The dance starts with a slight bend of the right knee and continues with frequent knee bends to the rhythm of the music and trembling movements of the shoulders. As the music livens up, the knee bends and shoulder movements speed up, with light steps from time to time. 4- ŞIHANİ: Usually danced by 8–10 people, with fingers interlaced. First the right foot steps to the side; then three steps are taken to the side, right foot, left foot, right and left. With a sudden curving movement the dancers face forward, the left foot steps out and the feet are brought together in front. Starting with the left in front, the right and again the right foot step out. Then the left foot steps out and everyone bends forward together. 5- BABLEKAN: Dancers hold little fingers in front. The right and left feet step out, starting with the left forward, three steps in all, all forward. Then three steps back, left, right and left. These movements continue in series, back and forth together, becoming more vigorous and faster as the music speeds up. 6- SINVAN: Dancers again hold each other by the little fingers. The left foot opens to the side and is struck three times on the ground. With a sudden movement the dancers turn right; then the right opens and the right foot, left foot and right foot strike the ground three times. Hands and shoulders stay together meanwhile; when turning right the hands stay together but the shoulders open well apart. An important feature of the dance is that on the second repetition the hands are clapped at set intervals and then joined again. Another is that on the third repetition the hands are placed on the hips and, with a sudden movement, joined again. That is: in the first phase the hands are joined, in the second they clap, in the third they rest on the hips, and the dance ends. 7- KULUNGİ: A dance of the nomads living in Şırnak and its districts. While one person dances in the middle, the ring around him dances with arms spread like cranes. Then, with a sudden movement and calling like cranes, they beat the one in the middle. The message of this dance is the punishment of the one who strays from the flock. 8- AĞIR: A dance mostly performed by older and middle-aged people, with hands on shoulders. The music is played slowly. Following the rhythm, dancers lean slightly onto the right foot and bounce, then straighten back and step forward, with an occasional shout. 9- BERİTE: Formerly danced before and after wars between the beyliks. As the music begins soulfully and slowly, hands are held at the sides and the dance begins with a shout. First the dancers stretch back, then take a light step bouncing on their knees, and then shout, looking into each other's faces. KNOWN FOR: Mount Cudi, Kasrik Gorge, Habur border gate, the Mem û Zîn tomb WHERE DOES THE NAME COME FROM? Şırnak was founded under the name Şehr-i Nuh north of Mount Cudi, where the remains of Noah's Ark are claimed to be; it was earlier called Şerneh and in later years took the name Şırnak. Source: http://www.bakimliyiz.com/soru-cevap/111852-sirnak-kulturu-sirnak-orf-ve-adetleri.html
Tekirdağ
Folk culture of the Tekirdağ area The Tekirdağ area has all the features of Thrace. With its history, traditions, historic monuments and beliefs, it is the cradle of a great culture. Traditional food and drink Tekirdağ's cuisine has been strongly influenced by migration from the Balkans to Türkiye. For years a crossing point from Anatolia to Europe, Tekirdağ has enriched its cuisine too. Tekirdağ köftesi (meatballs) Cizleme Höşmerim Akıtma Kaçamak Peynir helvası (cheese halva) Hayrabolu tatlısı Bulama İncir tatlısı (fig dessert) Yoğurtlu kuzu eti (lamb with yoghurt) Çene çarpan çorbası Umaç çorbası Tekirdağ rakısı Traditional handicrafts Carpet weaving Handicrafts are still alive in the area today. Some official bodies run courses in the area and support handicrafts. The handicrafts made in the area are: Kilims Çul (coarse woven cloths) Sacks Saddlebags (heybe) Cushion covers Folk songs Attım Şalımı Boynuma Bağ ya Girdim Bağ Budanmış Bahçalar da Börülce Beyler Bahçesinde Bir Derin Kuyu Çavuş Dramanın İçinde Yaparlar Pazar Dumanda Bastı Dağlara Gideriz Biz İkimiz İnce Giyerim İnce Kirpi Oyun Havası Varın Sorun Babasına Yarım Hava, Folk dances The area's folk dances are usually danced to music in 8/8 or 9/8 time. They are very similar to Balkan dances. Many are still danced by the Turkish minority in Bulgaria. The folk dances of the Tekirdağ area are: Cevriye Kara Yusuf Arzu ile Kamber Debreli Hasan (Hasancık) Tekirdağ Karşılaması Lenka (Güzel Kız) Kampana Eski Fasulye (Kanzurka Kirpi) Demirci Kasabı Karadağ Karşılaması Sirto Gayda Çoban Eşkiya Yeşilim Arnavut Alayı Çam Naile Hanım Karatoprak Mayadağ Kol Oyunu Doyran Kasabı (Durulanka) Tavşanka Yüksek Yüksek Tepelere Börülce Rayle Galamata Subaşı Duman da Bastı Dağlara Zekiye'm Horonu Alaybey Mustabey Boymisa Alabağcak Karaçalı Gacal Karşılaması Afyon Horonu Kaçamak Deryalar Ali Paşa İstifalka Traditional clothing Women's clothing Tülbent (Şami) : worn on the head; young girls usually crochet oya lace along its edges. Mintan : the name for a shirt buttoned at the front, usually made of printed cotton. Yelek : a waistcoat worn over the mintan; young women's are usually embroidered and shiny. Şalvar : baggy trousers worn on the lower body, of printed cotton with large flowers, usually with red among the flower colours. Uçkur (sash): an embroidered piece that does the job of today's belt. Çetik : a piece of the costume worn on the feet, usually knitted from wool. Çarık : a shoe, also known as a boot (potin). Yağlık : tied at the waist and worn over the şalvar; it has been modernised today with embroidery added. Mendil : a kerchief tied around the neck. Men's clothing Fes : a red cap worn on the head. Mendil : a kerchief tied around the neck. Gömlek : a shirt, generally made of unbleached cotton. Cepken : a lined waistcoat worn over the shirt. Potur : trousers worn on the lower body, made of broadcloth. Kuşak : a long, narrow sash of about 3–4 m, wound around the waist. Çarık : a shoe worn on the feet. Source: https://ipfs.io/ipns/tr.wikipedia-on-ipfs.org/wiki/Tekirda%C4%9F_y%C3%B6resi_halk_k%C3%BClt%C3%BCr%C3%BC.html
Tokat
The standout historic buildings in Tokat's city centre are the Mahmut Pasha Mosque, built in the 17th century, the Yağıbasan Madrasa, the Gök Medrese, the Tokat Great Mosque and the Clock Tower. The Clock Tower was built to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Abdulhamid II's accession. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk stayed for a time at the Latifoğlu Mansion during the years of the National Struggle; the mansion is now a house museum. “Yandım Tokat Yandım”, “Hey Onbeşli” and “Mendilim Allanıyor” are among the folk dances and songs closely associated with the region. The Topçam oil wrestling contest is held every year. Kaz Gölü is home to 108 bird species.
