Examination of Gazipaşa district (Antalya) place names in terms of folklore

Naming is done by people for a certain reason. No name has been given without cause. While people are giving name to the geography they live in, they have taken into consideration the cultural, physical and geographical features of the geography to be named. Upon designating place names, various narratives have occurred in relation to these names. These narratives are derived from the way people live and think their customs and traditions as well as the cultural codes. Since Gazipaşa has hosted many civilizations and societies for centuries, there are many attractive place names in the district; however, there has been no study on these place names. The cultural memory of the region was revealed through the narratives acquired within the context of this study which covers the neighborhoods and plateaus of Gazipaşa district. The information on 53 neighborhoods and 29 plateaus was provided by applying compilation method which is used in the field research method. In the first section, the information concerning the onomatology and toponomy was given. Subsequently, the toponomy studies conducted in Turkey were included and the naming was discussed within the framework of the Turkish culture. In the second section, on the other hand, the information was given on the history and geography of Gazipaşa and naming of "Gazipaşa" district. Furthermore, the information was given about the naming of the neighborhoods and plateaus within the borders of Gazipaşa and these names were evaluated from the point of folklore by trying to determine the origin of these names. In the third section, the examples from folk literature products where the Gazipaşa place names have taken placewere cited. The origin of the place names was intended to be retraced within the scope of the narratives and folk literature products discussed in the study. Keywords: Onomatology, Folklore, Toponomy, Gazipaşa, Culture