MANİSA’NIN AKHİSAR İLÇESİNDE KUTLANAN ÇAĞLAK FESTİVALİ ÜZERİNE BİR İNCELEME
A RESEARCH ON THE CAGLAK FESTIVAL CELEBRATED IN MANİSA AKHİSAR COUNTY

Summary/Abstract: This article is written with the aim of dealing with the origin, rituals and the interaction of local people with the festival in the traditional Çağlak Festival celebrated in Akhisar county. Caglak Festival, having 559-year history, is a touchstone in the cultural values of local people. The Çağlak Festival is first celebrated with the return of Akhisar Sheik Mecdüddin İsa to the city, where he was born. Traditional remembrance and celebrations after Sheik Mecdüddin İsa’s death, are the starting point of the Çaglak Festival. In this article, changing and traditionalizing period of remembrance ceremonies held in the Çaglak region is examined. Sheik Mecdüddin İsa, having great importance for the people of the region, his tomb is seen as supernatural power by people. Every year in May when the Sheik Mecdüddin İsa entered the city, first the tomb of Şeyh Mecdüddin İsa and then Caglak Stream are visited to find aids for their troubles. But over the centuries the scope of the festival, with the influence of the celebration date became remembrance and rather than look for a remedy, it has become the spring welcoming festival. Although its celebration purpose is different from that of Nowruz and Hıdrellez, the festival, showing similarity with these two festivals, took the place of them in the region, where it is celebrated. While these issues as well as the reasons for the emergence of the festival, are pointed out in this article, its subsequent development, and the practices in the festival from the past to the present are discussed through the research and the interview method in the context of applied folklore.

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