An Altaistic Tradition of Turkish Cypriots: Mart Dokuzu (9th Of March)

Ismail Bozkurt
Cyprus-Balkans-Eurasia Turkish Literatures Foundation (KIBATEK)

An Altaistic Tradition of Turkish Cypriots:
Mart Dokuzu (9th Of March)

47th Meeting of the PIAC, Cambridge 2004

An altaistic tradition celebrated by Turkish Cypriots in some areas of North Cyprus, under the name of Mart Dokuzu (9th of March) on March 9. In various sources, it is noted that, prior to 1974, Mart Dokuzu was been celebrated by Turkish Cypriot in some villages of Larnaca district, South Cyprus. Following the operation carry out by Turkish army in 1974, these villages, except one, fled their homes in South Cyprus and moved to North Cyprus. Mart Dokuzu currently celebrated by the people of the same villages, at North Cyprus.

Mart Dokuzu event is organised in some areas of Turkey and in Bulgaria too. This means that for Turkish Cypriots the root of Mart Dokuzu is Anatolia. However, the characteristics of Mart Dokuzu posses the characteristics of Nawruz which has been practiced for centuries and is referred to under different names on a very extensive geography in Eurasia.