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Turkish Dictionary For Tourists

Ahrar: The short-form of the “Osmanlı Ahrar Fırkası” (Ottoman Ahrar Party), which was established by Prince Sabahattin on 14 September 1908 and which is regarded as the first liberal party.
Ashab-ı Kehf: The name used in the Holy Koran for the people, who are referred as the “Friends in the Cave” of “Seven sleepers of Ephesus” in other sources. Praised in the sources of Islam as well as in those of Christianity, Ashab-ı Kehf are considered to have lived during the reign of the Roman Emperor Decius. Ashab-ı Kehf is a group in Christians.
Babaîler: In the 13th century, Turkoman nomads migrated to Anatolian from the east to run away from the Mogul tyranny and they settled in different regions. With the claim of prophecy, Baba İshak declared a new age for the nomads and gathered some ignorant Turcoman people around him. They were called the “Babailer”.
Babıali: The expression referring to the press in İstanbul.
Babıadi: A pun with the word “Babiali”, to mean “the evil press”.
Baglama: A stringed instrument of folk music.
Barak: Melodic song-like shouts of the Barak tribe of the Turks, who migrated from the Central Asia and settled in southern Anatolia. As they were not to see very bright days, they usually sung in grief and agony. The theme of “barak” is usually on death, longing and the ones left behind.
Beş Hececiler: A poetry movement in the Republican era, led by Faruk Nafiz Çamlıbel, Yusuf Ziya Ortaç, Enis Behiç Koryürek, Halit Fahri Ozansoy and Orhan Seyfi Orhon. They used the syllabic meter in their poems and preferred to be plain and original, staying away from elaboration. They wrote on love of motherland, beauties of the country, heroes and epic stories. They also tried to write free folk compositions with syllabic meter.
Bozlak: A kind of poem in South and Middle Anatolia on fights of the dynasties, blood revenges and adventures of love.
Defter-i Amal: The note-book where the good and evil deeds of men are recorded by the angels, in the Islamic belief.
Dergâh : 1. The doorstep, threshold. 2. The door of the great people. 3. Places where dervishes congregate to worship. 4. (idiomatic) Shelter. 5. Office. 6. Place of the lover.
Divan: The general name of the works where the poets of Divan literature collected their poems.
Enel-Hak: The work “hak” has four different meanings in Turkish: 1. Drawing patterns by carving on stone, metal, wood, etc. 2. Truth, reality, justice, pay for labor, share. 3. God. 4. Earth.
The meaning of the phrase “Enel-Hak”, uttered by the famous sufi Hallac-ı Mansur, means “I am the God.” Some put that Hallac claimed being the God by saying so; while some interpret him to mean that “I belong to God” or “I am for real, I am not virtual”. Moreover, a number of people claim that Hallac said this phrase on hearing it from the God and meant that “God says ‘I am the God.’”It can be said that Hallac summarized a pantheist idea in this phrase.
Gaza: The wars which the Prophet Esteemed Mohammed participated in.
Gazavatnâme: The common name of the books which depict the wars which the Prophet Esteemed Mohammed participated in.
Hadis: The words and behaviors of the Prophet Esteemed Mohammed. Also, the scientific branch to study on these words and behaviors.
Hızır: The nickname of the Prophet İlyas, who is said to live eternally. It is believed that he immediately helps the people who are in trouble.
Hutbe: The speech made by the preachers on the pulpit during the namaz prayer on Fridays and religions holidays.
İrşad: Leading somebody in the right path according to Islam.
İttihat: An organization, which was established illegally on 21 May 1889 with the name “İttihad-ı Osmani” (Progress of the Ottoman State) and later took the name “İttihat ve Terakki Fırkası” (Progess and Union Party). The organization operated in connection with the Young Turks in Paris at first. The last congress of the party was held on 1 November 1918 and on 5 November 1918, the organization was terminated.
İttihat Terakki: see İttihat.
Kaside: A form of poetry in Divan literature, which consists of fifteen couplets at least. The second verse of all couplets rhyme with the verse at the beginning. They usually praised the leading personalities of the age.
