SEYYİD BATTAL GAZİ THE FİRST TURKISHEPIC OF ANATOLIA WITHINTHESCOPE OF CULTURALHERITAGE

Abstract

Knowingthepast is crucialforunderstandingtheindividualandsociety. Thepast not onlyenrichesthepresent, but alsoprovides an opportunityfor a betterfuturevialessonstakenfromthepast. Transfer fromthepasttothepresentoccursviaculture. Inthiscontext, culturalheritagewhichprovidesintergenerationcommunicationconnectsthepastwiththepresentandcreates a sense of belonging. Nationalcultureandnationalconsciousnesselementshavereachedthepresentdaybybeingpasseddownfromgenerationtogener ationviaculturalphenomena. Epicswhichareamongtherichtreasures of thenationalculture, relayinformationfromthepasttothepresentregardingissuessuch as lifestyle of societies, othersocietiestheyare in touchwithandtheirmeans of living. Carryingdatarelatedtothecodes of socialgenesandsocioculturalexperiences of nations, epicshavethetraces of traditions, lifestylesandbeliefs of theirnation. Epicscontaintheworldperspectiveandworldperception of a nation. Inthiscontext it can be assertedthatepicsare not onlynational, but theyalsocarrytheculture of theirnation. Manynationscreatetheirnationalidentitybyinspiringfromnationalepics. Consideringallthese, it is crucialtoexamineepicswhichmayalso be evaluated as thememory of a nation in terms of understandingandinterpretingtheculture of thatsociety. Inthelight of thesethoughts, thestudyassessedtheepicconceptwithinthescope of theculturalheritageconceptforthepurposeof evaluatingtheSeyyid Battal Gazi epic in terms of culturalheritage. TheSeyyid Battal Gazi Epicwaschosenbecause it is thefirstTurkishepictohave ever beencomposed in Anatolia andalsotheSeyyid Battal Gazi Epictellsthestory of theTurkssettling in Anatolia, adopting Anatolia as a homelandandmakingindividuals, who had alreadybeenliving on theseterritories, thepart of a newnationviatheTurkish-Islamicsynthesis. Also, theSeyyid Battal Gazi EpicgivesprominencetoIslamicelementsandthespread of Islam. Inthisrespect, Seyyid Battal Gazi is symbolized as a Muslimhero. TheSeyyid Battal Gazi Epicwhichstartswiththeinvasion of Anatolia bytheTurksandthewars of theTurksagainsttheByzantines, is theepicstory of a herowhofoughttospread his faith. TheTurksentitledhim as a veteran in theprocess of Turkish-Byzantinestrugglesandalsoaddedtheattribute “Seyyid” to his title, connectinghimtotheancestry of theProphetMohammedandsymbolizingthisunforgettableherowiththe name Seyyid Battal Gazi. Individuals in a nationhave an opinionaboutwheretheycomefrom, theirpast, theirpropertiesandwhattheymay do withthesevalues in thefuturewithinthenationalunity. Thus, theyhavetheopportunity of passingtheirnationalculturedownfromgenerationtogeneration as a culturalheritage. Consideringfromthispoint of view,it is seenthatepicsandthustheSeyyid Battal Gazi Epicplay a key role in creating a culturalheritage. Withintheframe of thesethoughts,theSeyyid Battal Gazi Epicwhich has an importantplaceamongthebasicworks of theTurkishculturalrichness, wasexaminedfrom a differentpoint of view on thebasis of theopinionthatclearlyrevealingthebasicvalues of ourpastwill be guidingforthefuture.