Child Crime Prevention & Safety Center

Erkan_ogur_karsida_gorunen_yayla Link

The most famous version appears on the album "Anadolu Beşik" (2000) , a collaboration between Erkan Oğur and İsmail Hakkı Demircioğlu . Musical Style and Performance

Critics and listeners often describe the arrangement as "soul-cleansing" and "meditative," stripping away the typical upbeat rhythm of yayla (highland) songs to focus on the gravity of the lyrics. Thematic Analysis

Erkan Oğur's interpretation of is widely regarded as a definitive modern masterpiece of Turkish folk music, characterized by its deep spiritual resonance and minimalist musicality. Context and Origin erkan_ogur_karsida_gorunen_yayla

The "yayla" (highland/meadow) serves as a metaphor for the worldly life that the poet is about to leave. Lyrics like "Gitti giden ömür geri dönülmez" (The life that is gone cannot be returned) highlight the impermanence of existence.

According to legend, this deyiş (mystical song) was one of three performed by Pir Sultan Abdal before his execution by Hızır Paşa. Despite being ordered to compose a song that did not mention "the Shah" (a reference to the Safavid ruler and spiritual leader), he included the name repeatedly, signaling his unwavering devotion. The most famous version appears on the album

The track features Erkan Oğur's signature use of the fretless guitar (which he invented in 1976) and the kopuz , blending traditional Turkish microtones with a contemplative, ambient atmosphere.

The recurring line "Ben de bu yayladan Şah'a giderim" (I, too, shall go from this highland to the Shah) symbolizes a transition from the physical world to a higher spiritual realm or divine truth. Context and Origin The "yayla" (highland/meadow) serves as

The lyrics were written by the 16th-century Alevi-Bektashi poet and mystic Pir Sultan Abdal .