Folk Dance in Bulgaria Today

Home , Bulgarian dances, Dilli kaval, Kaba gaida, Nagara (drum)

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Short Bulgarian History

The oldest traces of human presence in our land are from Paleolithic Age –before 1.6 million years. Archaeological finds in the ―Kozarnika‖ cave, near the town of Belogradchik, testify to the life of the first inhabitants of southeastern Europe.

With the emergence of agriculture (VII-VI millennium BC) in the valleys of Struma and Mesta rivers, the live of people here is transformed.

Dwellings of stone and wood, permanent settlements and tribes appeared. The discovery of copper noted a peak in the agriculture in our land. Open in 1972, Varna treasure is evidence of advanced human relationships - property differentiation.

In the III-II millennium BC, with the arrival of the nomadic tribes of the north and merging them with the local farmers, formed a large tribal community - the Thracians. Their culture is described by the ancient Greeks. The largest Thracian tribe- Odrysaeans, founded in V century BC their country, between the Maritsa River and Black Sea, led by king Teres. Thracians established a rich culture, although they have no script. Many lavish tombs in our lands reveal the sacraments of faith in the afterlife. Top of the art of the ancient Thracian is tomb of Kazanlak .

Since 1979, Kazanlak Tomb is in the List of World Heritage of UNESCO. Thracians demonstrated exceptional craft skills in the processing of gold and silver. The exponents of the thracian "treasures" from Panagyurishte, Valche tran, Rogozen, Vratsa have been exhibited in many museums around the world. The thracian lands during antiquity were subject to attacks of the Greeks (Black Sea colonies), the Macedonian kings (IV century BC) and the Roman conquerors (I century AD). Signs of their impact are amphitheatres, baths, forums in cities such as Varna, Plovdiv, Stara Zagora, etc.

After separation of the Roman Empire, our lands are subject to Byzantium with its center- Constantinople (IV century AD).

Great Migration gathered, south of the Danube river, Slavs and Bulgarians. The Slavs- part of the vast Indo-European group, inhabited the lands between the Baltic Sea and the Carpathians (I millennium BC). The Bulgarians - lived in Northern Caucasus and creators of Old Great Bulgaria of Khan Kubrat.

Bearers of different material and spiritual cultures and religions, both communities are united in one country to survival and strength despite the rivalry of powerful Byzantine Empire.

Beginning – 681. . . At the head of the new state is Khan Asparoukh and the first capital - Pliska.

In the following centuries Bulgaria is established on the territory between the Danube river and the Stara Planina, and in battles with the Byzantine Empire, until the middle of IX century, joined lands, along the Struma and Maritsa rivers.

The adoption of Christianity during the reign of King Boris The First, created conditions for achieving power and authority in Southeast Europe, both politically and culturally. Bulgaria reached the territory of three seas - Black, Aegean and Adriatic. The construction of palaces, churches and monasteries, and the formation of cultural centers - Preslav and Ohrid ranked Bulgaria among the most important countries in Europe.

In the XI century the lands of the Bulgarians were under the rule of Byzantium. The foreign domination was dismissed after the rebellion of the brothers Asen and Peter, opened the way to new heights. Bulgaria considerably increased its prestige during the Asen dynasty, and after significant victories of King Kaloyan at Adrianople in 1205 and King Ivan Asen II at Klokotnitsa, is again on the top, among the countries in Southeastern Europe.

Under the reign of King Ivan Alexander (1331-1371) bulgarians experienced their second, spiritual "Golden Age". Then high-literary works were created.

Between the end of the XVI century and the end of 70s of XIX century, the Bulgarian lands were within the framework of the Ottoman Empire. This necessitated significant changes in the live of bulgarians, both in material and in the spiritual realm.

The new time in the Balkans gives impetus to the development of the Bulgarians and they became part of the European processes. Movement for spiritual growth and national prosperity is deployed – The Bulgarian Revival. Relief Tanzimat regime allowed wealthy Bulgarians to study in "Robert College" in Istanbul. Bulgarian Mutual schools and community centers have been established.

Bulgarian national idea came to the fore . One of the fighters for the national ideal is Hristo Botev - the patron of our school.

Hundreds of Bulgarians became better off, received an European education and become the basis of the bourgeois elite of the future free Bulgaria.

Bulgaria is formed as a modern European state after separation from the Ottoman Empire. Principality of Bulgaria had its own Constitution and political management.

One of the greatest Bulgarian politicians in the end of XIX century -Stefan Stambolov, held an wise policy for fast Europeanization of Bulgaria. The country managed for two decades to become economically viable, to declare and political stability - September 22, 1908. Bulgaria became a Kingdom.

Remarkable are the connections and good relations between Bulgaria and Turkey during the rule of Kemal Ataturk.

Bulgaria's participation in the regional and world wars brought collapse and nation-wide disappointment.

After World War II, Bulgaria fell among the countries, surrounding the Soviet Union, etc. socialist countries. In the period until 1989, the country developed a special type of political, economic and social relations other than the southern neighbors Turkey and Greece. With tremendous effort our people created a good economic base. In 70s of XX century Bulgaria even has its own space program and two cosmonauts.

Despite its political orientation, Bulgaria maintained strong relationships with the countries with different political thinking.

In the field of sport and culture, Bulgarians marks high achievements. The Masters of the art of singing as Boris Christoff, Nicolai Ghiaurov, Gena Dimitrova, Raina Kabaivanska, Valya Balkan prove that the legend about the mythical singer Orpheus, born in our land, is true. Athletes such as Jordan Jovchev, Ivet Lalova, Dimitar Berbatov, Veselin Topalov ,the Bulgarian volleyball and eurythmics teams maintaine the sporting glory of Bulgaria.

