Interesting Legends of Some Mountains in Turkey
16/06/2023
Turkey has over 12,000 named mountains, some of which have exciting legends. In this article, we have compiled four of them with brief introductions.
- Kaz (Goose) Mountains
Kaz Mountains are located within the borders of Balıkesir, Çanakkale, and İzmir provinces. They are famous for their natural and historical riches, including lush forests, plateaus, waterfalls, and rich flora and fauna diversity. It is said that the goddess Hera and Zeus got married here. Activities such as trekking, hiking, camping, cycling tours, and bird watching can be enjoyed in the mountains.
Kaz Mountains host multiple legends and narratives. One of them is the Trojan War, which we mentioned in our previous blog posts, while the others are the legends of Sarıkız and Hasan Boğuldu, and Emine Çınarı (Plane).
Sarıkız, whose mother passed away, moved to a different village with her father. Her father wants to go on a pilgrimage but waits for Sarıkız to reach a certain age. While he is on the pilgrimage, someone proposes to Sarıkız, but she rejects him. Unable to accept the rejection, the suitor accuses Sarıkız falsely. When her father returns from the pilgrimage, he is "obliged to cleanse his honor," but he cannot bring himself to kill his daughter, so he abandons her with a goose on a hilltop. Despite the challenging circumstances, Sarıkız manages to survive. Her innocence is eventually revealed. Her father profoundly regrets his actions, forgives his daughter, and curses the villagers, but it is already too late to reunite with his daughter; Sarıkız disappears among the dark clouds. Like Sarıkız's father, the regretful villagers construct graves on the hills that bear their names.
Hasan, who sells vegetables in the bazaar, and Emine, who sells salt, are deeply in love with each other, but Emine's family believes that Hasan cannot fit in with them since his job is quite different from theirs. However, they allow him to prove otherwise by subjecting him to a test. Hasan must carry a 60-kilogram sack of salt over a long distance and bring it to them before dawn. The weight of the sack significantly burdens Hasan. The salt crystals dissolved in his sweat stick to the wounds on his back. Unable to bear the pain, Hasan succumbs to the storm and dies before completing the journey. Unable to accept what has happened, Emine hangs herself on a plane tree opposite the pond where Hasan drowned, ending her life.
- Mount Ararat (Ağrı Dağı into Turkish, which means Mount "Pain")
Located in the Eastern Anatolia Region of Turkey, Mount Ararat is the highest mountain in Turkey. It is a popular destination for climbers and nature enthusiasts, with ascents to the summit being undertaken. Climbing the mountain is a challenging activity that requires experience and appropriate equipment. Those who reach the summit are rewarded with breathtaking views and an exhilarating experience.
The place where Mount Ararat is located was once a flat plain. Two sisters who lived here went to gather firewood one day. After collecting enough wood, the older sister gave most of the load to the younger sister, who would complain later. However, the older sister ignored her. As the situation continued for a while, they started to argue. The younger sister cursed, saying, "It's better not to have a sister than to have you. May you turn into a mountain, a stone, a long and harsh winter. May your name be the pain in my waist, your desires be floods, rains be your wishes." The older sister retorted, "May your hair become meadows, your skirts become hills. May your head be as sharp as your tongue, your slopes as crooked as your neck. May your name be "Ağrı," just like my pain." Suddenly, a loud noise erupted, and dust enveloped the surroundings. Two majestic mountains rose in the plain. One became Little Ararat, and the other became Great Ararat. The two incompatible sisters turned into mountains.
- Mount Cilo
Mount Cilo is a mountain located in the Southeastern Anatolia Region of Turkey. It lies within the borders of Diyarbakır, Şırnak, and Hakkari provinces. Apart from being a popular climbing route for mountaineers and nature enthusiasts, Mount Cilo is an attractive destination for nature activities such as trekking and hiking, as it hosts an ecosystem with endemic plant and animal species.
Momin is a young girl who receives much praise from her brothers, mother, and those around her. She frequently goes to help the migrants graze their livestock and plays with the lambs. She adopts a lamb that lost its mother right after birth and loved it as if it were her baby. Momin miraculously produces milk in her breasts to feed the lamb. Jealous of Momin receiving so much praise, her aunt shows Momin's brothers the milk stain on her dress, falsely claiming that Momin has a relationship with the shepherd. Her brothers take Momin's life. When the lamb, which Momin had adopted, tries to suckle from her lifeless body, the truth comes to light, but it is too late.
