Daily life is the sum of efforts by family members settled in one place, in
order to survive by mutually fulfilling their responsibilities.
Daily life in Anatolia concerns one fixed period, beginning with the rising of
the sun and continuing till sunset.
Within this period, the duties of parents and children were shaped by
conformity, customs, traditions and conventions that are the legacies of former
times. On the other hand, due to changes in social and economic conditions, we
can observe some changes in the way individuals carry out their duties, even if
their contents stay the same.
CONFORMITY
Conformity consists of model attitudes and behaviour which often defined as the
strict expectations of society. It also represents society and the cornerstones
of its common values. In connection with social structure, this system of common
values constitutes the basis of a special law or any code within that legal
system.
It is able to designate relations, behaviour, attitudes and manners between
individuals, individuals and the family, individuals and neighbours or relatives
and relations between individuals, people and the nation.
With its coercive sanctions, conformity continually pressurizes every individual
in a society to provide some kind of harmony between the individual and the
community.
In some societies, refusing to conform is regarded in the same way as violating
laws, and can sometimes be punished even more severely.
CUSTOM
Like conformity, customs also arrange, manage and supervise many social
relations. Customs have an influence on society, encouraging good order and
affecting the application of rules. For example, greetings and farewells, meals
and table settings, celebrations and blessings, asking a family for their
daughter’s hand in marriage, engagement ceremonies and weddings, relations
between the sexes, peer groups and professional colleagues, rules to be applied
during greeting and inquiring after someone's health, attitudes connected with
religious festivals, seasons and other important days, appropriate things to say
in expressing and accepting condolences are all evaluated within the framework
of customs.
Customs originate and take shape from various origins, some of which may be the
way of life in the past, a range of visions, interesting coincidences and
events. Beyond customs, which comprise society as a whole, there are also
customs which concern a specific group such as professions, religious
denominations or ethnic groups. Some religious leaders and association managers
have deliberately or otherwise attempted to change a custom into a tradition.
Although some customs are quite stable and continual, others may change with
time. Still other customs protect their natures with small changes to reflect
changing conditions, some others lose their vitality and energy, and disappear
like living organism.
TRADITION
Broadly defined, tradition is knowledge, concepts, superstitions and way of
life, which can pass from one generation to another. In other words, tradition
is non-material culture. According to a narrower definition, it is a society's
opinions, valid for generations, on important subjects such as sacred or
political issues. Traditions can be oral or written. Like customs but in a
stronger way, they play an important role in managing and shaping social life.
With their conservative character, traditions influence social institutions such
as the family, law, religion and politics. Arts and science are less affected by
traditions. When a person goes against his community or society's traditions, he
will face sanctions in proportion to the degree of that resistance. This
punishment may be ostracism, offence, being scorned or ridiculed. Just as with
customs, there are laws originating from traditions. Laws are intended to
establish appropriate sentences for violation of traditions. In general,
traditions govern a wider area than legal codes.
CONVENTION
Compared to conformity, custom and tradition, conventions have less sanctionary
influence. Something should be done in conformity, had better be done in custom
and tradition and may be done in convention. Briefly, it means to do something
in a way which earlier generations also followed. Although it indicates
appropriate and necessary behaviour, it does not compel people to comply with
these attitudes. Conventions are potential traditions, and may be innovated by
changes in the structure of the community or society. Convention may survive or
disappear over the time. They play a characteristic role in arranging relations
in daily life, in reducing misunderstandings between individuals and in
facilitating social relations among members of a group. They help relations to
continue smoothly by determining how to behave when visiting neighbors or sick
people, getting acquainted with someone or when traveling in a group.
RELIGIOUS FESTIVALS
The main reason why religious festivals are not celebrated on the same days
every year is because they are calculated according to the lunar calendar called
“kameri takvim”. Ramadan and the Feast of the Sacrifice are celebrated ten days
earlier each year than the year before, so religious festivals may come to be
celebrated in every season. According to the Kameri calendar, Ramadan is
celebrated on the first three days of the month Sevval, and the Feast of the
Sacrifice is celebrated in four days following the tenth day of the month
Zilhicce. These festivals continue to exist in popular tradition, although their
effects are not what they once were.