Bulgaria today is a member of NATO, the European Union, modernizes its economy and infrastructure, leads tolerant foreign policy with the neighbors and all countries over the world, rising to the forefront that which unites us and makes us better.

Bulgarian dances

Bulgaria is a relatively small country but within its modern boundaries a wide diversity of folk dance styles can be found. This is probably the main reason why Bulgarian dances prove so popular among international folk dancers.

The dances that we learn range from the simple village dance with one basic pattern that repeats itself until all "foreigners" are "sick to death" (although the inhabitants of the village concerned seem to be able to continue all night!) to highly complex choreographies which are either "borrowed" from one of the professional dance troupes or else are put together outside Bulgaria. Most of the dances that we enjoy in this country fall in between these two extremes. They are usually slightly more complex arrangements of traditional village dances, possibly combining several figures from adjoining villages or else including several of the more interesting variations performed by the village "extroverts". We usually dance a fixed number of variations in an agreed order which have been "put together" by either a national folk dance teacher such as Belcho Stanev, who taught at the SIFD Summer School in 1987, or a foreign Bulgarian dance specialist such as Eddy Tijssen or Jaap Leegwater. Often people who visit Bulgaria are surprised that the nationals do not appear to have heard of the dances that we enjoy and look at us blankly if we show them a sequence of steps which is very familiar to us. This is because their knowledge of their own folk dances is limited to simple pravos and improvised racenica. Perhaps when our knowledge has increased further we too will be able to feel relaxed and confident enough to improvise freely within the style!

Folk dance in Bulgaria today

1) Village groups

These groups perform only the dances from their own village. These dances are simple and repetitive and variations are usually performed only by individuals. These are the groups who take part in the festival in Koprivshtitsa which has been held around every five years since 1965, the last one being held in 1991, the next is hoped to be held in 1995. The political situation in Bulgaria makes the future of this festival very uncertain as it was funded by the State.

2) Amateur performing groups

These groups were formed in towns under the communist regime. Until the recent changes membership of these groups was very popular among children and teenagers as it could give them the opportunity to travel outside the country to perform. These groups perform choreographed suites of dances from all over Bulgaria, not just their own town or region. The choreographies are based on folk dances and folk customs, and when one watches one of these groups it is often possible to recognise parts of the dances that have been taught to us.

3) Professional performing groups (such as Philip Koutev Ensemble or Ensemble Trakiya)

These are based in the larger towns or regional centres and perform more complex choreographies than the amateur groups and have in the past travelled abroad quite extensively. Although it is still possible to recognise some folk elements in their performances their choreographies are normally far further from the folk idiom than those of the amateur groups.

4) Social dance

Most Bulgarians are able to join in dances, such as pravo horos or improvised ruchenitsas, at social gatherings such as weddings, although many of the younger people choose to listen and dance to western music whenever possible.

General characteristics

Bulgarian folk dances are normally line dances, with hands joined either in low "V" hold, belt hold (na pojas), crossed in front or "W" hold. Footwork can vary from fast intricate steps (as in the Shop Region) to slow sustained cat-like movements (as in some of the dances from the Pirin region). Dances from the north have some of the characteristics of dances from southern Romania, just across the Danube, i.e. fast crossing steps, dances from the Pirin Region in the West have much in common with dances from Macedonia, and dances from the Shop region round Sofia have similar characteristics to those from eastern Serbia. This illustrates how boundaries of dance styles do not necessarily conform with politically imposed nationally boundaries. 10

Regional dance styles

1) Northern

Dances from the North of Bulgaria are mainly mixed, with similar styles for men and women. They are danced with an upright body carriage, with weight over the balls of the feet which allows the dancer to perform fast footwork with high knee lifts and various crossing steps similar to those found in dances from southern Romania. The impetus is upwards, hops are further off the ground than in the Shop region and knee lifts are less sharp.

A variety of hand "positions" and movements are common in this Region. These include hands joined in low hold and swung backwards and forwards, joined in "W" hold in which case the arms "jig" up and down in time with the music making small circular movements, joined crossed behind backs (na lesa) or placed on hips, thumbs back.

2) Dobrudza

Dobrudza dance with their knees always bent and their backs hollow. They all seem to be of short stature and solid. To get the feel of Dobrudza dancing stand with your feet apart and bend your knees as far as you can comfortably with your feet flat on the floor, push your ribs forward while keeping your back straight and stay there throughout the dance!

The story told is that life is hard for the Dobrudza farmer as he has to struggle with nature in order to survive, so his dancing, with strong downward movements, expresses his struggle with the land.

When a Dobrudza dances he uses his whole body. Hands are joined crossed in front, in belt hold, in "W" hold or placed with back of hand on hips palms open and facing outwards. They are also used for strong, firm, positive arm movements. Rachenitsa, which means hand, is one of the characteristic dances of this area.

Men and women dance together, though there are some dances for men or women only. Women's movements are simpler and lighter with slight shoulder twists.

3) Trakiya (THRACE)

Thracian style is perhaps the most deceptive Bulgarian dance style. It is often the first Bulgarian dance style that western folk dancers are exposed to in dances such as Pravo Trakiisko Horo or Trakiiska Rachenitsa. It appears a relatively easy style to learn, but it takes a great deal of practice to really dance the dances from this Region with the smoothly flowing, graceful movements evident when watching both men and women who have been born in this area, and it is a style that is easily lost.

The most important key to Thracian style is to dance with relaxed knees. Steps are taken onto the whole foot, with the body weight centered over the feet. Hands are held in "W" hold or low hold or are used for smooth flowing arm movements.

