Kaf Mountain and Hümâ in classical Turkish poetry

One of the main sources of classical Turkish poetry is mythology. The mountain motif, which symbolizes the center of the universe and the absolute existence in mythologies, is quite common. In Islamic literature, this center is called Kaf Mountain. There have been various beliefs about Kaf Mountain throughout history. It was questioned whether it existed, and if there was, ideas were put forward about where it was. In this regard, Kaf Mountain and factors related to Kaf Mountain are included in many works in Arabic, Persian and Turkish. Associated with the sacred mountain, which is accepted as the center, tree and bird symbolism is also seen. At the center of the universe; the bird motif with its nest on top of a sacred tree is quite common in mythologies. The birds believed to live on Kaf Mountain show themselves as 'Anka, Simurg and Huma. The use of 'Anka or Simurg' in the sources for the Huma bird has caused these birds to be confused with each other over time -due to their common characteristics. With the comparison of the characteristics of the related birds, it was revealed that the Huma has a different identity from other birds. In this study, the mythological origins of Kaf Mountain and Huma as a reflection of mountain and bird symbolism were tried to be determined. Subsequently, Kaf Mountain and The Birds believed to live in Kaf Mountain were scanned in twenty divans selected from the 14th-18th centuries. It was aimed to determine the place of Kaf Mountain and Huma in Classical Turkish Poetry by explaining the selected examples in the light of the data obtained.