MORTUARY CULT AND KÖR CEMETERY IN TURKISH CULTURE

İngilizce (OpenAlex)

In Turkiye, the Yoruks, who have a nomadic lifestyle, migrate to a different region every season as part of their animal husbandry activities and bury their deceased relatives randomly anywhere during their migrations. This study focuses on the rare and interesting burial traditions of the Yoruks, as well as these cemeteries, which are called “blind”. In the article, the locations of these cemeteries were determined by field research method, the oral culture of the local people concerning these cemeteries was recorded and examined in the light of the mortuary cult that the Turks brought from the pre-Islamic period. With this examination, it has been observed that the Turks believe that the souls of dead people do not disappear and that the soul's connection with this world is not interrupted, and that they created an ancestor cult around this belief. Keywords: Mortuary cult, kör cemetery, ancestor cult, Yoruks, death.