Dances are based mainly on a 2/4 rhythm especially in Eastern Thrace. Irregular rhythms such as 5/8, 7/16 and 9/16 are more common in Western Thrace especially in the area close to the Šop region. The tropoli (tapping) step is found only in Eastern Thrace (Stara Zagora, Sliven, Yambol Districts) and is danced only by men. Women dance with a less flamboyant style than the men. Pair dances are more common in Trakija than other regions.

The Thracian Region extends into Greece and dances from the Greek part of Thrace have similar characteristics to those from the Bulgarian part e.g. the Greek dance Zonoradiko is the same basic dance as Pravo Trakiisko.

4) Rhodopes

The Rhodope mountain area is known more for its strong tradition of open throatsinging than for its dances. The dance style has been subject to religious influences as this is the area of Bulgaria which has the largest Muslim population. This has meant that men and women usually dance separately. The style for both is subdued and heavy, with small steps and low hops using the whole foot. Hands are joined in low or "W" hold. Women's dances are usually accompanied by songs.

5) Shopluk/Shop

Shop style is probably the most difficult Bulgarian style for non-Bulgarians to master, largely because of the speed of the dances and the amount of energy necessary to dance so

many steps in a short space of time. Dances are usually performed in short lines, with belt hold or crossed hand hold. Separate hand movements are not common in Shop dances. If hands are not joined they are placed on the hips with palms flat, backs facing out. The body is held upright but with weight slightly forward so it is over the balls of the feet. This allows the performance of fast small steps often referred to as "knitting with the feet". Knee lifts are abrupt and high, and are often coupled with bending the body forward. Men's and women's styles are similar. As the dancer moves the whole body, especially the shoulders, should vibrate with a type of shaking movement called "natrisanne" which gives the impression that the dancer is hardly touching the floor with his feet. Cries and shouts are also common.

6) Pirin

The Pirin region is part of ethnic Macedonia which is divided between Greece, Bulgaria and Serbia. The dances from this Region have closer links with Macedonian dances than with dances from the rest of Bulgaria. Men and women usually dance separately and if they take part in the same dance the women dance at the rear of the line with a handkerchief held between the last man and the first woman. There are many dances in 7/8 and often the dances begin slowly and increase in speed. The style is either sustained with a catlike feel, weight being taken onto the balls of the feet slightly behind the beat (hesitation), or is characterised by fast low movements skimming across the ground. Men's dances include balancing movements with high knee lifts, often in shoulder hold. Women's style is graceful and light, hands are held in low hold or in 'asymmetrical' W hold in which case the left arm is extended further than the right arm. In certain dances the arms move up and down in time with the music. These movements are stronger and firmer than the jigging of the arms in Northern Bulgaria and Romania.

Summary of regional differences

One of the most interesting ways of identifying the regional style differences is to look at the way that the basic Pravo Horo is danced in each Region. In Trakiya it is danced in a smooth flowing, graceful style. In the Shop Region it is jerky with small hopped steps and lifted knees. The Dobrudza Pravo is called Opas and is danced in a solid "earthy" style with knees always bent. The Severnyaško Pravo, called Dunavsko or Svishtovsko, is more springy, with an upward feeling, and the arms swing or "jig" in time with the feet. Pravo Rhodopsko is a simple dance with a solemn feeling, and small, restrained steps. The Pirin "Pravo" is usually 13

in 7/8 and is what we know as Makedonsko, or Lesnoto. The 7/8 count is long, short, short, and begins with a lift on the first beat. Steps are onto the balls of the feet. Men lift their knees high while the women's feet barely leave the floor. When women only are dancing the leader of the line often performs a variation by moving back along the line of dance and dancing in a pair with the following woman. This variation is also seen in Greece.

BULGARIAN NATIONAL COSTUMES Човекът без родова памет е като дърво без корени The man without family memory is like a tree without roots

Женски костюм от старозагорско и пролетен женски костюм от Празнични костюми от Габровско Празнични костюми от Карнобатско Малкотърновско Costumes from Gabrovo Woman costume from Stara Zagora and Festive costumes from Karnobat Malko Tarnovo

Пролетен момински костюм от северна Летен невестенски костюм от Добруджа и мъжки младежки костюм от Свиленградско и празничен женски Силистренско Костюми от Сливенско костюм от Котленско Spring maiden costume from North Costumes from Sliven Summer bride costume-from Svilengrad Dobrogja and male youth costume and festive woman costume from Kotel from Silistra

Пролетни младежки костюми от Невестенски костюм и летен мъжки Видинско костюм от Плевенско Костюми от Ловешко Spring youth costumes from Summer bride costume and Summer Costumes from Lovech Vidin male costume from Pleven 15

Костюми на момък и момаот Женски и мъжки костюми от Невестенски костюми от Русенско и Разградско Поморийско Силистренско Male and female costume from Male and female costume from Bride costumes from Ruse and Silistra Razgrad Pomorie

Всекидневен мъжки и невестенски Невестенски и мъжки костюми от костюм от Троянско Празнични костюми от Софийско Самоковско Festive costumes from Sofia Bride and male costumes from Samokov Everyday Bride and male costumes from Troyan

Женски празничен и мъжки овчарски от Летни костюми от Санданско Смолянско-Festive woman and male Женски и мъжки костюм от Хасковско Summer costumes from Sandanski shepherd costumes from Smolyan Male and female costume from Haskovo

Northern Bulgaria costume parade Northern region costumes

The costumes from this region are various depending on the location of the population- in the mountains or in the plains and also depending on the season- summer or winter. Although they are different they could be generalized as : two-apron and soukman dress for women and belodreshnik for men.