Trabzon
Culture plays an important role in the life of the people of Trabzon. From the past to the present, Muslim and Christian communities, sharing the same atmosphere side by side as a whole, created a significant cultural richness. Folklore is still very much alive in our province and region. The folk dance known as the "Horon" in and around Trabzon is danced today, as in the past, by men, women, old and young at celebrations, festivities, weddings and harvest days. The horon is danced to an instrument called the "kemençe" (Black Sea fiddle), and can also be danced to the davul, zurna and kaval; it is plain to see that with the kemençe the dancers catch a more spirited, lively mood and dance a nimble horon. We can even see horon dancers and people who make and keep alive the special costumes worn by folk dancers or horon troupes, and who still wear those clothes on special occasions. The men wear, besides upper garments such as shirts, jackets and waistcoats, woven woollen trousers gathered at the knee (zıpka) and black boots. They wear amulets and amulet cases decorated with silver work and various ornaments. Inside these pieces of jewellery they keep religious phrases believed to protect against "the evil eye and harm". The women wear colourful dresses with waistcoats and tie headscarves with a great variety of motifs on their heads. Trabzon carries on the educational and cultural richness of the Ottoman period with Karadeniz Technical University (KTÜ) and other educational institutions. KTÜ first opened in 1963 with its faculty of engineering, and today most students have fields of study in many areas and subjects, including oceanography. The first Turkish newspaper, "Trabzon", was printed here in 1866, and significant periodical progress was made in this field (newspapers, magazines and so on). Because of the interest the people of Trabzon have shown in amateur and professional theatre and folk theatre, the State Theatre opened in Trabzon in 1987. Our traditional cuisine is very broad, focused on hamsi (anchovy) and fish, and the many kinds of fish play an important role in our local food culture. Among our other dishes, cabbage soup, kuymak (made from a mixture of cheese, cornmeal and butter) and pide, a kind of bread, are also important flavours. Trabzonspor has made an important contribution to the promotion of our region and province and to its success in sport. It has achieved national and international success in football in Anatolia outside Istanbul. The first football team was founded in Trabzon in 1921, and the city of Trabzon is home to 5 professional clubs, led by Trabzonspor, and over 100 amateur clubs. Trabzon has an important position in traditional handicrafts, and hand-made souvenirs can be found. In Trabzon, which had copper mines in the Ottoman period, various handicraft products made from this metal, such as cauldrons, bowls, pans and pots, can be found in our province. The metalwork made in the 19th century and hammered copper and the products made from it are used as raw material in many fields, in knife making and the jewellery sector, and there are also handicrafts still being produced, such as amulet case making and tea scissors. In our region, which has dense, thick forests, our people favour wood in building. In woodwork, too, many small wooden handicrafts are produced for the furniture industry and small crafts, such as churns, cheese containers (külek), baskets and spoons. Textiles, one of the oldest handicrafts of our region, produce various fabrics, saddlebags, bags and so on from raw materials such as wool and linen on hand looms. Twine (ropes) used for loads and braided ropes are also woven on simple hand looms. Unfortunately, the colourful hand weavings made in the villages have been replaced by synthetic work and materials. Our customs and traditions TRABZON FOLKLORE RESEARCH A society can earn the title of "Nation" through values such as unity of homeland, language, history and purpose. As is well known, folklore is a science that collects, researches, classifies and analyses the people's material and spiritual culture, bound to their traditions, with its own methods, and evaluates folk culture. We will take our place in the world of tomorrow with a bridge linking the past to the future, and we will rise to the level of contemporary civilisation by these steps. That is why our folklore will be the greatest heritage we leave our children. To make a great musical work from a small melody, to create compositions from a motif of needlework or handicraft, to pioneer a new model, to make fashion from a piece of clothing, to produce a new architectural style from an old mansion: in short, to create. To see district, provincial and even national borders as if they were cultural borders, and as a result to differentiate the costumes, dances and music of neighbouring provinces and districts, to strive to find new dances, costumes and music for every province and even every district, in short the effort to corrupt and destroy culture, is regrettable in the name of science. Let us not forget that culture and science were created not by a single person but by human society, based on the labour of millions. People are not born with ready skills; they learn and teach. Every generation adds something new to humanity's common treasury of experience, and experience keeps growing. The "CULTURE" we have today was created by the efforts of peoples and generations. So that the descriptions in my work could be presented in a way the reader will understand better, the figures, technical drawings and photographs were made by