Kaside-i Bürde: The famous kaside of Ka’b b. Zübeyr, one of the disciples of the Prophet Esteemed Mohammad. The Prophet gave his garment to the poet as a gift, against this kaside.
Mahur: A composition in the classical Turkish music.
Meddah: 1. One who praises. 2. Someone who tells anecdotes and amuses people.
Mesnevi: A form of versification in Divan literature with a different rhyme in every couplet. Also, the general name for the works in this form.
Millî Edebiyat: National Literature. A literary movement led by the review Genç Kalemler, which was published by Ali Canip Yöntem, Ömer Seyfettin and Ziya Gökalp in 1911. Their works with a plain and purified use of Turkish aimed to demonstrate the problems in the country and the national values.
Mümimme Defteri: One of the note-books kept at the Office of the Grand Vizier during the time of Ottoman Empire.
Nakşibendî: A religious order, established by Bahauddin Nakşibend Muhammed b. Muhammed el-Buharî and accepted widely in the Islamic world.
Namaz: 1. A worship to be practices on certain times of day (morning, noon, afternoon, evening, night), and one of the five orders in Islam. 2. Prayer.
Nasih mensuh: The cancel the old verse of the Koran and put the new verses instead of them.
Nazire: 1. Example, similar. 2. (literary) A poem written in similar meter and rhyme to a poem of another poet, taken as an appreciated model.
Nihavent longa: Dance music in nihavend composition.
Ortaoyunu: The public theatre, which plays in the public squire.
Rubai: A form of poetry in Divan literature, consisting of four verses and written in certain patterns of aruz; quartet.
Sahih-i Buhari: The hadith book of İmam-ı Buhari, who was a famous and important scholar of theology in the Islamic world.
Saltukname: Sultan Fatih the Conqueror, on observing the positive effects of the Bektahsi order on the army and the society, ordered Prince Sultan Cem to record the epics of Sarı Satuk, a Bektashi dervish, in order to maintain public order and unity. The work was written by Ebu’l-Hayr-ı Rumi.
Sarık: A piece of cloth worn around the cap by the Muslims.
Servet-i Fünûn: The literary group led by Recaizade Mahmut Ekrem in the review Servet-i Fünûn between 1896 and 1901 and the general name for their literary movement.
Sunusiler: A tribe in the green oasis of Kufra, in the south of Benghazi and in the middle of the Grand Sahara. They are famous for their courage and keenness for independence. During the reign of Sultan Abdulhamid, the tribe, under the command of Turkish officers fought against the Italians for eight years.
Surname: A type of work in Divan literature, where wedding ceremonies were depicted.
Sünnet: Religious duties that the Prophet Esteemed Mohammad carried out and demanded the Muslims to do, as well. Also, a belief system of four sects, referred as Ehl-i Sünnet.
Şor: Turks of Şor. They live in the province on Kemerova, to the west of Hakas Republic in Southern Siberia. They live together with the Turks of Televüt of the same region. Their population is approximately 16,800.
Tezkire: The works where the lives and works of Divan poets are narrated from a subjective perspective.
Tahmis: A term in Divan literature, referring to the supplement of three verses to the beginning of every couplet in an ode; quintet.
Tanzimat: A period of Western type of reforms beginning with the Gülhane Declaration in 1838.
Tarikat: The mystic way, established with a certain method, to be followed in order to reach the God and his appreciation,
Tele(v)ütler: One of the Turkish tribes in the western Siberia, today with a population of only 2,000. The Russian refer to Televüts as “Ak Kamık’s“in their own sources.
Tuyuğ: A form of poetry, written with aruz meter in the form of mani songs.
Üveysilik: Theosophical concept referring to Üveys el-Karani, who lived during the time of the Prophet Esteemed Mohammad but could not physically meet him. The term is used to refer to the leaders of orders or members who attend lectures in the orders and who meet the Esteemed Mohammad in their dreams.
Veli: The word means close friend, protector or a proxy to succeed someone. It is one of the basic concepts in Islam. Muslims live and believe Islam on different levels; some believe more deeply and thus are closer to God. The expressions “Veli” (Saint) and “Evliya” (Saints) refer to this exclusive meaning among Muslims.