The chief items of the two-apron costume include: a chemise, two aprons (fastened at the waist, one worn in front, the other at the back), and a belt. Fine embroidery decorates large portions of the sleeves and the front and back sections of the chemise. The two aprons (or "drapes") were made of home-woven decorative fabric - the back one falling in folds and frills, the front piece consisting of one or two parts with horizontal or vertical embroidery. The back "drape" appeared in a number of variants (vulnenik, bruchnik, tukmenik, peshtemal, kurlyanka, zaveshka) typical of particular geographical areas. The waist-band is a long piece wound several times round the waist.

The soukman dress –a chemise, a wollen soukman, a front apron, a wide belt (waist-band) with metal buckles Men's costumes consist of a white embroidered knee-length chemise, white tight homespun breeches, a red belt (poias) on the waist on top of the chemise, legwraps (navoi), leggings (kaltsuni), and leather peasant sandals (tsârvuli) or more commonly today, shoes and a black cylindrical Sheepskin hat

Costume photo album – Dobruja Dobrudja region costume

Characteristic for this region is the the two-apron costume with a comb- a type of hat made of resin with not very big comb, wrapped in red cloth and on its rear part there is a silk piece of cloth which ends are crossed under the chin and are fastened on the back of the head. The back apron is of home-made black woolen cloth_ very pleated and embroidered at the two ends.The front apron is red narrow and also embroidered at the two ends. The chemise is with embroidered red decoration around the breast, wrist-band and collar. Men‘s costume consists of a chemise, white woolen trousers with wide ankle-long legs. Nowadays men wear black or light-brown full-bottomed embroidered frieze with a red waistbelt. There is no change in the chemise and a jacket is worn on top.

Pirin Bulgaria costume parade Pirin region costume

Men's costumes consist of long white trousers, a white chemise without much embroidery on the sleeves and the collar, a red sleeveless jacket (elek) and a red woolen belt (poias). In the mountains a ―chernodreshnik‖ (black dress) is normally worn, with trousers (potouri), a fastened jacket with long sleeves and a low astrakhan hat (kalpak)

Women’s costumes are called saya dress but they are shorter than the ones of the Shops and Thracians. The chemise is not very rich embroidered, there is a narrow waist-band and a headwear (shamia) fastened at the back under the hair. The aprons are very coloured and look like carpet.

Rhodope Bulgaria costume parade

There are certain differences between the Bulgarian Christian and Muslim population of the region, mainly in women‘s costumes. The Bulgarian Christian woman wears a dress from the type of soukman. It consists of a white cotton shirt, dark blue vulnenik (woollen) from a homespun, bright red belt, colourful long apron with orange, yellow or dark red squares. Wine-red kerchief covering half of the forehead, woollen colourful stockings and shoes. There is a necklace from gold coins. The Bulgarian Muslim woman wears a white embroidered chemise, embroidered satin garment- ‗saltitsa‘, colourful triangle kerchief and an apron with squares. They also put a colourful belt with buckles. There is a satin fez on the head with coins (treperushki) and a long white kerchief over it called ‗testemel‘.

Men‘s costumes consist of a chemise, breeches, red belt, short outer garment and sandals (tsarvuli) or shoes. They wear also a scarf around the neck and thrown over the shoulder. On the hear men wear a ship fur cap called ‗gugla‘. The Bulgarian Muslim man wear the same costume but instead of ‗gugla‘ they put a beret on their head with a kerchief around it- ‗chalma‘ (turban) or a red fez. They wear colourful stockings over the breeches.

Shopluk (western Bulgaria) ostume parade Shopski region costumes

The costumes for this ethnographical region are The soukman dress and Samchena dress for women and Belodreshnik for men. There is a big diversity in their costumes. What is characteristic for them is that the soukman dresses are usually worn without aprons and are all embroidered. Men‘s costume consists of leather peasant sandals (tsârvuli), coloured woolen stockings, white tight homespun breeches, coloured belt, embroidered chemises with wide sleeves.

Thracian Bulgaria costume parade Thrace region costumes

The costumes from this region are very rich and diverse in style, colours and decoration. Eastern parts of this region are characteristic with The soukman dress with colourful embroidery and texture. The soukman dress from Eastern and South Thrace are without sleeves and are always girded on wide red or colourful belts. Their aprons are also decorated with textures or embroidered ornaments.

region east Stara west

Thrac Zagora Thrace

Men‘s costumes are Chernodresnik with full-bottomed trousers (poturi). The chemise is white with a little embroidery on the breast and wrist-band. Dark red belt , a jacket with and without sleeves.

Instruments

End blown flute - Kaval

Kaval distribution map

A straight bore tube made of three sections. The first section has a sharp rim over which the musician directs a narrow stream of air to produce the sound, the centre section has seven finger holes and one thumb hole and the third section has several extra holes for tonal quality. The instrument is fully chromatic, with each successive covering of a hole changing the note by a semitone. This leads to easy semitone trills which are used to elaborate Bulgarian music. In Thrace the instrument is played with a rolling of the base of the fingers across the holes and no stopping of the notes with the tongue, leading to a smooth sound. In the west and north the music is crisper, with some tonguing of the notes.

Rebec - Gadulka

Gadulka distribution map

This is the forerunner of the violin, with middle eastern origins, which is similar to the Greek and Yugoslav Lira. The instrument is held vertically and rested on the knee or in a harness which goes round the neck. It has a pear shaped body with both bowed and resonating strings. There is no fingerboard, with the musician's nails stopping the string. It can be used for accompanying singers and other instruments, or as the lead melody line. The gadulka is a key instrument in traditional music throughout most of Bulgaria except Pirin Macedonia.