me. Let us not forget, too, that time has woven a story on the loom with tens of thousands of threads. Each thread has its own colour. Every people has added its own line to the pattern of world culture, and from these a many-coloured fabric has been made. FACTORS AFFECTING TRABZON'S CULTURE We can group the factors that make up Eastern Black Sea culture in two: Natural conditions Historical factors 1. NATURAL CONDITIONS The natural environment a society lives in greatly affects the character of its people. People who grow up in mountainous areas are more agile, brave and enterprising in adapting to their surroundings. These hard, harsh natural conditions push them to work and strive more. The landforms of the Eastern Black Sea Region are mountainous, with steep slopes. There is very little arable land. That is why land is very valuable to the people of the Black Sea. Extraordinary effort is made to get the most out of the land. For the local people, a great struggle is unavoidable. Where the mountains and steep slopes end lies the Black Sea, with its fierce waves that change from day to day. To take from the sea what the land does not give, the local people have to fight these fierce, merciless waves. They must be brave and combative, because the natural conditions they live in demand it. The very strong spirit of unity and solidarity among the local people formed as a result of these conditions. 2. HISTORICAL FACTORS Handicrafts In and around Trabzon, traditional handicrafts such as making hasır (woven-wire) bracelets, stone and woodwork, weaving, coppersmithing, knife making and quilt making continue, if not with their former splendour. One of the features that distinguishes humans from animals is that humans are historical beings. An animal adapts to life through its instincts; so it has no need to inherit or learn the knowledge and cultural heritage that existed before it. But humans are constantly surpassing and renewing themselves. This progress draws its support and strength from the historical cultural heritage. In this respect, the richer and more advanced a society's historical experiences and findings, the higher its chances of rising. Source: http://www.trabzonkulturturizm.gov.tr
Tunceli
The most widespread traditional crafts in Tunceli are the weaving of carpets, kilims, cicim and palaz, leatherwork and pottery. Today carpet and kilim weaving is common in the district centres, and pottery mostly in the villages. Weaving Because livestock is the province's main economic activity, weaving has come to the fore among its traditional crafts. Woollen carpets, kilims, bags, saddlebags and socks, and hand-woven goat-hair goods such as sacks, palaz, harar and örken, are made in the area. Manusa (arap dudağı), a striped cotton cloth mostly used for women's şalvar trousers, is no longer common. Cicim weaving, which has an important place among the area's own crafts, is still carried on in the village of Dervişcemal in Hozat. Natural dyes from plant roots are still widely used in the area today. Compositions of geometric shapes are common in the decoration. Plant and animal motifs appear mostly in tribal weavings. Carpet weaving is well developed in the Mazgirt, Çemişgezek, Pülümür and Ovacık districts. The fine Kemaliye-type carpets woven in Yeşilyazı, in the Ovacık district, are particularly famous. Common features of the local carpets are long-cut knot yarns and the use of root dyes and natural colours. Navy blue, red, brick red, green, pink, yellow and orange are widely used. The kilims woven in small sizes on the nomadic looms called ‘mazman’ in the area also have small motifs. The motifs are arranged in vertical or horizontal bands of the same colour along the warp. Cloth weaving is more common among the tribes; it is woven from wool in a two-thread technique. White and black cloth is called ‘barason’ in the area. Pottery The pottery once widespread in the village of Karahisar in the Çemişgezek district is now beginning to disappear. Women make vessels from red clay, above all güveç casseroles, cauldron lids, ewers, ayran basins, butter churns and pekmez jars. Although few examples are seen in Tunceli today, prayer mats are made from sheepskin; from goatskin, the tuluk (used to churn butter from milk) and the dağarcık (shepherd's pouch); and from ox and cow hide, çarık sandals, as well as packsaddle straps, saddles, stirrups and reins for horses. Woodcarving and woodwork In the provincial centre, two saz (bağlama) making and repair workshops survive, each with one master, working to order. In the town of Akpazar, in the Mazgirt district, a craftsman works in his spare time on animal figures for tourists. He cuts and carves tree roots and branches into every kind of animal figure imaginable. In the same town, the very old trades of packsaddle making and farriery still take a few orders, but because they depend on livestock they face extinction. Source: https://www.forumlordx.net/misafir-soru-ve-cevaplari/67718-tunceli-nin-kulturel-ozellikleri.html
Uşak
