TALES OF DEDE KORKUT AND TURKISH
INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE
Do you know the difference between
tangible and intangible cultural heritage?
If you are a good reader and a history
lover, you should know it to understand and
value the deep meaning of your cultural
heritage.
Tangible cultural heritage refers to
things that we can store or physically touch
such as historical buildings, traditional
clothing, tools, artworks and monuments.
Intangible cultural heritage refers to things that
aren't physical items but exist intellectually. It
includes oral traditions, songs, rituals, supersti-
tions and myths.
When we talk about the Turkish mythi-
cal stories, we should remember DEDE
KORKUT'S tales. The epic tales of Dede Korkut,
passed on for centuries by the Oguz Turks, have
been added to UNESCO's Representative List of
the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
their significance as well as the preservation of
traditions in the world.
17 incredible elements of Turkey have
been recognized by UNESCO and is under
safeguard as on the list of the Unesco
Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity as of
2018.
The Book of Dede Korkut is "based on
12 heroic legends, stories and tales and 13
traditional musical compositions shared and
transmitted across generations through oral
expressions, performing arts, cultural codes
and musical compositions.
Every nation has its unique history. All
peoples make their contribution to the culture
of the world. That's why it's important to
respect and safeguard all cultural heritage. We
should read, learn and value our cultural
heritage elements. This develops your mutual
respect and renew dialogue amongst different
cultures.
Dede Korkut has been regarded as the
'wise ancestor' of the Turkish world. He is
believed to have originated from the Kayı and
Bayat Oghuz tribes. Rumored to have lived
between 570 A.D. and 632 A.D., at the time of
Prophet Muhammad, Dede Korkut is an
ancestor of all of the Turkic tribes. His name
frequently appears in Turkic epics and folk
stories.
Cultural heritage defines who we are
and strengthens our sense of belonging to
acommon European family. We all belong to a
peaceful community of more than 500 million
citizens with rich histories and interwoven
cultures.
Turkey's Culture and Tourism Ministry
said in a statement that the heritage of Dede
Korkut was a "unifying element" among Tur-
kish-speaking countries.
We are what we inherited from our
ancestors. Therefore, we should be the
volunteering guards of cultural heritage of our
nation and of the world.
by Ebru TOPAÇLIOĞLU
In 2008, UNESCO established the list of
Intangible Cultural Heritage in order to ensure
the protection of important intangible cultural
heritages worldwide and the awareness of
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