The main characteristics of Ramadan and the Feast of the Sacrifice are that
people, neighbours, relatives and friends pay visits and go to see each other.
Young people kiss their parents’ hands and receive best wishes and blessings
from them. It is a tradition to give money or little gifts to those childreen
who kiss one’s hands. Candies are served to visitors during Ramadan. That is why
Ramadan is also called the “Sugar Festival”. During the Feast of the Sacrifice,
not only candies but also the meat of sacrificial animal are served to guests.
According to Biruni of Harezm who lived in 10th century, the reason why people
serve candies during these festivals is that Cem had discovered the sweet juice
inside sugar cane on a Nevruz day. In the beginning, sweet foods were only
served on Nevruz, but this gradually became a general tradition which spread to
all other festivals and festival days.
The Feast of the Sacrifice is celebrated with less excitement than Ramadan in
Turkey. This festival takes place in Islam as a memory of the story in which a
ram fell from the sky just at the moment when the Prophet Abraham was about to
sacrifice his son to God.
The period between the month Sevval, in which Ramadan is celebrated, and the
month Zilhicce, in which the Feast of the Sacrifice takes place lasts exactly
one month and is called Aralik (meaning interval). Marrying between these two
festivals is considered to be unlucky. On the first day of the Feast of the
Sacrifice, hadjis sacrifice rams in Mina in Mecca. If a Muslum has the money,
sacrificing is a religious obligation. Rams, camels or cattle may be sacrificed.
The sacrificial animal must be healthy and if it is female, it must not be
pregnant.
A number of traditions surround animal sacrificing. Some of these come from
Islamic rules, while others vary from region to region and nation to nation. For
example, in some regions of Turkey rams are washed, painted with henna and are
dressed up with bridal ribbons. This tradition of painting rams with henna is
also a very old tradition among the Jewish comunity. Dressing the animal up with
different ribbons is a tradition commonly seen in some parts of Central Asia.
One-third of the meat from the sacrificed animals is left in the house. The
other parts are given to relatives, neighbors and the poor.
Both during Ramadan and the Feast of the Sacrifice people come together,
celebrate and entertain each other. In cities and villages, children and young
people in particular meet each other at festival places and have fun. Festival
areas resemble fairs in these days.
The Ramadan festival comes after one month of fasting. There are also many
traditions regarding the fasting month, which is known as Ramadan Month. In
former times in particular, and in summer when nights are shorter, people who
fasted did not sleep after dinner but waited until sahur (a meal taken just
before dawn during Ramadan). In this period, people orgainised many different
forms of entertainments. Karagöz and ortaoyun were examples of Ramadan shows. In
rural areas, people gathered in houses and in coffee houses where wandering
minstrels used to play instruments and sing. Added to these wandering minstrel
songs, folk stories that could last up to a few days were recounted.
NATIONAL FESTIVALS
The only traditional element in the official ceremonies of these festivals
(the 30th August Victory Festival, the Rebublic Festival, the Liberation
Festival and so on) which are enthusiastically celebrated in cities and towns is
the participation of seymens (heroes and dancers from central Anatolia) and
zeybeks (the swashbuckling hero of southwestern Anatolian villages) in the
celebrations with their special costumes. After the official ceremonies are
over, however, in some places workers and artisans gather in the city or
municipality hall and organize special entertainments until the late hours of
the night, and these entertainments lend a special significance to the
festivals. Drums and zurnas are played in these celebrations. Small towns in
Anatolia have their own folk dances, but in big cities like Istanbul or Ankara
these ceremonies turn into a festival of folk dancing. In many places on
national holidays, wrestling matches or races are held after the official
ceremonies.
In recent years, political parties have organized many entertainments with music
on national holidays in order to increase the excitement while competing with
other parties. Thus, festival traditions are also subject to a process of
change.
CEREMONIES - CELEBRATIONS
There are some small ceremonies realized by people during plowing, seeding,
harvesting and collecting. But only a few of them can be accepted as festival.
However, in places focusing on vineyard and gardening business or in places
working on high plateau business, we observe that some festivals are celebrated.