Handicrafts Uşak carpets: With the carpets made in and around Uşak in the 16th century, the second and last golden age of Turkish carpet art began. Uşak carpets come in two types, medallion and star. The medallion carpet, one of the most important Uşak carpets, reaches 10 metres in length. These carpets, few of which survive, continued until the mid-18th century. When the medallions took the form of stars, the star Uşak carpets appeared. Many carpets of this type are kept in European museums. By the end of the 16th century the fame of Uşak carpets had spread across Europe. Noble families began ordering Uşak carpets woven with their own coats of arms. Kilim weaving: The best-known handicraft of our area is the Eşme kilim. But as in other regions, Eşme kilims have changed a great deal. Comparing the old kilims the people of Eşme made for their own needs, examples of which are found in mosques and masjids today, with the kilims they now use at home and weave commercially to traders' orders, you see considerable changes in the quality of dyes and yarn. Eşme kilims are generally grouped as "Altınbaş, Toplu-hürriyet, Albaş and Selvili Namazlağ". A kind of kilim they call "Gıcıklı" has also been made. Every year at the end of May the International Eşme Kilim Culture and Arts Festival is held. Cotton yarn: There are 16 businesses in cotton yarn (short fibre), led by Kaynak and Erteks. Cotton and similar businesses work mainly with open-end technology, and the installed OE spindle count is approaching 10,000. Annual production capacity is around 18,000. Cotton yarn is generally produced in counts of 10/1 to 30/1. Textile finishing: Four firms work in cotton textile finishing (bleaching, dyeing, printing and finishing). Annual processing capacity is around 50,000 metres. Wool and acrylic yarn production: Wool yarn, the raw material of the carpets made in Uşak since very early times, was at first made with simple hand tools such as the spindle, spinning wheel and eleme, and by human labour. Over time, under the influence of industrialisation in Europe, the Yılancızade Company and the Hacıgedik and Bacaloğlu wool yarn and textile factories were set up in 1890–1895, and these factories long met the carpet-yarn needs of Uşak and its surroundings. After 1950, with the liquidation of the Yılancıoğlu factory, its machines were installed in new workplaces by other business owners, machines were brought from Istanbul and abroad, and with the added initiatives of workers who had worked abroad, this branch of industry grew rapidly. Wool yarn is mainly of the woollen (streichgarn) type, with a small amount of worsted (kammgarn) production. Uşak is highly developed in woollen yarn spinning. With 275 carding machines in operation, it has Europe's largest park of woollen carding machines. Today Uşak has about 80 yarn factories making wool yarn, with an annual production capacity of 40,000 tonnes. The annual capacity utilisation rate is 50%. Semi-worsted yarn is produced in 7 businesses and used as acrylic, knitting and carpet yarn. Annual production is 2,500 tonnes. Fibre and yarn dyeing: Fibre and yarn dyeing is done in 41 businesses in Uşak. Wool and acrylic dyeing are the main processes. 16 of these businesses are dyeing plants only and the others are integrated plants. Dyeing is mostly done in fibre form, and 15,000 tonnes are dyed a year. Fibre opening: Fibre opening is generally a way of recovering combed waste. Combed waste (clothing and fabric scraps), once exported to Italy, has begun to be recovered in Uşak thanks to investments in recent years. This method both brings ecological benefits by reusing the fibres and adds value by processing them at home. Uşak has 100 garnet machines used for fibre opening. With these machines 15,000 units of fibre a year are opened and returned to the economy. The opened fibres are used in woollen and OE yarn businesses. Other textile products: In recent years major investments have been made in the province, especially in sock production. Home textiles (duvet covers, sheets), clothing, knitwear and circular and warp-knitted fabric production can also be mentioned. FOLK MEDICINE: 1. To calm the nerves – melon 2. For anaemia – grapes 3. To bring down a fever – plums 4. For colds and coughs – baked apple 5. For diarrhoea – medlar 6. To stop pain – thyme 7. For stomach ache – mint 8. For malaria – barberry water 9. For sleeplessness – poppy husk 10. For toothache – clove water FOLK VETERINARY MEDICINE: Diseases of livestock, one of the people's main livelihoods, are treated with various methods the people use. Diarrhoea: Locally this is called "ötürük". When an animal has diarrhoea, dried wild plums are boiled and given to it to drink. Dried oak galls are ground to a powder. Washing clay is frothed in water and given to the animal to drink. Foot-and-mouth disease: The animal limps and has difficulty walking; tar is rubbed between its hooves. The tar is rubbed in well with a plait of goat hair. Literature (âşık and tekke literature, folk poets) AHMEDİ (1334–1413) His real name is Tacettin İbrahim bin Hızır. He was born in Sivaslı, Uşak. He is the greatest poet of 14th-century Anatolian Turkish literature. He was also a physician, calligrapher, painter and scholar. Writing many kasides and gazels, great tales of love and adventure, and histories and medical books in verse, Ahmedi worked as a founding poet in divan poetry, in prose and in scholarship. Works: His Divan is his most valuable work artistically. It is a poem of more than 8,000 couplets, made up of kasides and gazels. Most were written in the name of Emir Süleyman, son of Yıldırım. Ömer Bedrettin Uşaklıgil (1904–1946) Born in 1904, Ömer Bedrettin is one of the respected poets of the Republican period. He owes his fame to lyrical lines rooted in folk poetry. Ömer Bedrettin had his primary education in Uşak and his secondary education in Sivas and Istanbul. He entered the Grand National Assembly as a member of parliament in 1943 and died on 24 February 1946. With his heartfelt poems reflecting the colours and landscapes of his homeland, sound in taste, form, pattern and metre, Ömer Bedrettin is counted as one of the five poets of syllabic verse. He has three books