- Mount Süphan
Mount Süphan is a mountain between Ağrı and Bitlis in the Eastern Anatolia Region of Turkey. It is a popular climbing route for mountaineers and nature enthusiasts and is also suitable for trekking and hiking. The panoramic view from the summit is impressive and worth seeing. Lake Van is located at the foothills of the mountain, adding natural charm to the region. Lake Van is also famous for activities such as bird watching, nature photography, and water sports.
Hace and Siyabent, who run away due to their relationships not being approved by their families, take a break on a cliff on Mount Süphan. Siyabent falls asleep in HaceL's arms. Meanwhile, a herd of deer passes by. The leader deer, trying not to disturb them, goes around them. Touched by this, since it's the first-ever time their relationship is being approved, Hace starts to cry, and his tears wet the face of his beloved Siyabent in his lap. Siyabent wakes up, thinking that the deer made Hace cry, and tries to seek revenge by killing the leader deer but fails and falls off the cliff. Already devastated, Hace cannot bear the pain and throws herself off the cliff following her lover.
- Mount Ararat (Ağrı Dağı into Turkish, which means Mount "Pain")
Located in the Eastern Anatolia Region of Turkey, Mount Ararat is the highest mountain in Turkey. It is a popular destination for climbers and nature enthusiasts, with ascents to the summit being undertaken. Climbing the mountain is a challenging activity that requires experience and appropriate equipment. Those who reach the summit are rewarded with breathtaking views and an exhilarating experience.
The place where Mount Ararat is located was once a flat plain. Two sisters who lived here went to gather firewood one day. After collecting enough wood, the older sister gave most of the load to the younger sister, who would complain later. However, the older sister ignored her. As the situation continued for a while, they started to argue. The younger sister cursed, saying, "It's better not to have a sister than to have you. May you turn into a mountain, a stone, a long and harsh winter. May your name be the pain in my waist, your desires be floods, rains be your wishes." The older sister retorted, "May your hair become meadows, your skirts become hills. May your head be as sharp as your tongue, your slopes as crooked as your neck. May your name be "Ağrı," just like my pain." Suddenly, a loud noise erupted, and dust enveloped the surroundings. Two majestic mountains rose in the plain. One became Little Ararat, and the other became Great Ararat. The two incompatible sisters turned into mountains.
- Mount Cilo
Mount Cilo is a mountain located in the Southeastern Anatolia Region of Turkey. It lies within the borders of Diyarbakır, Şırnak, and Hakkari provinces. Apart from being a popular climbing route for mountaineers and nature enthusiasts, Mount Cilo is an attractive destination for nature activities such as trekking and hiking, as it hosts an ecosystem with endemic plant and animal species.
Momin is a young girl who receives much praise from her brothers, mother, and those around her. She frequently goes to help the migrants graze their livestock and plays with the lambs. She adopts a lamb that lost its mother right after birth and loved it as if it were her baby. Momin miraculously produces milk in her breasts to feed the lamb. Jealous of Momin receiving so much praise, her aunt shows Momin's brothers the milk stain on her dress, falsely claiming that Momin has a relationship with the shepherd. Her brothers take Momin's life. When the lamb, which Momin had adopted, tries to suckle from her lifeless body, the truth comes to light, but it is too late.
- Mount Süphan
Mount Süphan is a mountain between Ağrı and Bitlis in the Eastern Anatolia Region of Turkey. It is a popular climbing route for mountaineers and nature enthusiasts and is also suitable for trekking and hiking. The panoramic view from the summit is impressive and worth seeing. Lake Van is located at the foothills of the mountain, adding natural charm to the region. Lake Van is also famous for activities such as bird watching, nature photography, and water sports.
Hace and Siyabent, who run away due to their relationships not being approved by their families, take a break on a cliff on Mount Süphan. Siyabent falls asleep in HaceL's arms. Meanwhile, a herd of deer passes by. The leader deer, trying not to disturb them, goes around them. Touched by this, since it's the first-ever time their relationship is being approved, Hace starts to cry, and his tears wet the face of his beloved Siyabent in his lap. Siyabent wakes up, thinking that the deer made Hace cry, and tries to seek revenge by killing the leader deer but fails and falls off the cliff. Already devastated, Hace cannot bear the pain and throws herself off the cliff following her lover.