Kemene distribution map

Western Bulgaria has a similar instrument, the kemene, which follows the middle eastern tradition.

Long-necked lute - Tamboura

Tamboura distribution map

Long-necked lutes were brought to the Balkans during the 14th and 15th centuries by the Turks. They are related to the Tambora of Macedonia and the Bouzouki of Greece. The tambora dominates in Pirin Macedonia and is found in 'traditional' groups in Šop and Thrace. It can be used both as a rhythm instrument and to play the melody line.

Bagpipe – Gajda

Gajda distribution map

The bagpipe's origins are a mystery, but it has been known since Roman times and is distributed throughout Western and Eastern Europe. Half tones are possible only by partial stopping of the instrument. It is therefore less flexible than the kaval, but has greater power. Most of Bulgaria has the small gaida. In the Rhodope mountains the Kaba Gaida, the largest of all bagpipes, is played, giving a very distinctive deep sound.

Pipe - Duduk

Duduk distribution map

This is a typical wooden 6-hole pipe similar to the Romanian Fluier and Serbian Frula. Pipe music is most typical of the North Western areas which border Romania and Serbia, and these countries strongly influence the music.

Drums - Tarabulka, Tapan

Tâpan distribution map

The tapan is the large drum found from Macedonia through to Turkey. It is played with a heavy stick on the top side and light cane pivoting on the edge of the bottom side. The Tarabulka is a small- waisted drum played with the hands, which originates from the middle east and is heard in groups in Pirin Macedonia.

Shawm - Zurna

Zurna distribution map

The zurna is an ancestor of the modern oboe. It has a double reed attached to a conical body with finger holes. It can be heard throughout Macedonia into the Pirin region, as well as in Turkey and Armenia. It is played with circular breathing, which enables the musician never to stop blowing. The high pressures required can cause haemorrhages in professional musicians. Often two musicians will play together, with one taking the melody and the other the drone. This is an instrument for the open air!

Typical groupings of these instruments are:

Pirin - Two zurna and tapan - Tamboras and tarabulka

Shop/Thrace - Gadulka, gaida, kaval

Rhodope - Kaba gaida

Dobrudja - Button accordion, gaida, gadulka

Brass

Following the two world wars, Bulgarians returning from military service have taken to playing the dance melodies in brass bands. These are particularly popular in the north.

Turkish territory along its history has been birthplace of many different cultures and civilizations. Since 6500 B.C. Hattis, Hittites, Phrygians, Urartians, Armenians, Persians, Romans, Seljuks and Ottomans have left important signs of its civilizations through the country, ancient cities, ruins and the cultural heritage that make of Turkey so unique.

The most remarkable civilizations in the Asia Minor where undoubtedly Byzantines and Ottomans. The Byzantine Empire also known as the Eastern Roman Empire with Constantinople as its capital was founded by Constantine the Great in AD 330 and survived to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire; for 1100 years the Byzantines were able to maintain control of their empire until the wars with enemies from the east principally Ottomans. After that Byzantine Empire declined the Ottoman Empire occupied and expanded their territorial control over Turkey and some parts of Europe, Africa and Western Asia, but the Ottomans‘ ambitions of territorial control over the Mediterranean and Central Europe also brought many enemies and wars with them, causing the collapse of the Empire that governed the Mediterranean over 623 years.

Ottoman Empire‘s collapse culminated with its participation in the World War I allied to Germany in 1914. The alliance was defeated by Allied powers and that brought the instability inside the Ottoman structure. At the end of the War, the Anatolian territory came under British and French control and Istanbul was occupied.

The occupation of Istanbul and Izmir by the Allies led the establishment of the Turkish national movement under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Pasha known as Ataturk or the father of the Turks, a distinguished military and Hero of the War. The Turkish War of Independence was started with the aim of revoking the terms of the Treaty of Sèvres. In 1922, the occupying armies were repelled and the country saw the birth of the new Turkish state. Consequently the Sultanate and Caliphate were abolished.

In 1923 was signed the Treaty of Lausanne which led the international recognition of the sovereignty of the newly formed "Republic of Turkey" as the successor state of the Ottoman Empire, and the republic was officially proclaimed on October 29, 1923 in the new capital, Ankara, with Kemal Ataturk as its first President.

The new republic concentrated its beginings to make great changes into its social, economical and political structure, following the Western model. Political social and economic reforms were introduced by Ataturk and after his death in 1938, Turkish politics continue to form the ideological base of modern Turkey.

Traditional Turkish Folk Dancing

Combining harmony of movement and superd rhythm, Turkish folk dances are each a composition. They are graceful end charming. Their parts form a unified whole. The dancer's own personalities are subordinate to a sense of long tradition. Here the Turks display their poetical soul. Turkish folk dances are performed with naturalness. There is no forcing, exaggeration or artificiality to be seen, no trace of exhibilionism.

Instead there is a natural flow and earnest absorbtion in the dance. There is no meaningless or disproportionate figure or movement in these dances. They are nature and satisfying.,

They express the strenght of nature, the warmth of sincerity and the vividness of reality. There is passion in moderate measure. There is a rich variety of dances, estimated by researchers to number in the region of 1600. There are several main types of Turkish folk dance, as described briefly below:

HALAY

A dance of the Central and Southern Anatolian region, accopanied by drum and zurna (a form of oboe). and sometimes bağlama (string instrument with long neck and three double strings), kaval (flageot) and tambourine. Men and women dance together in a straight line, hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder and sometimes with hards thrown over one another's shoulders.( Adıyaman, Bitlis, Bingöl, Gaziantep, Elazığ )

KAŞIK Common is Central and Southern Anatolia, the dancers use wooden spoons to tap the rhythm as they dance. They do not hold onto one another. It is accompanied by the bağlama, drum, clarinet and darbuka.