of poetry: Deniz Sarhoşları (Drunk on the Sea), Yayla Dumanı (Highland Mist) and Sarı Kız Mermerleri (The Marbles of Sarı Kız). Narratives (epics, legends, folk tales, fairy tales, anecdotes and so on) LEGENDS THE LEGEND OF ALİ AND KEZBAN Once upon a time a wealthy family living near Uşak had a daughter called Kezban. Poor Ali, a shepherd, saw Kezban one day while grazing his flock on the mountainside. From then on the shepherd Ali was smitten with Kezban. Aching with love, every day he played his kaval (shepherd's flute) mournfully. And every day Kezban came and listened to Ali. They told each other of their love. When Ali could bear it no longer, he said to his mother: "Go, mother, and ask Kezban's father for her hand." His mother could not refuse her son; she went to the bey's house and told him what she wanted. The bey was angry. "Tell your son the peaks of high mountains are wrapped in mist and make the head spin. Rather than carrying his head so high, let him graze his flock at the foot of the mountain and find his equal," he said. At this, both Ali and Kezban were deeply wounded. In the end they decided to run away and met at midnight at a spring. Meanwhile the bey's men had set an ambush. There they shot them both. THE LEGEND OF DİKİLİTAŞ (THE STANDING STONE) Long ago, in the village of Ayrancı near Banaz in Uşak, there lived a woman with a child. Her house stood in the middle of a field outside the village, with houses scattered here and there around the field. One day the woman was rolling out yufka. Just then her child began to cry. Seeing this, she leaned over to see why it was crying and saw that it had soiled itself; too lazy to get up and fetch a cloth, she cleaned the child with one of the yufkas she had rolled out. At that very moment mother and child both turned to stone on the spot. The place where this happened is now known as Dikili Taş. ANECDOTES GOD'S WORK AND THE GROCER'S STONE A villager went to Uşak. He was going to buy something from the grocer opposite Burma Mosque. Instead of weights, the grocer put stones on the scales and weighed the villager's goods with stones. The villager asked: "Haven't you got any weights? Why are you weighing with stones?" "Hush… hush… you'll be struck down. You don't meddle with God's work or with the stone of the grocer opposite the mosque," he said. LET'S VALUE OUR MOUNTAINS AND STONES, OUR WOLVES AND BIRDS Long, long ago a Yörük came down to Uşak. When he arrived most of Uşak's restaurants were shut. He asked why: "Ramadan has come," they said. The Yörük knew nothing of Ramadan or the Feast of Sacrifice. He went back to his highland pasture hungry. "Oh friends, let's value our pasture. Someone called Ramadan has come to Uşak and laid waste to the place. I couldn't find a single cookshop open. I nearly starved. Mind you never go to Uşak when Ramadan comes. Let's value the wolves and birds, the mountains and stones of our pasture," he said. THE GOVERNOR COMES AFTER ME Everyone knew the clerk who worked at the governor's office. They teased him all the time. And every day the clerk made up a joke. One day he started saying: "In this province the governor comes after me." He started using this phrase in the mornings instead of "good morning". In the end the saying reached the governor's ears. The governor asked: "Tell me then, who comes before the governor in this province?" The clerk: "I do, sir," he replied. The governor: As he was getting angry and saying "What do you mean?", he got his answer: "Sir, you honour us with your presence at ten or half past ten. I come to the office before you, at nine," he said. Poems (epics, folk songs, mani, tongue twisters, lullabies, laments) OUR EPICS THE LIBERATION EPIC Bugün Bir Eylül Güneş pırıl pırıl Işık saçıyor Kocatepe de Türkün aslanları Destan yazıyor Kahpe düşman Vurgun yemiş kaçıyor Kutluyoruz, Kutlu olsun Bir Eylül Today is the First of September / the sun shines bright / and sheds its light / On Kocatepe the Turks' lions / are writing an epic / The treacherous enemy / has been struck and is fleeing / We celebrate / blessed be the First of September Süvariler Düşmanların peşlerine takıldı Nice! Kol,gövde,baş,bacak Dumlupınar ovasına saçıldı. Atanın oğulları Akdenize açıldı. Kutluyoruz Kutlu olsun Bir Eylül The cavalry / rode hard on the enemy's heels / So many! / Arms, bodies, heads and legs / were scattered over the Dumlupınar plain / The sons of Atatürk / swept out to the Mediterranean / We celebrate / blessed be the First of September Uşak'a Askerimiz girdi giriyor Düşman mevzileri Birer birer eriyor Göğem Köyünden Düşmanların ordusu Trikopis'i esir veriyor İkindi vaktinde Minareler, selalarla çınlıyor Süngü yemiş düşman iti Köpek gibi inliyor. Milleti ile vatanım Atası ile diriliyor Kutluyoruz Kutlu olsun Bir Eylül Serçe sürüsünden, Alay mı olur? Bu topraklar benim. Düşmanlara Vatan mı olur? Her destan yazanlar Kemal mi olur? Şubat '96 Kemal AKTAY Kutluyoruz, Uşak Bl.Siv.Sav.Müdürü Kutlu olsun Bir Eylül Into Uşak / our soldiers are marching / The enemy's positions / melt away one by one / At the village of Göğem / the enemy army / gives up Trikoupis as prisoner / At afternoon prayer time / the minarets ring with the sela / The enemy cur, bayoneted, / whimpers like a dog / My homeland with its nation / is reborn with its Ata / We celebrate / blessed be the First of September / Can a flock of sparrows / make a regiment? / This land is mine / Can it be a homeland / for enemies? / Is everyone who writes an epic / a Kemal? (February 1996, Kemal Aktay, Uşak Municipality Civil Defence Director) OUR FOLK SONGS ON YEDİ BENLİ ŞADİYE (ŞADİYE WITH