Abstract
IN THE CONTEXT OF IDENTITY AND CULTURAL MEMORY GATHER AND PRAYER IN UZBEKS: THE CASE OF HATAY OVAKENT
Ceremonies, which have an important place in Turkish history, are important in terms of showing that Turkish history, which has a past of thousands of years, is a part of an ongoing historical culture even though it has gone through various stages. The nations that exist in the world, apart from being separate and different from each other in terms of culture and tradition, all have their own set of values. In this context, the toy tradition that we encounter in Turkish history is quite remarkable. At the same time, it carries traces of Turkish culture and tradition. Traditions and customs have emerged as a set of values regulating social life, and some ceremonies have emerged within this tradition. Wedding ceremonies, in the first place, appeared as a feast given to the public by the ruler. The banquets given were generally made for the people to get to know the ruler. Later on, it appeared in the tradition of marriage. Ceremonies and feasts for two young people to get married and establish a home are called toy. Toy was later used for all banquets held in Turkish societies, depending on the expansion of meaning. In the history of Turkish culture, toys have had a unique content over time and have found an environment of performance in different purposes and forms. Toys are not only ceremonies, but also ensure the continuation of the tradition and its transfer to future generations, consolidating the unity and solidarity that brings people together. When toys are considered in this context, they have a very important place in the context of transferring culture and tradition to future generations. After the adoption of Islam, ceremonies in the Turkish world also turned into meetings and banquets where prayers were made. Especially in the prayer ceremonies held for the banishment of trouble, the person who prays sacrifices, offers food to the people in the village or neighborhood where he lives, and receives prayers.
Toy tradition continues to live with its unique content in the whole Turkish world. Toy tradition has a very important place in the tradition and culture of Hatay Ovakent Uzbeks who migrated from Afghanistan to Turkey. Ovakent Uzbeks still maintain their own customs and traditions and attach great importance to weddings. Regardless of what the people are, they continue their wedding tradition and rituals meticulously. At the same time, the toys that are made convey the duty of transferring the tradition to the generation that was born in another culture. In Ovakent Uzbeks, prayer ceremonies held within the framework of the toy/banquet also have a very important place. Local people state that the prayer ceremonies also have a tradition-bearing function. Prayer ceremonies are held with as many crowds as toys and everyone in the region participates in the ceremony. The toys found in Hatay Ovakent Uzbeks are: “Wedding toy, name toy, cradle toy, circumcision toy, truth toy, hair toy, prophet toy”. These activities are extremely important for the unity and solidarity of the society.
Keywords
Toy, Prayer, Feast, Ovakent Uzbeks, Uzbek, Tradition.
