Zengan Aşık tradition and Aşık Müslüm

This study is primarily aimed at introducing the 'Ashik' tradition in Zengan province, Iran. The province plays the role of a bridge connecting Anatolia and Turkistan. Assuming that Azerbaijan (in the broadest sense spanning the territories from the Republic of Azerbaijan southward to Qazvin province, Iran) and Turkey share the same Ashik tradition, we can discern the same cases of Ashik tradition in Zengan as we see in Turkey. In this study, we have used the books published in Iran, Azerbaijan and Turkey on the Ashik tradition as well as the oral sources as tapes and CDs. Among Turkic people in Iran can be discern a live 'Ashik' literature and tradition. Constituting a large population, they also own a broad oral literature. In the introduction chapter of the thesis, I have firstly given general information about Turkic people living in Iran, an then I have introduced Zengan province in Iran and it's geography, history and cultural culture. The first chapter entitled 'Contemporary Ashik Tradition in Zengan' includes the contemporary situation of 'Ashik' tradition and varieties of musical instruments used by Ashiks. Chapter two entitled 'The Situation of the 'Aşık' Tradition in Zengan after the Islamic Revolution in Iran' covers the cultural situation of the province and Ashik activities as well as proposals to solve the problems ahead of the Ashik tradition. The third chapter under the title of 'Examples of Zengan Ashiks and Their Poetry' includes poems by contemporary Zangani Ashiks. The fourth and fifth chapter are respectively entitled 'Life and Art of Ashik Muslum of Zengan' and 'Works of Ashik Muslum of Zengan' and both are about the Ashik's life, art and works. In the conclusion chapter I have made an assessment of the study and then photographs as well as written and oral sources used in the study.