SEVENTEEN BEAUTY SPOTS): Ay bulutta bulutta Mendilim kaldı dutta Geleceksen gel gayri On yedi benli Şadiyem Daha gönlüm umutta The moon is in the clouds, in the clouds / my handkerchief is caught in the mulberry tree / If you're coming, come now / my Şadiye with seventeen beauty spots / my heart is still hoping Evleri camiye yakın Ak gülleri sen takın Zengin kocaya vardın On yedi benli Şadiyem Hani gerdanında altın Their house is near the mosque / you wear the white roses / You married a rich husband / my Şadiye with seventeen beauty spots / so where is the gold at your throat? Ay buluta giriyor Gözüm yari güdüyor Geleceksen gel gayrı On yedi benli Şadiyem Gençlik elden gidiyor The moon is going into the clouds / my eyes keep watch for my love / If you're coming, come now / my Şadiye with seventeen beauty spots / youth is slipping away Aya karşı duramam Dama kilit vuramam Ay buluta girince On yedi benli Şadiyem Bağlasalar duramam I can't stand facing the moon / I can't lock the door / When the moon goes into the clouds / my Şadiye with seventeen beauty spots / even tied up I couldn't stay NERİMAN'S SONG: Years ago in Sivaslı there lived a girl, the loveliest of the lovely, with bright green eyes and long golden hair. An air force first lieutenant saw this girl, fell in love and asked for her hand. Word was sent and go-betweens dispatched. Neriman liked the lieutenant too, and they became engaged. They loved each other very much. While they were longingly waiting for the wedding season, the lieutenant had a plane crash and died. The black news soon reached Neriman. Neriman's world went dark. Her dreams, her hopes, her beloved, all were gone. Saying "Living is forbidden to me now", she left her house. The people of Sivaslı searched for Neriman for days. Exactly ten days later they found her body in a disused well. Her family was heartbroken. The whole area grieved. EKİNLER EKİLİRKEN (WHILE THE CROPS WERE BEING SOWN) Ekinler ekilirken Çiziye dökülürken Senide benden ayırdılar Sunada boylu Neriman Şafaklar sökülürken While the crops were being sown / while they were spilling into the furrows / they parted you from me / Neriman, tall as a swan / as the dawn was breaking Vardım pınar akmıyor Yar yüzüme bakmıyor Dokuz da daldan gül kopardım Suna da boylu Neriman Senin gibi kokmuyor I went, but the spring wasn't flowing / my love won't look me in the face / I picked roses from nine branches / Neriman, tall as a swan / none smell like you Uşak duman sis oldu Açan güller hep soldu Aç gözünü göreyim Suna da boylu Neriman Kalbim hasretle doldu. Uşak is all smoke and mist / the blooming roses have all faded / Open your eyes, let me see / Neriman, tall as a swan / my heart is filled with longing Source: the story and words of this folk song were taken from Ali Kırhan. KİREMİTTE BUZ MUSUN (ARE YOU ICE ON THE ROOF TILES) Kiremitte buz musun? Gelin misin kız mısın? Yarim size varıcam Evde de yalnız mısın? Are you ice on the roof tiles? / Are you a bride or a maiden? / My love, I'll come to you / are you alone at home? Şu binanın üst yanı Altı da berber dükkanı Teskereli geliyor (Yan Osmanım yan) Hacıların Osmanı (Yan Osmanım yan) The top of that building / below it a barber's shop / he's coming home with his discharge papers / (burn, my Osman, burn) Osman of the Hacıs (burn, my Osman, burn) Deniz üstünde biber Kayıklar gelir gider Ne mektup var ne haber Yüreğim yanar gider (Yan Osmanım yan) Peppers on the sea / boats come and go / no letter, no news / my heart burns away (burn, my Osman, burn) MANİ (FOLK QUATRAINS) Ağacın dibinde yatarım Tabancamı atarım Beni beğenmeyen kızları Yarım soğana satarım I lie at the foot of the tree / I fire my pistol / The girls who don't fancy me / I'd sell for half an onion Altın dişim kanamaz Sevda bana yaramaz Ver ana sevdiğime Kendi düşen ağlamaz My gold tooth can't bleed / love does me no good / Give me, mother, to the one I love / those who fall by their own hand don't cry Arabamız dört teker Düz ovada su çeker Konuşturmazlar yarim Merhaba desek yeter Our cart has four wheels / it draws water on the flat plain / They won't let us talk, my love / it's enough if we say hello Banazın kavakları Dökülür yaprakları Kokulu güle benzer Şu Uşağın kızları The poplars of Banaz / are shedding their leaves / Like fragrant roses / are the girls of Uşak Ben bir kuzu gördüm Tüyünü kırmızı gördüm Aşağı mahalleye indim Sevdiğim kızı gördüm I saw a lamb / I saw its fleece was red / I went down to the lower quarter / I saw the girl I love Bir taş attım gediğe Saat geldi yediye Analar kız büyütmüş Oğlanlara hediye I threw a stone into the gap / the clock has reached seven / Mothers have raised daughters / as gifts for the boys Pencereden at beni İn aşağı tut beni Dizlerinin üstünde Ninni çek uyut beni Throw me from the window / come down and catch me / On your knees / sing a lullaby and send me to sleep Tabağa koydum darı Ağlarım zarı zarı Beni Uşak'tan ayırdı Keleter başlı karı I put millet on the plate / I weep and wail / She parted me from Uşak / that wretched-headed woman Zeytin kara ben kara Zeytine vermem para Gel yarim buluşalım On bire çeyrek kala The olive is dark, I am dark / I won't pay for olives / Come, my love, let's meet / at a quarter to eleven Kara örgü örmezler Bana sana vermezler Gel yarim kaçıverem Karanlıkta görmezler They don't knit with black / they won't give you to me / Come, my love, let's run away / they won't see us in the dark Kara kara kazanlar Kara yazı yazanlar Cennet yüzü görmesin Aramızı bozanlar Black, black cauldrons / those who write a black fate / May they never see paradise / those who come between us Kara