Turkish classical music in Khalwatiyya Shabaniyya

Turco-Islamic Tasawwuf culture is a reflection of ancient Turkish culture, art, traditions, lifestyle, ideals and moral values blended with Islam. Concepts such as Classical Turkish Music, Mosque Music, Tekke (Dervish Lodge) Music take on meaning and come to life mostly through artists raised in the schools of tasawwuf education, i.e. dervish lodges (tekkes). If we are to study any one of the great artists of our musical history, we shall see that they were either devoted followers of a true Sufi path/order and of the saint (evliya) of this path, or that they learned from the artistic masters of such paths. In fact, we realize that the great leaders of Sufi paths themselves are masters in many traditional artistic fields. The divans (poetry collections) of Sufis, where their sermons – containing guidance and knowledge of truth – on true love, reflecting, without any artistic concerns whatsoever, their experiences in the path of God ('the right path'), their spiritual pleasures (zevk-i manevi) and the stages they have reached in their spiritual journeys (seyr-i süluk) are compiled, have brought about great advancements in Turkish culture in the fields of language, literature, music and spirituality. Many sources that have been examined here demonstrate that a great amount of studies regarding music have been conducted within orders such as the Mawlawi (Mevlevi), Jerrahi (Cerrahi), Gulsheni (Gülşeni) and Bektashi (Bektaşi) traditions, attempting to specify the artists raised within these orders as well as the works of art they have contributed to our music. These efforts and studies are taken into consideration here under the title 'Turkish Music in the Shabani Branch of the Khalwati Path', as an examination of the genealogy and origins of this path all the way back to the Prophet Muhammad, its modes and manners, dhikr (zikr) styles, views of culture and art, saints, poets, researchers, adherents, the valuable musicians and dhikr leaders (zakirbaşıs) who cherish this path, as well as the contributions these artists have made to Turkish music. In addition to this are the hymns, which the researcher has compiled from first-hand sources with great diligence and has transcribed in musical notation. By therefore adding Şa'bani hymns to the repertoire of Turkish music, this study hopes to be of service as a new and original piece of work. This study truly qualifies as a compilation with its content including the composers, performers, dhikr leaders (zakirbaşı), durak reciters (durakhan), qasida reciters (kasidehan), and teachers of Turkish Music in the Shabani Lodge, the works of art specific to this order, its metric modes, rules and conventions, its attitudes and opinions regarding music, the fact that it has contributed the hymns that have been compiled and transcribed in musical notation here to the repertoire, the literary value of the lyrics of these musical pieces, the mystical (tasawwuf-related) significance of the poets and Sufis mentioned, and the way in which their words light the way for future generations and act as reminders of spiritual values, as well as its additional sections titled "Examples and musical notes from the works of Shabani composers" and "The hymns compiled and transcribed in musical notation by the researcher". Moving from more general to specific, the First chapter – following the Introduction – attempts to convey the relationship between Religion, Humanity, Tasawwuf (Sufism-mysticism) and Music, briefly explain Turkish Tasawwuf History in terms of its cultural aspects and the History of Turkish Music inasmuch as it is relevant to our study at hand, relate important artists, genres, styles and forms, as well as describe the Khalwati tradition, which is the main religious order from which the Shabani Lodge arises, by way of its origins, genealogy, importance, branches, style of dhikr, musicians and their works of art. The Second chapter is based on the Shabani path itself: its origins, history, branches, lodges, its founder the holy man Şaban-ı Veli, the grand Pir dervish lodge, the rules and conventions of this path, as well as its dhikr style, its Sufi poets, and musical works composed from their poems. The Third chapter examines Shabani music, the importance of music in the Shabani order, the musical forms performed in Shabani lodges, the contributions artists from this order have made to music, the life of Shabani musicians, Shabani dhikr leaders (zakirbaşıs), adherents of other paths/orders along with Shabaniyya, the specification of artists who follow this path, examples from their works of art that we were able to access, the additional pieces compiled and transcribed in musical notation by the researcher, and the musical notations of other works recited in the Shabani lodge. It also relays the life of the last postnişin (leading sheikh) of the Shabani path, Hafız Mehmet Dumlu Kütahyevi (dec.2011) – an invaluable resource from whom we benefited greatly during our study both thanks to the immense knowledge in his reserve and his endless support. His life is conveyed here by way of his services, the valuable information he provided, the pieces he performed to be added into this study, the information I attempted to glean through conversations with him, and the musical practices in his lodge. After this part come the Conclusion, Bibliography, Appendices, and finally the List of Abbreviations and Appendices. My greatest wish is for this work I present to be a worthy service first of all to our Lord, who guides and opens our path, and then to my teachers, friends and family, who have never withheld their knowledge, experience, sources, memories, support and trust from me. I hope that it qualifies to fill the current gap in this field. For any mistakes regarding the essence of the Shabani path caused by my spiritual ignorance, I ask for the forgiveness and seek refuge in the tolerance of the great saints (dervishes) of this path. Keywords: Classical Turkish Music, Khalwatiyya, Shabaniyya