Kaz Mountains or Mount Ida, located in the north of Edremit Bay, is between the provinces of Çanakkale and Balıkesir. Kaz Mountains are among the most important natural beauties of Turkey with its clean air, lush nature, rich fauna and flora. Ida Mountains, which occupy a large place in Greek mythology, are very famous for their legends as well as their natural beauties. The Legend of Sarıkız, which is one of the most famous symbols of Kaz Mountains and is included in the myths of the Turkmen villagers of Kaz Mountain, is an Islamic folk tale that goes back to Iran. Various versions of Sarıkız Legend, which is a good example of the folk tale genre of oral literature, are told.
The name of Kaz Mountains, which is also mentioned in Greek mythology, is Mount Ida in ancient times. Mount Ida, mentioned in Homer’s Iliad, is known as the birthplace of Zeus. Mount Ida, which is also the subject of mythological stories, is the place where the first beauty contest was held, in which Aphrodite, Hera and Athena also participated. Zeus watched the Trojan War in the region from these lands. With the migration of Turkmens to the region, the name of the mountain was changed to Kaz Mountains. The region, which has been taken under protection as Kaz Mountains National Park, is the starting point of Sarıkız and Hasanboğuldu legends.
What is the Sarıkız Legend of Kaz Mountains?
Sarıkız, whose beauty is legendary, was born in a village in the Ayvacık district of Çanakkale. They call her “Yellow Girl” because of her long blonde hair. Sarıkız loses her mother at a young age and is very sad about this loss. The father-daughter decides to migrate to another village from this village where they live, which is full of memories of their mother. They pack up and hit the road and settle in Kavurmacılar Village at the foot of the Kaz Mountains. The girl and her father, who started to work as shepherds in the village, are loved very much. Even the village elders and young people consult Sarıkız’s father about any issue. After a long time, the girl grows up and becomes a very beautiful young girl.
First Version of the Legend
When Sarıkız’s father gets old, he wants to go on pilgrimage and entrusts the girl to the family of the imam of Güre Village. During the long pilgrimage period, the village boys aspire to the girl and want to marry her. Sarıkız, on the other hand, does not accept the offers and does not respond to any of them. Those who make rejection a matter of pride then slander the young girl. Sarıkız tries to explain that what has been done is wrong, but she cannot make anyone accept it. After the time passed, the father returns from the pilgrimage, but no one looks at his face or receives his greeting.
Her father, who learned the situation, takes his daughter to the summit of Kaz Mountain with a few geese and leaves her there. Passengers who lost their way on the mountain come to the place where the girl is and she helps them. Returning to the village, the travelers tell that a sainted girl lives on the mountain with geese and helps them. They even say that the geese descended on the Bayramiç Plain and damaged the crops of the farmers, and to prevent this situation, the girl poured stones from her skirt and created a courtyard around the geese. Today, there are the remains of the wall known as the “Goose Courtyard”.
The father, who is touched by the stories and misses his daughter very much, decides to take the road to the mountain. When she reaches the top, she finds her in a walled area with geese inside, now known as “Sarıkız Hill”. After the father-daughter’s longing is satisfied, her father asks for water for ablution. The girl holds the jug in her hand towards the valley and gives the newly filled water to her father. When her father notices the ice-cold water filling the jug, he realizes that his daughter has become a saint. But just at that moment, a black cloud covers the sky and the yellow girl disappears. Her father believes that his daughter has disappeared due to the revelation of the secret of holiness. He realizes that the villagers are slandering and therefore curses the village. In time, the village empties, there is no one left. According to a belief, no one lived in the village after the father cursed the village and its people.
The father, who is in great sadness, wanders in the hills for many years. He dies in a place called “Baba Tepe” today. The flat stones of the mountain are placed on top of each other by the local people and a grave is prepared for her father and daughter. The hill where the girl is located is called Sarıkız Tepe, and the hill where her father’s grave is located is called Baba Tepe.
Second Version of the Legend
Those who live in the foothills of Kaz Mountains and cannot attract the legendary Sarıkız, spread rumors about them by saying that they have fallen into a bad way. They even declare this girl cursed. Unable to stand the rumors, the girl’s father takes her and leaves her on the summit of Kaz Mountains. A goose comes to the girl who is wandering around the top of the mountain and gives her some eggs. Sarıkız hides these eggs and after a while the goslings hatch out of their eggs and grow. After a while, two strangers, who lost their way from snow and blizzard, take shelter at the summit where the girl lives. Sarıkız saves these strangers, gives them food and helps them regain their health.
After the strangers descended from the mountain, he told the villagers that a very beautiful saintly girl lived in the Kaz Mountains. Upon these words, her father, who could not stand the longing, went to the girl’s side and they embraced with longing. The father asks his daughter for water sometime. The girl immediately drinks water from her palms to her father, saying. When his father asked where he got the water from, he said, I extended my hand, I got it from the sea. Thus, her father realizes that his daughter is truly a saint.
Third Version of the Legend
Those who can’t pull the yellow girl start gossip about her bad road. The girl’s father is impressed even though he knows these rumors are false. Sarıkız can not be proud of this situation and finds the solution by escaping to the top of the mountain. After a while, her father, unable to stand the rumors, goes to the mountain to kill the girl. When he goes up to the mountain, he sees that the girl is feeding the geese there. The girl’s behavior shows that she is not on the wrong path. The father, who comes to kill his son, decides to pray first. He asks for water for ablution. The girl fills the pitcher from the sea as she reaches from the top of the mountain, and extends it to her father. Before his father can ask where he got this water, he faints on the spot because of the salty water he takes in his mouth.
Ceremonies Held Every Year for Sarıkız
For Sarıkız, who is believed to live in Kavurmacılar Village, every year in August, Sarıkız Turkmen Festivals are held. Local people prepare local dishes such as keskek, pilaf, chickpeas and sherbets. There are very few people living in the abandoned village. Yassıkayalı Village in the region also draws attention with its houses that preserve their natural characteristics. Interest in the Sarıkız festival has increased considerably since the first day it was held. In addition to folkloric teams from various regions and regions of Anatolia, guests from abroad also participate in this festival.
