Abstract
TARSUS – GÜLEK PLATEAU TRANSITION PERIOD (Birth, Marriage and Death Customs)
There are turning points in every person's life, which are seen as the beginning of important events. We can list these as birth, circumcision, military service, marriage, and finally death. There are several practices applied by society during these events, each of which takes place in turn. The purpose of these practices is to ensure that the individual overcomes the turning points they have to reach in the healthiest way possible. Practices applied at birth are always aimed at protecting the mental and physical health of the mother and baby. It is expected that individuals whose marriage time has come, will have a happy marriage with the support of the society and family members so that they can establish a home. For people at the time of death, there are some practices that aim to transition of the soul of the deceased from the material realm to the spiritual realm and to ensure that they reach beautiful places. We come across transitional periods, which are called turning points of life, in every geography where people live. The subject of our research is the practices related to birth, marriage, and death in the Gülek District of Tarsus district of Mersin. In addition to the historical and strategic importance of the Gülek Strait and the Gülek Castle, it has been observed that the settlement here is an inseparable whole from the history of the strait and the castle. The information we obtained in the compilation activities we carried out in Gülek Strait and its surroundings was obtained by interview method and participatory observation techniques. The main purpose of this study to record the folk knowledge that is about to disappear and transfer it to the next generations.
Keywords
Tarsus, Gülek Strait, Gülek Castle, Gülek Plateau, transition period, birth, marriage, death.