We can give cherry festival in the Kemalpasa district of Izmir, nut festival of
Giresun or apricot festival of Mut as examples to this kind of festivals. These
ceremonies have turned into festivals as a result of efforts aiming to survive
old festivals with new purposes and in order to live in harmony with the
changing conditions.
Various ceremonies held in southeast Anatolia can be included in this group of
festivals. The “pancarci ţenlikleri” (festivals of beet workers) in villages in
the Savsat district of Artvin, the “seyran senlik” held in the villages of
Pasaf, and the “at gocu” (migration of horses) which last three days in the
villages of Giresun are the best examples. The common characteristics of these
ceremonies is that they are all held a few months after some of the výllagers
have migrated to the high plateaus. They are held at a time when all the work in
the villages is finished, and when they have time to join the people on the high
plateaus for a few days before coming down back to the villages for harvesting.
In Erzurum, although the ceremony is held again on a day at the end of June or
in the beginning of July before harvesting, moving the to high plateaus is not
necessary. People go to picnic areas or thermal springs. These are all
celebrated as festivals with drums, zurna or other musical instruments, with
dances, plays, various games and contests such as race or javelin throwing, with
meals eaten communally.
The southern Yuruks (a nomadic shepherd people of Anatolia) also stage
ceremonies resembling festivals while leaving their winter places and moving to
the high plateaus: these include visits to holy people’s graves, communal
feasting, shooting competitions, wrestling and music.
FOLK CULTURES
“HIDIRELLEZ” FESTIVAL
When looked at antiquity (ancient times) in Mesopotamia, Anatolia, Iran, Greece
and even in countries surrounding the Mediterranean it has been seen that
rituals and celebrations had been performed in the name of some Gods in relation
with arrival of spring or summer. Documents showing that one of the oldest of
these rituals had been performed in Ur city of Mesopotamia by the end of III.
Thousand B.C.. The said ritual had been performed at the end of Winter in the
name of “Tammuz” representing stimulating power of Euphrates (Fýrat) and Tigris
(Dicle) irrigating Mesopotamia plain. Upon arrival of Spring revival of nature
and prosperity and abundance and productivity had been celebrated by festivals
in the name of the God called “Dumuzi”. It has been known that culture of
“Tammuz” had been transferred to the ancient Greece and Anatolia via Hebrew over
Syria and Egypt.
Arrival of Spring or Summer which means revival of Nature and its starting to
live again is an important event in the life of human being in every corner of
the World. A widespread belief in connection with tradition of “Hýdýrellez” is
performance of a celebration for commemoration of the date on which “Hýzýr” and
“Ýlyas” came together. The day of “Hýdýrellez” has been generally celebrated on
May 6th. In some regions May 5th has been accepted as the day of Festival and
May 6th as the day of “Hýdýrellez” and ceremonies have been arranged
accordingly. The day of “Hýdýrellez” (Ruz-ý Hýzýr) has been considered as the
beginning of Summer in the Public Calendar. According to the Public Calendar
among Turks one year has been divided into two sections. The period from the day
of “Hýdýrellez” (May 6th) to November 8th is 186 days and mentioned under the
name of “Hýzýr Days”. This period has been named as the Summer season. The
second period extending from November 8th to May 6th is the Winter season and
named as “Days of November”, lasting 179 days.
Traditions, beliefs, ceremonies established around “Hýdýrellez” have been
confused generally with “Sultan Nevruz” and other traditions and ceremonies
performed for meeting the Spring. Because Spring Festivals have been
concentrated on several important days. In this connection it is possible to see
whole of “Hýdýrellez” or other Spring ceremonies in the course of celebration of
any one of them.
In Turkish communities both in Anatolia and out of Anatolia with the approach of
“Hýdýrellez” assorted preparations have been made. Houses have been thoroughly
cleaned up, household effects, kitchenware, clothes have been cleaned from top
to toe. These works have been performed in order to have “Hýzýr” (A.S.) visit
the house. On the other hand on “Hýdýrellez” day lamb or kid, assortment of
dishes have been cooked, and in the mean time preparation of a lot of food has
been completed. In some regions there are some people who meet “Hýdýrellez” by
fasting (oruç) one day before the day of “Hýdýrellez”. Upon completion of all
preparations people go to the nearest picnic places full of trees and having
spring and try to pass the day of “Hýdýrellez” happily with various plays,
entertainments.