koyun etli olur Kavurması tatlı olur Buralarda yar seven Ölmez ama dertli olur The black sheep is meaty / its kavurma is tasty / Whoever loves round here / won't die, but will suffer TONGUE TWISTERS AND RHYMES 1- Hep deli hop deli bizimkilerin soyu sopu deli (All mad, hop mad, our lot are mad, root and branch) 2- Yumurta tık tık elinden bıktık. (Egg, tap tap, we're fed up with you) 3- Gulağım sağır demenim ağır ür benim koca cavır (My ear is deaf, my hearing is heavy, bark, my old infidel) 4- Sarı öküz saza gider, boynuzu düze gider ben gızı almaya geldim. Verirseniz gıza geldim. Vermezseniz tuza geldim. Gızınıza güllü derler oğlumuza ünlü derler. (The yellow ox goes to the reeds, its horn goes to the plain; I've come to take the girl. If you give her, I came for the girl. If you don't, I came for salt. They call your girl rosy, they call our son famous.) 5- Çıt pıt nerden geldin ordan çık gelin saçları kıvırcık. (Snip snap, where did you come from, go out that way, the bride's hair is curly.) 6- Düşün koca Musa düşün eşek alınır mı gışın onun da parası peşin (Think, old Musa, think: do you buy a donkey in winter, and cash down at that?) LULLABIES 1- Uyusun da büyüsün ninni Kuzularla büyüsün ninni Nenni yavrum nenni Let him sleep and grow, lullaby / let him grow with the lambs, lullaby / hush, my little one, hush Yeşil billur testin olsun Yavrum bir Allah'ta senin dostun olsun Nenni yavrum nenni uyu yavrum hu hu hu May you have a green crystal jug / my little one, may God alone be your friend / hush, my little one, sleep, my little one, hu hu hu Al telinden kurusun yelden Baban gelcek gurbet elden Nenni yavrum nenni uyu yavrum hu hu hu Take it by its thread, let it dry in the wind / your father will come from foreign lands / hush, my little one, sleep, my little one, hu hu hu Nennilerle büyüteyim Yavrum seni nasıl uyutayım Nennilerle uyusun nenni. Kuzularla yürüsün nenni Let me raise you with lullabies / my little one, how shall I send you to sleep / let him sleep with lullabies, hush / let him walk with the lambs, hush 2- Şu dağların eteği Dibindedir aslan yatağı Iramış gitmiş annesinin yolları Nenni oğluma nenni The skirts of those mountains / at their foot is the lion's den / his mother's road has grown long and far / hush, my son, hush Merdiven indiremedim Yönünü yöntemini döndüremedim Ben gurbetin içinde Yavrumu bilemedim Nenni de oğluma nenni I couldn't bring the ladder down / I couldn't turn him from his ways / far away in foreign lands / I couldn't know my little one / hush, my son, hush CURSES IN THE UŞAK DIALECT Allah hekim bilmedik dertler versin (May God give you ills no doctor knows) Atılıp gidesice kuduz (May you be thrown out, you rabid thing) Canından ciğerinden yanasıca (May you burn for your own flesh and blood) Cehennem kazanına düşesiceler (May you fall into the cauldron of hell) Ekmek Hıdır'ın su Bedir'in yin yin gudurun gırannık (The bread is Hıdır's, the water Bedir's; eat, eat and go mad, you wretch) Naha ayıbını gara topraklar örtsün (May the black earth cover your shame) Naha işşallah cigerin başına pelit közü yapışsın (I hope an acorn ember sticks to your liver) Naha işşallah bi gızın köçek bi olun çiçek olsun (I hope your one daughter becomes a dancer and your one son a dandy) Naha işşallah kafana hırsız daşı inşin (I hope a thief's stone lands on your head) Olmalara gomalara erme gara cavur (May you never get your way, you black infidel) Oduna ocağına bayguşla dünesin (May owls perch on your firewood and hearth) Olmalara ermelere gamla emi (May you never get what you want) Zank ölümünden geberesice (May you die a sudden death) Zıkkımın gır kökünü ye işşallah (I hope you eat the bitter root of poison) SET EXPRESSIONS (proverbs, idioms, riddles, prayers and oaths) PROVERBS - Adam sel kadın göldür. (The man is the flood, the woman the lake.) - Akılsız kafanın taban çeken zorunu (The feet pay for a witless head.) - Ak köpeğin pamuk pazarına zararı olur. (A white dog does harm to the cotton market.) - Ar yiğidi kambur eder. (Shame bends the brave man's back.) - Babanın akçası ananın bohçası. (Father's money, mother's bundle.) - Borç yiğidin kamçısıdır. (Debt is the brave man's whip.) - El ile gelen düğün bayram. (What comes to all is a wedding and a feast.) - Gün geçer kin geçer. (Days pass, grudges pass.) - Leyleğin boklusu yuvada kalır. (The stork's dirtiest chick stays in the nest.) - Ne umarsın bacından bacın ölüyor acından. (What do you hope for from your sister? She is dying of hunger herself.) - Yalamayınca doyulmaz, yıkamayınca giyilmez (You're not full unless you lick the plate, and you can't wear it unless you wash it.) IDIOMS - Adı batmak (for one's name to sink: to fall into disgrace) - Ağmaz yanından asılmak (to hang from the side that won't climb) - Aşı dünden kaynamak (for one's meal to have been boiling since yesterday: to be long prepared) - Başı kazan olmak (for one's head to become a cauldron: to be exhausted by noise) - Ciğerini sökmek (to tear out someone's liver) - Çökertip gidivermek (to wreck everything and leave) - Dibine darı ekmek (to sow millet at its bottom: to use something up completely) - Dipsiz kile boş ambar (a bottomless measure, an empty granary: an endless task) - Eli hamur karnı aç (hands in the dough, stomach empty) - Hortlamak (to rise from the grave) - Gabak çiçeği gibi açmak (to open like a pumpkin flower: to fade quickly) - Leb demeden leblebiyi anlamak (to understand "leblebi" before "leb" is said: to catch on instantly) - Namerde muhtaç olmamak (not to be beholden to a scoundrel) - Saçları öne dökülmek (for one's hair to fall forward) - Sakalı değirmende ağartmak (to whiten one's