Place of Arif Çiftçi in Kars minstrelsy tradition

The tradition of minstrelsy, one of the most original areas of folk literature, continues in Eastern Anatolia especially in Kars and its surroundings. The continuing presence of tradition in this region shows that there are many subjects and minstrels to be investigated in the area. Keeping this tradition alive from the past to the present day brought with it many field work topics. One of these minstrels is Minstrel Arif Çiftçi. This thesis consists of an introduction, seven chapters, a conclusion and annexes. In the introduction, an examination of the tradition of minstrelsy in Kars, the physical texture of Kars and its surroundings, its geographical location, its socio-cultural environment, the root of Kars's name, tradition of minstrelsy and Kars-related studies were included. In the first part, the historical development of the tradition of minstrelsy and the training of minstrels are mentioned. In the second part, the representatives of the minstrelsy tradition of Kars and the latest status of the tradition are given. In the third chapter, the life of Minstrel Arif Çiftçi and the process he started to become a minstrel was mentioned. In the fourth chapter, the mediums of practice in the tradition of minstrelsy in Kars are examined. In the fifth chapter, the subject of type and form in the minstrelsy of Kars and in the poets of Minstrel Arif Çiftçi were studied. In the sixth chapter, Minstrel Arif Çiftçi's poems are discussed in terms of their narrative features and themes. In the seventh and last section, the contributions of Minstrel Arif Çiftçi to the tradition have been emphasized. In the conclusion part of the study, an evaluation of the obtained information was made, and in the attachments part, related photos were included in the study. The method we used during our fieldwork is "interview". The interview was recorded with a voice recorder and I personally interviewed Minstrel Arif Çiftçi. As a result; The tradition of minstrelsy in and around Kars continues vividly. Although the focus has recently been on interest in this area, studies are not enough. More work has to be done in order to hand such a vivid culture richness down from generation to generation.