Places where “Hýdýrellez” has been celebrated are generally watery and green
areas. In conformity with the tradition there are picnic places called
“Hýdýrlýk” at various regions of Anatolia. At these regions such customs as
visiting tombs of great religious leaders, vowing or tying a piece of cloth at
such places as graveyard, tomb of a holy person (saint), etc. which have been
considered sacred places by indigenous people have also been exercised.
Of course the most important ceremony exercised in “Hýdýrellez” is the “play of
wish”. It has been exercised in order that young girls become lucky, determine
their fortune. According to regions the play has different names: drawing lots
of wish, fortune pot, lucky, prosperity, etc. The play has been performed as
follows: water brought in a pitcher is poured in a pot. Everybody throws a sign
into the pot holding water. Such signs may be also sweet basil, mint, “mantuvar”
flower in addition to usually ring, earring, etc. The pot is covered with a
cloth on the eve of “Hýdýrellez” and placed under a rosewood. A lock is put on
the pot and locked as a custom. On the other day girls coming together again
take the pot under rosewood. Lock is opened and one of them starts to draw lots.
In the mean time folk songs are sung. Each folk song is accepted for the fate of
the girl whose sign is drawn. This play goes on until the last sign is drawn. In
folk songs which have been sung during performance of the play such themes as
hope, joy, firmness, love, affection, tenderness, goodness, brotherhood, living
abroad, patriotism, etc have been treated.
One of the widespread beliefs concerning the day of “Hýdýrellez” has shown
itself in the tradition of making yoghurt. On the day of “Hýdýrellez” yoghurt is
made without using ferment. If it becomes yoghurt it is believed that “Hýzýr”
visited home.
TURKISH HUMANISM AND ANATOLIAN MUSLIM SAINTS
(DERVISHES)
Khorasan Dervishes , including “Hacý Bektaţ-i Veli” the great Turkish thinker,
had mixed up in the same culture, Christian communities living in Anatolia with
Turkmen groups come by immigration, through activities of education and
reconstruction and had not played a vital role in creation of cultural integrity
in Anatolia and constitution of Central Authority. A number of Dervishes who had
come to Anatolia by way of immigration settled in secluded road junctions,
opened lodges (Zaviye) there, and these institutions established on unsettled
territories had been converted into centers of culture, reconstruction and
religion in time. Thus religious communities had been spread out everywhere;
rules of ethic, decency, behaviour, belief had been standardised, knowledge and
science had been produced and expanded in these centers within the framework of
availabilities of the era. That these Dervishes had settled in villages and
cultivated soil and dealt with education had been also supported by Rulers, and
a number of privileges had been granted to Dervishes. Consequently lodges had
been set up even at the most remote corners of Anatolia and a common cultural
texture had been commenced forming thanks to the education provided. One of
Khorasan Dervishes who had arrived in Anatolia is “Hacý Bektaţ-i Veli”. “Hacý
Bektaţ-i Veli” was born in 1248 B.C. in Nishabur city of Khorasan in Iran and
spent his childhood and youth in Khorasan; learned philosophy, social and
technical sciences in “Hoca Ahmet Yesevi” Center and after travelling and
studying Iran, Iraq, Arabia arrived in Anadolia in 1275/80 B.C. and settled in
Hacýbektaţ (formerly called Sulucakarahöyük). In that era Anatolia had been
crushed under Mongolian invasion on the one part and had faced with great
political and economic crisis as well as struggles of throne on the other part.
“Hacý Bektas-i Veli” who had settled in Sulucakarahöyük in such condition
improved his philosophy and began to educate students. His system of thought
based on tolerance and love of human being had spread shortly to masses of great
people in Cappadocia which had been a greet center of Christianity and adopted
by the people.
•The end of path not leading science is dark,
•Educate women,
•Control your hand, waist, tongue !