Eastern and Northeastern

Bar A dance of the Anatolian religion accompanied by drum, zurna, bagpipes, mey (small oboe) ney (reedflute) and tambourine. The usual formation is in rows, either straigh or curved. Men and women may dance together. The dancers start by holding hands and then put their hands on one another's shoulders (Erzurum)

ZEYBEK

A dance of the Mediterranean and Aegean regions. It is a solo dance, but a group may dance simultaneously. It is a solemn impressive and noble dance, generally danced by men. It is accompanied by the bağlama, the divansazı (a large bağlama), cura (small bağlama), drums, zurna, tambourine, darbuka (drum made of earthenware) and kaval.

HORA

A dance of Thrace. Like the bar and hatay it is danced hand in hand arm to arm in close rows. It is acompained by the drum, zurna, bağlama, tambourine, zilli maşa (tongs and cymbals) , and darbuka.

HORON

A dance of the Eastern Black Sea region. The formation is a circle or semicircle, the dancers holding hands. In some versions of the horon, particularly in the villages, men and women dance together. The kemençe (small violin played like a cello), drum and zurna accompany the dance. (Trabzon, Artvin)

ÇİFTETELLİ

This dance is common throughout Anatolia. It may be danced by one or more people, and men and women together. The formation is irregular and loose. It is accompanied by the bağlama kaval, drum, zurna and dümbelek (small drum).

Clothing, Traditional—Turkey In Turkish costume, highly ornate ensembles are composed of many layers of textile and nontextile items. Older forms of Turkish traditional dress do not include Western-style dress, which exhibits rapid change and is available through a system of mass production and distribution. Traditional dress was once the everyday dress of people living in the rural areas of Turkey; today it is worn daily only by a few rural women, by others for ceremonial use, and by Turkish folk-dance groups.

The traditional dress of Turkey has changed slowly; this is important historically because it informs us about the people who produced it. Surface decoration and the way costume elements are arranged on the body serve as a means of communication, indicating membership in tribal or village groups, and myriad other anthropological messages.

Turkish traditional dress exhibits tribal and village distinctions while sharing features with Central Asian dress, the dress of the Ottoman Court, and Middle Eastern dress. The common features can be attributed to the cultural contacts of the Turkic peoples over the centuries. The Turkish people are believed to have migrated south and west from the Altai Mountain regions south of Lake Baikal, entering Persia, Iraq, Central Asia and Eastern Europe. By the eleventh century they penetrated the Anatolian plateau, the landmass forming the peninsula in western Asia that comprises the bulk of the modern Republic of Turkey. By the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries Turkic groups formed many villages, some of which remain intact today. This stability of geographic location coupled with relative isolation in inner Anatolia, away from the waterways on the periphery, allowed for stability and slow change in traditions of dress.

Turkic peoples influenced and were influenced by cultural contact with civilizations along their migration routes, by the earlier inhabitants of Anatolia, and by the remains of Anatolia's ancient civilizations. The vast Ottoman empire (fourteenth–nineteenth centuries), which eventually encompassed the Balkan Peninsula, Greece, Transylvania, Moldavia, Wallachia, most of Hungary, Podolia, the entire north coast of the Black Sea, Crete, Cyprus and the Aegean isles, Armenia, most of the Caucasus, the Tigris and Euphrates valleys to the Persian Gulf, the eastern Mediterranean coast, a strip along the Arabian peninsula, Egypt, Tripoli, Tunisia, Algeria, and the Anatolian peninsula, brought the Turks in contact with people from other lands. Those contacts also had an effect on the dress and textiles of Turkey.

Forms of Turkish Traditional Dress Characteristic features of Turkish traditional dress include the layering of garments, distinctive surface or woven-in decoration on the fabrics, and a geometriccut. Wool, silk, and cotton, fibers indigenous to Turkey, are commonly used for apparel. Separate garments are layered to accommodate the need for adjustments according to climate; to create storage areas for coins and other small items in fabric folds; and to create a system for holding garments onto the body. Careful cutting exposes portions of garments underneath the top layers. Surface design is achieved by embroidering, dyeing, or weaving.

Men in traditional dress at the festival of Edirne in 1954. (STUDIO PATELLANI/CORBIS) Common items are the salvar (baggy trouser), gomlek (chemise), ucetek (three-skirted cloak), and elaborate headgear that always includes one or more headscarves for women. Sleeveless vests and waist-length jackets are also common, as are aprons for women. The layers are held together by a girdle or belt, or by a shawl (sal kusak) that is folded and wrapped around the waist. With the exception of the face, the body completely covered. Portions of the men's body are left exposed, such as the head, face, and neck, with the exception of a headdress. In the traditional dress of some areas of Turkey, portions of the legs are exposed. Turkish traditional dress was relatively unisex, but certain distinguishing features clearly indicated gender. Primary among these was the style of headdress. In the Ottoman court, male headdress distinguished social and economic positions. Head-dresses such as the turban, used throughout the Ottoman empire from before the Turks' capture of Constantinople in 1453 to the early nineteenth century, and the fez, used for about 100 years after the demise of the turban, became symbols of identity for Turkish men during their respective periods of use. Both were outlawed: the turban in 1829 when the fez was adopted, and the fez in 1925—in favor of the Western-style brimmed hat. The headscarf for women remains an important article of dress among segments of the population in modern Turkey.

