The Poetic Universe of Âşık Ayhanî Examined in a Two-Volume Work

Conducted by educator and folklorist researcher İlker Doğan, the two-volume study 'The Poetic Universe of Âşık Ayhanî' examines the transformation of the minstrel tradition through the artist's life and works.

The minstrel tradition is an oral literature tradition whose roots trace back to Central Asian Turkic culture, and it transformed in Anatolia under the influence of Sufism after the advent of Islam. Gaining new forms through social changes such as industrialization and migration from villages to cities, Âşık Ayhanî—whose real name is Ayhan Çabuk and who is one of the representatives of this tradition in the 21st century—won first prizes at the Konya Minstrel Festival in 1982 and 1983, and at the Hacı Bektaş Festivals in 1985. While the artist has three album works, some of his pieces are housed in the TRT archive, and the album “Ayhanî Türküler”, released in 2018 with the participation of 20 folk music artists, demonstrates his place in the music world.

Evaluated by educator and folklorist researcher İlker Doğan, the two-volume study titled “The Poetic Universe of Âşık Ayhanî” addresses the artist's life and his position within the minstrel tradition, analyzing his poems in terms of structure, language-style, and content. When both volumes are examined together, not only the works of a single artist but also the transformation that the minstrel tradition underwent under changing social conditions becomes visible; Ayhanî’s poems incorporate themes of faith, history, social critique, love for humanity, and contemporary life issues.