•The greatest book to be read is human being
•Honesty is the door of friendship,
•The quality of a spiritual teacher is to give, not to receive,
•Universe is within Adam, Adam is within the Universe,
•Science is the light illuminating roads towards the reality,
•The end of road not led by science is dark,
•Our way has been established on science, knowledge and love of human,
•Clean up your dwelling place, deserve the money you earn,
•Let us unite together, let us be huge, alive,
•Do not hurt even if you were offended,
•Whatever becomes heavy for your own personality, do not make it applied to
anybody,
•Happy is those who enlighten the darkness of thought,
•Be mediator,
•Perfection of a person is the beauty of his words,
•Always bear in mind that even your enemy is a human,
•The biggest miracle is to work,
•Male, female are not questioned in the language of love.
Everything created by God is placed orderly.
Woman and man are not different according to us.
Deficiency, shortness are in your views.
His philosophic thought has been based on existence of human being and love of
human being. This thought has been reflecting the same understanding with 1948
Human Rights Universal Declaration. Thoughts of “Hacý Bektaţ-ý Veli” have been
taken into consideration in 1923 by M. Kemal Atatürk approximately after 600
year, and a republic which is secular, democratic, respectful to human rights
has been established. Despite such a long time passed, his thoughts have been
preserving their effectiveness and proceeding to enlighten the path of humanity.
•Temperature is in fire, not in sheet iron,
•Miracle is in coat, not in crown,
•Whatever you look for, look for within yourself
•Not in Jerusalem, Mecca, Pilgrimage.
“Hacý Bektaţ-ý Veli” who made a statement as “ Difference in religion is
unnecessary. In fact all religions are intended to establish peace and
brotherhood in the World.” Has been setting forth all of his views in his work
called “Velayetname”. The primary objective “Bektaţilik” (following ideas of
Bektaţi) established on the basis of such system of thought of “Hacý Bektaţ-ý
Veli” is to perceive unity of “Universe-God-Human” which is basically formed by
love. Human being is a creature of love. Human being has been provided with
divine (God-Like) qualifications. Initial phase of success is that human being
should know and love himself/herself; because human being carries in
himself/herself a divine gist and an individual who loves himself/herself loves
also God. The perfect expression of love of God in “Bektaţilik” has been found
in the best manner in the following quatrain:
•Their apprentices chip stone
•After chipping present it to their Master
•Mention the name of “God”
•In every piece of that stone.
Human being is an independent creature in his/her living environment. His/her
duty is to behave modest, to purify his/her core, to be mature, to remain far
from showing-off and to be full of love of God. Humanly bodies are only a mean
for attaining an objective. Therefore to divide people as Woman and Man, or to
despise them according to their social positions or their races are the biggest
fault that can be performed. Women and Men, all human beings are equal. Thoughts
of Hacý Bektaţ-ý Veli have been prevailing still today and have been celebrated
with great enthusiasm every year on dates of 15-16-17 August in township of
Hacýbektaţ of Nevţehir province.
One of Institutions which has been effective in attaining Anatolia’s cultural
unity as referred above is the Organisation of Akhi (Ahilik). The Akhis who came
in Anatolia together with “Yesevi” Dervishes settled themselves in urban areas
rather than rural areas since they had a profession to work on. Organisation of
Akhi, being a professional organisation, is an Interior (Batýni) Establishment.
“Ahi Evran Veli”, one of Khorasan Dervishes as “ Hacý Bektaţ-ý Veli”, ensured
that Akhis of Anatolia become an organised power. Wife of “Ahi Evran” had been
known as “Fatma Bacý Kadýn Ana” and established Organisation of “Bacýyan-ý Rum”
which was the first women organisation in the world. Akhis who had assembled in
13th Century in Ankara and Kýrţehir under the Sheikhship of “Ahi Evnan” spread
out shortly to Seljuk Cities. In foundation of the Ottoman Empire Akhis had
played rather important role, and according to some sources they had attached
“Osman Gazi” who was the founder of Ottoman Empire, his son “Orhan Gazi” and
Murad-I the 3rd Sultan to their sides.