Recent Changes

Over 60 percent of the inhabitants of modern Turkey live in urban areas. Forces of the global economy have created changes in lifestyles, particularly since 1970. Traditional dress and

textile production is disappearing at an astounding rate. Fabrics formerly were produced in villages, but now changing markets and improved infrastructure have made it possible for women to purchase fabrics and trims, produced throughout Turkey and the world, in their local markets. Women in some villages continue to wear all or parts of their traditional dress, especially for ceremonial events such as weddings. Common in most villages is the baggy trouser (salvar) worn sometimes with a skirt over the top, a long-sleeved blouse or T-shirt, a sweater-vest, and a headscarf. Turkish folk dance groups have kept some of the elaborate dress ensemble traditions alive. In the urban areas of Turkey, men and women wear typical Western clothing, although some Muslim women cover this dress with a coat and wear a head-scarf, or cover themselves completely with a black cloak

MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS OF TURKEY

Saz (Turkish Long Neck Lute)

The Saz is the grandfather of the Greek Bouzouki. It's originated in Central Asia where Turks lived before their westward migration. Like the guitar in Spain and the bouzouki in Greece, the Saz is the most popular stringed instrument in Turkey. Although similar in shape to the Greek Bouzouki, the construction, size and sound of the Saz is different. You need a baglama saz to be able to play the microtones (Perde) of Arabic music. These instruments have traditional tied frets that are movable, and 3 courses of strings.

Baglama

Baglama is the most commonly used string folk instrument in Turkey. It takes different names according to the regions and according to its size such as Baglama, Divan Sazi, Bozuk, Çögür, Kopuz Irizva, Cura, Tambura, etc.

Cura is the smallest member of the baglama family with the highest pitched sound. The member one size bigger than cura which gives a sound that is one octave lower than cura is the tambura. And the one with the deepest sound is the Divan sazi whose sound is one octave lower compared to tambura.

Baglama has three main parts called Tekne, Gögüs and Sap. Tekne part is generally made from mulberry trees as well as from woods of juniper, beech, spruce or walnut. The gögüs part is made from spruce and the sap section from homespun or juniper.

There are pieces called burgu (screw) at the end of the sap which is opposite to tekne part to which the strings are tied. These screws are used for tuning. There are pitches on the sap tied with fish line. Baglama is played with a Mizrap or Tezene made from cherry wood bark or plastic and fingers are used in some regions. The later technique is called Selpe.

There are three string groups on Baglama in groups of two or three. These string groups can be tuned in a variety of ways. For example in the tuning style called baglama Düzeni, the strings in the lower group give 'la', middle group strings and upper group strings give 'mi' notes. Besides this type of tuning there are Kara Düzen, Misket Düzeni Müstezat, Abdal Düzeni, Rast Düzeni etc. styles.

Tar

Tar is a Turkish folk instrument played with a plectrum (tezene). It is widely used in the Kars region. It is also a commonly used instrument in Azerbaijan, Iran, Uzbekistan and Georgia. Its body is composed of two bowls of different size and is generally made from mulberry trees. The gögüs section is covered with a membrane taken from the heart of water buffaloes or cattle. Sap section is from hard wood and fish line pitches are tied onto it.

There are two main groups of strings on tar. Those in the first group are used in playing the tune and consists of three groups of two strings. The other group of strings are called Kök and Zengi and are tuned according to the mode to be used and enhance the tone.

Kabak Kemane

Kabak Kemane is a bowed Turkish folk instrument. Shows variation according to regions and its form. It is known that instruments known as Kabak, Kemane, Iklig, Rabab, Hegit at Hatay province, Rubaba in Southeastern Turkey, KemanÁa in Azerbaijan and Gicak, Giccek or Gijek among the central Asian Turks all come from the same origin.

Its body or the tekne part is generally made from vegetable marrow but wooden ones are also common. The sap is from hard woods. There is a thin wooden or metal rod underneath the 34

body which is placed on the knee and enables the instrument to move to the left and right. The bow is made by tying horse hair on two ends of a stick. Previously strings made from gut called Kiris were used which were replaced by metal ones at the present.

Kabak kemane is an instrument without pitches and produces all types of chromatic sounds easily. Its sound is suitable for long plays and can be used for legato, Staccato and Pizzicato paces.

Karadeniz Kemencesi

Karadeniz Kemencesi is a bowed Turkish folk instrument. As can be surmised from its name it is an instrument widely used in the Black Sea Region. Its body is made from mulberry, plum and juniper woods. The wooden part of the bow generally rose wood or box wood. Horse hair is tied to the ends of the bow.

Kemence is a three-string instrument. While kiris strings from gut used be put on kemences, these days mostly metal strings are used.

Kemence is an instrument without pitches and and it is possible to get from it all types of chromatic sounds easily. It is generally played by pressing two strings at the same time and getting parallel quarter notes. It is furthermore played with a special technique which is achieved with wrist movements.

Zurna

Zurna is a Turkish folk instrument of the wind type. Because of its strong sound it is generally played in the open air, on occasions such as village weddings, sending off the boys to military service, sport encounters, folk dances and similar ceremonial events. It was the first melody instrument of the Mehter teams (Janissaries Band) in the Ottoman period. It was also used in some traditional theater (orta oyunu) performances. It is generally accompanied with a drum. Because of the difficulty of its intonation and its high sound level, it is not used in musical groups. However, in the recent years it started to be used by some folk music groups.

