The Laments of Women Minstrels in Türkiye

The tradition of “lamentation” seen in poets and minstrels is as old as the history of the Turkish nation. This article aims to explain the tradition of lamentation and focus on the situations in which laments are performed by our female minstrels. Our minstrels and poets evaluated in the article are respectively Makbule Leman, Yasar Nezihe (Bukulmez), Nigar Hanim, Ihsan Raif Hanim, Şukufe Nihal, Emine Hanim, Hasibe Ramazanoglu, Hasibe Hatun, Dudu Karabıyık, Minstrel Derdimend (Fatma Oflaz), Fatma Behice Batur, Minstrel Şah Turna, Asik Surmelican (Kaya) , Gulhanim Yildirim, Hatce Ana (Hatice Şahinoğlu), Dikmenli Emine Şener, Kamanli Minstrel Emine Baci, Minstrel Fatma Inan , Pîr Sultan's daughter Sanem, Minstrel Kevser Ezgili, Minstrel Ayse Çağlayan, Minstrel Yeter Yıldırım, Minstrel Gülhanım Yıldırım, Minstrel Nurşah (Dursen Mert). Female minstrels, who lived and are living in Türkiye in the last century, contributed to the survival of this tradition by lamenting painful events that affected them very much.