beard in the mill: to grow old without gaining wisdom) RIDDLES IN THE UŞAK DIALECT • Ak çıkının içinde sarı altın (Yellow gold in a white bundle) (EGG) Altı kaya üstü kaya içinde sarı maya (Rock below, rock above, yellow yeast inside) (EGG) • Altı göl üstü gül (A lake below, a rose above) (LAMP) • Harımdan atla gaz yumurtla (Jump over my fence and lay goose eggs) (PUMPKIN) • Sarı öküz sarkık durur düşerim diye korkup durur (The yellow ox hangs down, always afraid it will fall) (NEEDLE) • Kat kattır katmer değil kırmızı elma değil (Layer on layer but not katmer, not a red apple) (ONION) • Et dedim met dedim git kapı arkasına yat dedim (I said this, I said that, I said go and lie behind the door) (BROOM) OATHS • Şartlar şart olsun (Let my conditions be binding) • Yeminim yemin olsun (Let my oath be an oath) • Dininden dönen kafir olsun (Whoever turns from his faith be an infidel) Musical culture Some 40–50 folk songs from our area are sung; some of them are: a) Kiremitte Buz musun b) On Yedi Benli Şadiye c) İndim Nane Biçmeye d) Ormandan Gel a Cavırın Kızı da Ormandan e) Ayşem Nerden Geliyon f) Ekinler Ekilirken EKİNLER EKİLİRKEN Ekinler ekilirken Çiziye dökülürken Seni benden ayırdılar Suna da boylu KEZİBAN Şafaklar sökülürken While the crops were being sown / while they were spilling into the furrows / they parted you from me / Keziban, tall as a swan / as the dawn was breaking Vardım Pınar akmıyor Yar yüzüme bakmıyor Dokuz daldan gül aldım. Suna da boylu Keziban Yarım gibi kokmuyor I went, but the spring wasn't flowing / my love won't look me in the face / I took roses from nine branches / Keziban, tall as a swan / none smell like my love Uşak duman sis oldu Açılan güller soldu Aç yüzünü göreyim Suna da boylu Keziban Kalbim hasretle doldu. Uşak is all smoke and mist / the roses that opened have faded / Show your face, let me see / Keziban, tall as a swan / my heart is filled with longing Folk instruments: Of the plucked instruments, bağlamas with 4 to 12 strings, the cura, the bozuk and the şeşber used to be played in Uşak province. Today the bağlama, tambura, divan and cura are still played. Of the bowed instruments the three-stringed kemane, of the wind instruments the zurna, kavals with and without a reed and whistles, and of the percussion the davul, earthenware darbuka, tel, cymbals and spoons are widely used. Source: http://www.usakkulturturizm.gov.tr
Van
Van culture brings to mind the Van cat, Van otlu peynir (herb cheese) and the Van breakfast. Otlu peynir is made with milk from domestic animals and herbs gathered locally. The city centre has a cheese market more than fifty years old. The Van Cat House at Yüzüncü Yıl University protects three different types of Van cat. Cultural venues support tourism; Iranian visitors are a notable group among the city's tourists.
Yalova
Yalova's cultural fabric was shaped by migration. People who came in the Caucasian migrations, after the Ottoman–Russian War of 1877–78 (the “93 War”), in the Balkan Wars and in the 1924 population exchange founded the province's villages or brought them back to life. In Circassian villages such as Tevfikiye in Altınova, and in villages where Laz people from Batumi live, traditions and cuisine are still kept alive today. Atatürk loved Yalova and often stayed in the city. The Yürüyen Köşk (Walking Mansion) inside the former Millet Çiftliği was built in 1929; so that a branch of the plane tree beside it would not be cut, Atatürk asked for the mansion to be slid 4.80 metres on rails. The mansion was restored and opened as a museum in 2006. The Atatürk Mansion in Termal can also be visited as a museum.
Yozgat
Yozgat is a frequent stop for foreigners because it lies on the E 88 highway, because Hattuşaş (Hattusa, the Hittite capital) is especially close, and because the Atatürk road linking Hattusa and Cappadocia passes through the provincial centre. Yozgat, also called the Bozok plateau and settled since ancient times, is one of our most beautiful provinces to visit, with its unspoilt nature, hospitable and warm-hearted people, wonderful hospitality, natural beauty, picnic spots, high plains, historic, cultural and tourist attractions and hot springs. Places such as Çamlık National Park, one of Türkiye's first national parks, the Akdağ Forests, the Şebekpınarı picnic area, the Kazankaya Valley and the Gelingüllü dam are areas for sport, recreation and picnics. Culture Food culture The city's local dishes are testi kebabı, ayva basması, çörek, bazlama, katmer, cızlak, cıvık ekşili, erişte, çap çup, topak çorba, kaypak, helle çorbası, düğürcük çorbası, bulama çorbası, sakala sarkan çorba, haside, sütlü kabak (pumpkin in milk), patlıcan turşusu (pickled aubergine) and tas kebabı. Parmak çörek and peksimet are special kinds of bread unique to Yozgat. Tourism Ancient cities Büyüknefes (Tavium – Tavion) ancient city Çeşka Underground City Alişar Höyük Hattuşaş (Hattusa) Kerkenes ruins Museums and mansions Nizamoğlu House Karslıoğlu Mansion Koçerler Mansion Yozgat Archaeology Museum National parks Yozgat's best-known forest is Yozgat Çamlığı (the Yozgat pine grove). It is a national park protected by the state. Source: http://yobidav.org/yozgat/yozgat-kueltuerue
Zonguldak
Zonguldak's cultural identity has been shaped by mining. The Zonguldak Mining Museum, opened in 2016, documents the history of mining and runs education programmes. On the nature side, the Gökgöl Cave stands out: of its total length of 3,350 metres, about 875 metres is open to visitors, and it is Türkiye's tenth-longest cave. The early Christian caves around Karadeniz Ereğli are also historic places to visit.