The Place of Tombs in Turkish Culture in the Context of Mountain and Cave Cult: The Example of Adana

Year 2023, Volume: 6 Issue: 2, 494 - 516, 27.12.2023

Hilmi Savur , Rabia Gökcen Kayabaşı

https://doi.org/10.48174/buaad.1388805

Abstract

The mountain is one of the important places and cults in the Turkish belief and thought system. The existence of owners is encountered in every area of nature, and it is a fact that there is an owner in the mountains. The mountain is perceived as a living being by the Turks, and it is even believed that the mountains have a soul, or even the soul itself. In Turkish beliefs, it is stated that mountain owners and spirits do good to people and give them prosperity, abundance, abundance and happiness, while it is also stated that they punish people for disrespecting the mountain spirits. Turks saw the mountain as a sacred place in terms of faith. While the Turks attributed respect and sanctity to the objects in this place, they used them as a tool in their wishes. As a matter of fact, the Altai Mountains and the Tian Shan Mountains are considered the sacred mountains of the Turks. The cave space and cult are not independent from the mountain cult. The cave became one of the dwellings of people with the concept of the mythological mother's womb and became a cult. Since the cave is likened to a mother's womb by the Turks, it is described as sacred and a place of renewal and transformation. It is seen that childless women in Anatolia and the Turkish world go to caves known as sacred to have children and perform various rituals there to fulfill their wishes. Although Adana is a city located on a plain, it backs onto mountains such as the Taurus Mountains, Bolkar and Kozan Mountain, and these mountains are sanctified specifically for the people of Adana. While Adana hosted various civilizations due to being a geographical transition route, Turkish groups also migrated to Adana due to its fertile lands and wetlands. It is reported that the people buried in most of the tombs here are from the groups that came to Turkify Anatolia. In the study, the tombs around Adana province were scanned through field research, and the tombs with mountain and cave cults were identified and reported. Çoban Dede Tomb in the center of Adana province, Hasan Esad Bağdadi Tomb in Kozan district, Ağca Baba Tomb, Çomak Dede Tomb, Sofu Dede Tomb in Karaisalı district, Hızır İlyas Tomb in Yumurtalık district, Durhasan Dede Tomb in Ceyhan district, Cabbar Dede Tomb in mountain and cave. It has been tried to be examined in the context of cults. It is seen in the literature that the mountain and cave cult, focusing on the Adana tombs, has not been examined or researched, and that there is no evaluation on this subject. This deficiency encouraged us to conduct this study. It is thought that this study will fill the gap in this field and lead to new findings in the field. Field research method was used in the study. In addition to the city center of Adana, 15 districts were scanned, tombs were visited, photographs were taken and recorded. Various questions were asked to the interviewees, and their answers were recorded on a voice recorder and archived. It is seen that saints, who are seen as the spiritual protectors of the city, have their places built on a dominant point, hill, mountain or stone of the city, and people add glory and holiness to that person here. It is seen that there are various findings related to mountain and cave cults in the tombs mentioned in the text. Although the mountain cult is centered in Central Asia, it seems to continue its existence in Anatolia and Adana. Photographs of the tombs were also included in the study. Some tombs are important gathering and meeting areas in the area where they are located. People meet in the picnic area around the Çoban Dede Tomb and while they spend time there, they climb up to the tomb and perform their worship there. While Durhasan Dede Tomb gives its name to the place where it is located, people perform mass rituals around the courtyard in various periods. In some tombs, it is seen that other objects in the place are also sacred, giving the place this holiness. It is seen that holiness was added to the trees in the tomb by hanging rags and making cradles on the trees around the tomb. The stones around the tomb are also attributed with sanctity. It is also reported that while people draw various wishes on these stones, they take them with them or to their homes to bring abundance and prosperity to their pockets and homes.

Keywords

Mountain Cult, Cave Cult, Tomb, Adana

Türbelerin Dağ ve Mağara Kültü Bağlamında Türk Kültüründeki Yeri: Adana Örneği

Abstract

Dağ, Türk inanç ve düşünce sisteminde önemli mekânlardan ve kültlerden biridir. Doğanın her alanında bir iyeler varlığı ile karşılaşılmakta olup, dağlarında bir iyesi olduğu gerçektir. Dağ, Türklerde canlı bir varlık olarak algılanmakta, hatta dağların bir ruhu olduğuna, hatta ruhun kendisi olduğuna inanılmaktadır. Nitekim Altay Dağları ve Tanrı Dağları Türkler’in kutsal dağları olarak kabul edilmektedir. Mağara mekânı ve kültü de dağ kültünden bağımsız durumda değildir. Mağara, mitolojik ananın rahim kavramıyla insanların meskenlerinden birisi olmuş ve kültleşmiştir. Adana, ovaya kurulu bir kent olmasına rağmen sırtını Toroslar, Bolkar, Kozan Dağı gibi dağlara dayamaktadır ve bu dağlarda Adana halkı özelinde kutsallaştırılmıştır. Çalışmada Adana ili çevresinde bulunan türbeler saha araştırmasıyla taranmış, dağ ve mağara kültüne sahip türbeler tespit edilip aktarılmıştır. Adana ili merkezde bulunan Çoban Dede Türbesi, Kozan ilçesinde bulunan Hasan Esad Bağdadi Türbesi, Ağca Baba Türbesi, Çomak Dede Türbesi, Karaisalı ilçesinde Sofu Dede Türbesi, Yumurtalık ilçesinde bulunan Hızır İlyas Türbesi, Ceyhan ilçesinde bulunan Durhasan Dede Türbesi, Cabbar Dede Türbesi dağ ve mağara kültleri bağlamında incelenmeye çalışılmıştır.

Keywords

Dağ Kültü, Mağara Kültü, Halk Bilimi, Türbe, Adana

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