WThe tradition of folklore—folktales, jokes, legends, and the like—in the Turkish language is very rich, and is incorporated into everyday life and events.
WLagâri Hasan Çelebi was an Ottoman aviator who, according to the account written by traveller Evliya Çelebi, made a successful crewed rocket flight.
WDastan is an ornate form of oral history from Central Asia, Iran, Turkey and Azerbaijan.
WHekimoğlu İbrahim, known by his epithet Hekimoğlu, was an Ottoman outlaw and a folk hero. He was born in Hopa, Ottoman Empire.
WJinn – also romanized as djinn or anglicized as genie – are supernatural creatures in early pre-Islamic Arabian and later Islamic mythology and theology. Like humans, they are created with fitra, born as believers, but their attitude depends on whether they accept God's guidance. Since jinn are neither innately evil nor innately good, Islam acknowledged spirits from other religions, and was able to adapt spirits from other religions during its expansion. Jinn are not a strictly Islamic concept; they may represent several pagan beliefs, and beliefs in the early Abrahamic religions integrated into Islam.
WThe Kadirga Festival is the most famous of all Turkish festivities. The festival takes place in one of the yayla (plateaus) about 25 kilometers from Tonya.
WThe kallikantzaros is a malevolent goblin in Southeast European and Anatolian folklore. Stories about the kallikantzaros or its equivalents can be found in Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia, Albania, Bosnia and Cyprus. Kallikantzaroi are believed to dwell underground but come to the surface during the twelve days of Christmas, from 25 December to 6 January.
WKaragiozis or Karaghiozis is a shadow puppet and fictional character of Greek folklore. He is an offspring of the Turkish shadow play Karagöz and Hacivat and the main character of the tales narrated in the Turkish and Greek shadow-puppet theatre.
WKaragöz and Hacivat are the lead characters of the traditional Turkish shadow play, popularized during the Ottoman period and then spread to most nation states of the Ottoman Empire. It is most prominent in Turkey, Greece, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Adjara. In Greece, Karagöz is known by his local name Karagiozis; in Bosnia and Herzegovina, he is known by his local name Karađoz.
WMeddah is the name given to a traditional Turkish story teller, who played in front of a small group of viewers, such as a coffeehouse audience. This form of performance was especially popular in the Ottoman Empire from the 16th century onwards. The play was generally about a single topic, the meddah playing different characters, and was usually introduced by drawing attention to the moral contained in the story. The meddah would use props such as an umbrella, a handkerchief, or different headwear, to signal a change of character, and was skilled at manipulating his voice and imitating different dialects. There was no time limitation on the shows; a good meddah had the skill to adjust the story depending on interaction with the audience.
WNasreddin or Nasreddin Hodja or Mullah Nasreddin Hooja or Mullah Nasruddin (1208―1285) was a Seljuk satirist, born in Hortu Village in Sivrihisar, Eskişehir Province, present-day Turkey and died in 13th century in Akşehir, near Konya, a capital of the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum, in today's Turkey. He is considered a philosopher, Sufi, and wise man, remembered for his funny stories and anecdotes. He appears in thousands of stories, sometimes witty, sometimes wise, but often, too, a fool or the butt of a joke. A Nasreddin story usually has a subtle humour and a pedagogic nature. The International Nasreddin Hodja festival is celebrated between 5 and 10 July in his hometown every year.
WNene Hatun was a Turkish folk heroine, who became known for fighting against Russian forces during the recapture of Fort Aziziye in Erzurum from Russian forces at the start of the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878.
WPeri, otherwise known as Pari in Persian culture, are exquisite, winged spirits renowned for their beauty. Originally from Persian mythology, Peris were later adopted by other cultures. They are described as mischievous beings that have been denied entry to paradise until they have completed penance for atonement. Under Islamic influence, Peris became benevolent spirits, in contrast to the mischievous jinn and divs.
WShahmaran, is a mythical creature, half woman and half snake, found with different variations in the folklore of Iran, Anatolia, the Armenian Highlands, Iraq, and of the Kurds.
WTeeny-Tiny and the Witch-Woman is a story written by Barbara K. Walker and illustrated by Michael Foreman based on an old Turkish folk tale. The story was first published in 1975 by Pantheon Books and an animated short based on the story was produced by Weston Woods on May 31, 1980.
WTurkish folk dances are the folk dances of Turkey. Facing three seas, straddling important trade routes, Turkey has a complex, sophisticated culture, reflected in the variety of its dances. The dominant dance forms are types of line dance. There are many different types of folk dances performed in various ways in Turkey, and these reflect the cultural structure of each region. The Bar in Erzurum province, the Halay in the East and Southeast, the Hora in Thrace, the Horon in the Black Sea, Spoon dances in and around Konya and Lezginka in Kars and Ardahan are the best known examples of these.