General basic principle in Akhism (Ahilik) is absolute equalities of those who
are the member of the Organisation. All members are brother of one another.
However, there are an eternal respect hierarchically from young to older
members. A candidate for membership is to be proposed by one of members in the
Organisation. Those who are engaged in degrading works, known in the vicinity as
unfavourable, thought to bring defaming words against the Organisation cannot be
Akhi. For example those who killed somebody, killed animal (butchers), thieves,
those whose adultery was proved cannot participate in the Organisation. Entrance
into the Organisation is performed through a special ceremony like membership to
the Organisation of “Bektaţilik”. In this ceremony a special kind of belt (Þed)
is worn by candidate of Akhi and advised that he must show love and respect to
all humanity, and be true and honest. The organisation requires that all members
have absolute loyalty and endless obey towards the Organisation. Atheists can
never be a member to the Organisation, however devoted religious persons are not
also allowed to participate in the Organisation. As was the case in the
Organisation of “Bektaţi”, members are subjected to such phases as to get
knowledge, patience, purification of soul, loyalty, friendship, tolerance, etc.
In addition to have such features six important principles of Akhism are:
1. Keep your hand open,
2. Keep your dining-table open,
3. Keep your door open,
4. Keep your eyes tied,
5. Control your waist,
6. Hold your tongue.
Whoever praying patience with devout in God
Came to us is our member.
Whoever working with wisdom and moral
Exceeded us is our member.
Certain phases are applied in Akhilism. In these phases disciple is taught
professional skills, mysticism and religious information, reading and writing,
Turkish, Arabic, Persian, music, mathematics and information about military as
well as “Fütüvvetname” of a nature as the constitution of the Organisation of
Akhi (Brotherhood). There is a system with nine ranks in the Organisation of
Akhi, namely:
Although Organisation of Akhi has ceased to exist today, it has been celebrated
officially with the Week of “Akhi Cultural Celebration” on the second Monday of
the Month of October every year.
Another great scholar in Anatolia who enlightened the humanity is however
“Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi”. “Mevlana was born in 1207 in Khorasan, died in 1273
in Konya. He received his first lessons from his father “Bahaeddin Veled” known
as “Sultan of Scholars”. “ Mevlana” who had grown up complete with the thought
of mysticism came across with “Ţems Tebrizi” who was an Akhi and then his own
thoughts started to take form. Mevlana’s ability to express his thought of
mysticism through poetry helped him to be well known even today in all over the
World.
•Non-priority is branch of love, root in endlessness.
•This greatness does not fit this wisdom, moral.
•Be disappear, give up your existence, Your existence is crime.
•Love is nothing but to find the true path.
According to Mevlana the most important thing which is necessary for reaching
the God is love. A plant, animal may be also loved; however, the only creature
that is capable of loving with its body, conscious, thought, memory altogether
is human being. Mevlana praised the love felt for a woman; because a person who
is capable of loving another person is able to love himself, all human beings,
universe and the God. And the best of all loves is the love of “Reality” which
starts when attained to this knowledge. “Sema” which has performed by “Mevlevi”
dervishes by whirling is to reach an agreement with all the World in love, to
keep pace with its universal whirling. The fact that one hand faces the sky and
the other to the Earth is to present love received from the God to all the
World. Soul is a core jetting out from the God, it is immortal. Soul is desirous
to turn back to its source, to the God. Sound coming from “Reed” (Ney) is the
sound of soul full of sadness, desiring to turn back the initial source.
“Mevlana” has expressed that the Universe was the endless field of existence of
the God and that human being carried a God-Like quality as a part of a whole by
saying “ Hey, whoever looks for the God, it is you what you look for…”
Come whatever you are, come
Whether you are atheist, or worship fire,
Whether you have broken your oath thousand times
Our convent (Dergah) is not the convent of despair,
Come whatever you are, come again
As would be seen in the foregoing verses, “Mevlana” believed in brotherhood of
all humanity and difference among religions would not be related with the
God-Like presence. “Mevlana” attached great importance to women, by stating “ As
long as you wanted that women should cover themselves with clothes, you would
stimulate the desire in everybody to see them. If heart of a woman is good, like
a man, whatever ban you put into practice she will lead to the way of goodness.