Zurna has a sound range of nearly two octaves and has eight melody keys with seven of them on the front and one on the back. The key at the back is so located as to come between the first two notes towards the reed section at the front. The keys are generally round with 6-8mm 35

diameters. The length of the instrument changes between 30 - 60 cm and widens out like a funnel starting from the part the melody holes end. This section is called the kalak. At the blowing end there is a thin pipe like rod over which the reed goes. This rod is called Metem. A separate circular piece with a hole in the middle is put over the Metem to help the breathing technique. This piece is called Avurtluk. The most common zurna playing technique is the continuous playing technique where while the air collected in the cave of the mouth is blown out from the reed, inhaling through nostrils occurs simultaneously.

There are seven holes besides the melody keys on the kalak section which are smaller in diameter. They are called seytan deligi (devil's hole) or cin deligi (genie's hole). They can be closed with wax or a similar material according to the sound hunting of the player.

The instrument which changes between 60 and 30 cm. in length as we have already mentioned is divided into three types according to its sound : Kaba Zurna, Orta Kaba Zurna and Cura Zurna (Zil Zurna). They are generally made from wood of trees such as plums, apricots, walnut, saber etc.

Kaval

Kaval is a Turkish folk instrument of the wind type. It is known as the instrument of the shepherds. It is also called Guval and Kuval in different regions. The belief that the shepherd leads his sheep flock with his kaval is a wide spread belief among the people. The word kaval is probably a derivative from the word "kav" which means hollow on the inside.

Its sound range is about 2.5-3 octaves. It is widely used instrument in the folk music groups of today and can be used as a solo instrument within an ensemble. Kaval preserves its sound characteristics when played together with other instruments.

As kavals are not produced to any defined standards what can be said about its dimensions has to be very general. Its length may vary between 30 cm and 80 cm and its diameter is approximately 1.5 cm. It has 7 melody keys on the front and one underneath. Besides these, there are also 4 other keys at the lower section of the instrument called Seytan Deliği and Hazreti Ali.

Kavals are divided into two main types as Dilli Kaval and Dilsiz Kaval and are generally made from the wood of the plum tree.

Çigirtma

Cigirtma is a Turkish folk instrument of the wind type. Cigirtma is made from the wing bone of the eagle. It is known to be used mostly by the shepherds and is an almost forgotten instrument today. It has a total of seven melody keys with six on the top and one underneath It is about 15-30 cm long.

Mey

Mey is a Turkish folk instrument of the wind type. It consists of three parts . Ana Gövde (main part), Kamis (reed) and Kiskac (clip). The clips mounted to the end of the reed and can be pushed up and down on the reed and thus enabling tuning by providing one note variation in the sound.

Mey which is made of wood from plum walnut, beech etc. has sound distance of about one octave. It has a total of eight melody keys with seven on top and one underneath. There are three types of Mey: Cura Mey, Orta Mey and Ana Mey. Mey is called Balaban in Azerbaijan.

Tulum

Tulum (bagpipe) is a Turkish folk instrument of the wind type. It consists of three parts with Deri Kismi (leather section), Nav and Agizlik (mouth piece). The air is stored in the leather section and is let into the nav section by pressing the bag under the arm. Nav is the part where the melody is played. It also has two parts called Analik and Dillik. Agizlik is the section which sends the air to the leather bag of the pipe.

Tulum is used in Turkey at Trabzon, Rize, Erzurum, Kars, Northern and Eastern Anatolian regions and in Thrace. Tulum, which is generally made from lamb or kid skin, is called Gayda in Thrace.

Sipsi

Sipsi which is a Turkish folk instrument of the wind type is made from bone, wood or reed. The reed ones are more common. It has a second smaller part at the end which is made of reed that produces the sound. This part is completely taken into the mouth and the air is blown.

It is most widely used in the Aegean Region the instrument has a total of six melody keys with five on the top and one underneath.

Çifte

Cifte is a Turkish folk instrument of the wind type. It is made by tying two reed pipes side by side. Two small reed pieces which produce the sound are added to the ends of both reeds. These two small reeds are taken into the mouth cavity and it is played by blowing the air at the same time.

There are two cifte types known as Demli cifte and Demsiz cifte. In demli Cifte one of the reeds does not have any pitch keys and it just produces a background sound. There are melody keys on the other red and the main melody is played through them.

Cifte is also known as Argun, Argul, Kargin or Zambir at different regions.

Davul

Davul (drum) is the oldest known percussion instrument. It can be in different sizes and is generally used in open spaces on occasions such as weddings, folk dances or different ceremonies. It consists of a circular wooden frame and a hoop made from two skins and covered with skin which is put on the frame with the help of strong strings or leather ribbons.

It is played while hung on the shoulder with knitted or leather strap. The skin on one side of the drum is thick while on the other is thinner. The thin one is made from goat, the thick one from sheep skin. The thick skin side is hit with a tokmak and the thin skinned one with a light wooden stick. It is possible to scan or treble with the thin stick. The drum can either be played hung to the shoulder or holding it under the arm and using hands.

Davul is especially used during Ramadan to wake people up before beginning the fast.

Nagara

Nagara (Koltuk Davulu) is a Turkish folk drum or percussion instrument. It is placed under the arm and beaten with hands. It is longer compared to the regular drums and its diameter is smaller.

Tef

Tef (tambourine) is a Turkish percussion instrument. It consists of a metal or wooden hoop over which a skin is stretched. There are two types of tambourines, with or without the cymbals.

Kasik

Kasik (spoon) is a Turkish percussion instrument. The ones made from boxwood are particularly favored. The handles are taken between the fingers and the oval parts are held towards the inside of the hand in a back to back position. There are also different holding styles.