If your heart is bad, whatever you do, you can never affect her.” Mevlana
advocates equality of a woman with a man. Students of Mevlana were called
“Kitap-el Esrar” (Clerks of Secret), among who had been included Muslims, Jews,
Christians, Greeks, Iranians, Arabians, Armenians, Turks. Poems of Mevlana were
collated by his Students consisting of so many different religion and
nationality and have been arrived up to the present day.
Customs And Beliefs Related To Death In Anatolia
Social life contains a large number of different beliefs, customs, traditions,
rites and ceremonies, stereotype attitudes, etc. in many fields. In small
settlements in particular, where traditions, customs and beliefs are more
influential, death is a concept that reinforces of social solidarity. Death,
which is seen as a person’s physical disappearance although he continues to live
in spirit, is generally a terrifying phenomenon. With the subconscious pressure
created by this fear, a number of events or manifestations are interpreted as
omens of impending death, including unexpected forms of behavior, objects being
used in a particular way, meteorological events (a shooting star, thunder,
northeast wind, etc.), the behavior of animals and noises made by them (barking
of dogs, the hooting of owls, a rooster crowing at the wrong time, etc.), dreams
(of coffins, wedding dresses, wedding-festivities, camels, houses being
demolished, falling teeth, onions, pepper etc.), vehicles and machinery (a shoe
turning upside down, a pair of scissors being left open, creaking sounds in the
ceiling etc.), as well as physiological and psychological changes (someone’s
growing pale, an increase or decrease in appetite, staring fixedly at one point,
etc.) in the sick person. People tend to avoid events that are thought to
trigger the process of death. Among the ways this has done, is to slaughter the
rooster that crows at an inappropriate time, giving some food that has prepared
at home or bought outside to the poor if one sees a bad dream, describing that
dream to water, waking up pregnant women or children if they are asleep when a
dead person is taken away, emptying water cups in the home, where there is a
funeral, sweeping the home after the deceased has been taken away, turning
cauldron in which the water used for washing the dead has been boiled upside
down etc.
People try to comfort the individual who is dying. In order to do this, the
pillow under the head of the person who has realized that he is dying is taken
away, he is given water, no one weeps loudly in his presence, and relatives who
live far away are called to be present. If they are unable to be present,
objects that belong to them or photographs are shown to the moribund person. An
imam or someone who can read the Koran is also called to attendance.
In the immediate aftermath of a death, the deceased is removed from the bed he
died in and placed on the prepared floor, called a ‘comfort bed.’ His jaw is
bound up and his feet tied together (usually at the big toes). If the person
died at night and there was a relative on his way coming to see him from a long
way away, the body is not buried. The waiting time for burial does not pass
14-15 hours (if the died in the evening he will be left until noon the following
day; if he died in the morning, the waiting period ends that afternoon). A piece
of iron is placed on the stomach of the deceased to prevent the body swelling
up. The deceased is not left alone. Local people are informed of the death by
word of mouth and by the salah (a prayer recited on certain occasions by the
muezzin before he issues the call to prayer). After that, the process that is
thought to ease the passage of the deceased to the other side. These practices
are also fulfilled to protect the living people from the bad effects of death.
The first practices regarding sending the deceased off include washing the body
and enshrouding it within fixed rules. If the deceased was a woman, she is
washed by the other women, and by men if the dead person was male. Washers are
experienced and well-versed in the rules. In villages, the body is washed inside
the house or on a bench reserved for this purpose in the garden, and few people
are allowed to be present. When the deceased is washed, the relatives pour a
bowl of water over the body, give their consent and ask the deceased for
whatever they have shared in the past. In big cities, the deceased is washed in
a room reserved for this purpose in the cemetery. The piece of cloth used as a
shroud is always white. The shroud for women has more parts to it than that used
for men. As a female corpse is wrapped in the shroud, henna (this may also be
applied to her hands before the body is washed), black cumin, rose water, Zamzam
(water from a well near Kaaba) etc. are sprinkled inside the shroud. When the
deceased is waiting for burial or as the body is wrapped in the shroud, incense
may be burned nearby to prevent any bad odors. The enshrouded body is then
placed inside the coffin and taken to the place where funeral prayer is
performed. The funeral prayer is performed at the cemetery or else in the
mosque. Women are not usually able to attend the funeral prayer.
Following the funeral prayers, the coffin is carried to the cemetery by the
congregation. The grave is prepared before the coffin is brought there. Graves
for women are usually dug deeper than those for men. Many different types of
burial have been observed in archeological excavations in Anatolia, which has
been a home to many civilizations. Bodies have been found inside large,
earthenware jars, or in coffins, or placed in storied compartments in a
sarcophagus, in tumuli and sometimes in mummified form, etc. Recently, the most
popular form of burial is that a flat grave is dug or a separate cavity is
opened inside the grave and the body is placed there. The cavity is closed up
with branches, adobe, bricks or briquette, and the grave is filled with soil.
The body is usually placed in the grave without a coffin. Following the burial,
prayers and formulae thought to help the deceased on the other side are recited
by the imam. The soil used to fill in the grave is then allowed to settle, which
takes about a year. A tombstone may be erected at both ends of the grave, or
only at the head. These can be of stone or cement, and recently of marble.
Graves are usually, in villages and big cities, in public cemeteries, but there
are also family graves in land belonging to the family. There are also family
graves set aside in large public cemeteries in some cities. A hollow spot is
generally provided or a pot is placed on the grave to hold water and flowers.
Various trees (pine, willow, mulberry, cypress, poplar etc.) are planted at the
head end of the grave. The tombstone is embellished, with the deceased’s name,
birth and death dates and sometimes various literary expressions being inscribed
on it. Tombstones serve as historical documents since they reflect the age in
which they were made. People avoid stepping on the graves and take care not to
allow animals on them. In big cities, there are also commercial institutions
that carry out funeral services – from issuing obituary notices to organizing
the burial.
Following the burial, people offer their condolences in the graveyard or at home
in order to console the relatives of the deceased. Visits to the home of the
close relatives of the deceased to offer condolences continue for a while.
Meanwhile, no food is generally cooked in the home of the deceased for 2-3 days
(in villages), being brought in by neighbors instead. The deceased is remembered
on the third, seventh, fortieth and fifty-second days after his death with
religious ceremonies and meals. It is believed that the dead pass through a
number of stages, the most common of which is the belief that the flesh is
removed from the bone on the fortieth or fifty-second days, and it is a common
belief that whatever commemoration is held on that date will ease the suffering
of the deceased. Furthermore, the deceased is also contented by this, which
prevents him doing any harm to the family. It is believed that the smell of the
halva or other foods cooked and distributed on special days (the third, seventh
and fortieth days after death, festivals, Thursdays etc.) reaches the dead.
While some of the belongings of the deceased (cloths, shoes etc.) are kept as a
memento, most are distributed to the poor; if the belongings are not taken by
anybody or are in bad condition, they are burned.
If there is a wedding near a home where someone has been buried on that day,
musical instruments are not played. The consent of the family of the deceased
has to be obtained to be able to play musical instruments on the other days.
This applies not so much to cities, but rather to close-knit small settlements.
The pain and suffering felt at losing someone we love or know are experienced in
the context social patterns, a process known as mourning. The close family of
the deceased refrain from attending social activities, and do not wear new
clothing for a while (between 40 days and 1-2 years). In some regions, the men
do not shave for 1-2 weeks. People also cry out for the deceased. The duration
of the mourning period is longer if the deceased was a young person.
It is believed that the spirit of the deceased wanders around and sometimes
visits its old home, and that it leaves happy if something is made for it, but
that it suffers distress if it realizes that this has not been done. People tend
to visit graves on religious festivals or on the day before them. During these
visits, people pray in front of the graves, burn incense and candles and
distribute money, sugar, sweets and foodstuffs prepared at home.
In our world, with its rapid changes and intense technological development, it
is still a fact that death comes to all. Here, the beliefs and practices in
society fulfill the function of helping to make this fact more tolerable.
