TRADITIONAL FOLK
MEDICINE IN ANATOLIA
Ministry of Health
General Directorate of Health Services
Department of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicine
HISTORY
The traditional folk medicine has a history of thousands years. This
tradition existed before Islam, has continued to live then. Therefore,
nowadays, old-traditional healing practices continued to be applied,
contains marks of faith and beliefs of past. This tradition executed by
shamans and kams, in the ancient religion and tradition, is maintained by
religion men, big wives, folk healers and ocaks (that is a kind of folk
healer) in Islam and culture around.
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HISTORY
Healing experiences of traditional medicine occurred by transferring
from a generation to generation are a product of accumulated
knowledge. This handed down knowledge of tradition is still being
used by traditional folk healers in various parts of Turkey. Due to this
prevalence of traditional medicine so many different names have
appeared to be given to folk healers in course of time in Anatolia.
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HISTORY
Folk healers have so many treatment practices based on the faiths,
beliefs and experiences that these all have occurred by being gained
from different cultures. At this point, folk remedies appear. Folk
remedies as well as in traditional medicine have a deep-rooted
history based on accumulated knowledge of the past. Folk
pharmaceutical products resembled traditional medicine practices
derive their drugs from plants and animals with traditional practices.
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“SHAMANS” AS FOLK HEALER OF OLD TURKISH
CULTURE
Shamanism is a belief system that has existed in the various primitive
regions of the world and in central Asia for centuries. Shamans are at
once doctors, priests, social workers and mystics. They have been called
madmen or madwomen, were frequently persecuted throughout history.
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“SHAMANS” AS FOLK HEALER OF OLD TURKISH
CULTURE
Turks have had a lot of shamans while were in Central Asia. The
technique used most commonly by shamans was fire. It is believed that
fire is cleansing and purifies from evil spirits. It is believed that fire has a
mystical heat. Shamans, at the same time, have also an important role
owing to govern the birth, marriage and death ceremonies.
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FOLK HEALERS KNOWN AS OCAK
It is argued that folk healers called as Ocaks are remains of shamans in
Anatolia. They have the power to treat the diseases with extraordinary
ways. They are also called as “urasa” . There are many different Ocaks
struggled with various diseases in Anatolia. For example, the ocak of
jaundice, the ocak of erysipelas, the ocak of malaria, the ocak of mumps,
the ocak of herpes, the ocak of tonsillitis, the ocak of infertility and more
of them still exist today.
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FOLK HEALERS KNOWN AS OCAK
Ocak folk healers use mainly
magical practices and these
practices are mostly implemented
within family by parents who have
unusual powers. It is believed that
this power has passed from
parents to children. There are also
some ocak folk healers benefiting
from plants in the treatment of
diseases.
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FOLK HEALERS KNOWN AS OCAK
But this transition ritual is not just
within the family or is not an
obligation for ocaks. Ocak folk healers
can give their ability to anyone who is
seen as talented in this area. As it can
be understood from the transition
practices, there are two type
transition rituals in tradition. In the
first one the role of heredity is high.
But in the second one, the role of
education is high.
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FOLK HEALERS KNOWN AS OCAK
These treatment methods are still used by folk healers in Turkish folk
culture. People, who are usually from rural areas of country, continue to
prefer traditional treatment methods.
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EXAMPLES FROM TRADITIONAL MEDICINE
PRACTICES IN TURKEY
When talked about Anatolia, “Lokman Healer” came to the front rather
than Shamans. Lokman Healer who is an Islamic type has become the
ancestor of contemporary folk healers from the first period passed to
Islam until now. Lokman Healer is the most popular traditional folk healer
of Anatolia folk culture.
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EXAMPLES FROM TRADITIONAL MEDICINE
PRACTICES IN TURKEY
Lokman Healer, who is one of the healers of the traditional folk medicine,
not only has been engaged with biological diseases, but also has
implemented the healing practices against the sorcery and the evil eye.
In case of biological disease is used drugs made from herbs. Herbalists
(Aktar in Turkish) are persons sold and made those drugs. “Aktar” is a
name given for who sell the herbal and animal products used in drug
making. “Aktar”s are descendants of Lokman Healer in the traditional
folk medicine.
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EXAMPLES FROM TRADITIONAL MEDICINE
PRACTICES IN TURKEY
Traditional folk healers use many methods to heal the diseases and
physical defects. Within these methods, there are a lot of techniques such
as treatment by using the spiritual power, treatment with evacuation of
blood from the body, treatment by sitting in a sacred place, treatment by
injuring the body, treatment with pray, treatment by using the plantbased drugs, treatment by using the animal-based drugs and treatment
by using the mineral-based drugs.
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TREATMENT BY USING THE SPIRITUAL POWER
This method in Turkish is known as
“irvasa”. In this method, there is desire
to benefit from the spiritual power of a
person or object. It is not directly
related to the body. It is one of the
types of treatment with intent to
influence the patients. In old Turkish
tradition wolf, snake and eagle are
powerful creatures feared among
people. And so parts of their body are
regarded as sacred and powerful.
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TREATMENT BY USING THE SPIRITUAL POWER
For example, it has been even made drugs from snake poison. Skull and
bones of wolves, wolf teeth, snake skins, eagle claw are elements with
mystic powerful in this tradition. This is done by tossing something
(sacred elements) over one’s head or shoulders into space.
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TREATMENT BY SHEDDING THE BLOOD FROM BODY
This method called “parpilama” mainly in the Turkish is also known as
‘parpilama’, ‘parpilma’, ‘parpulama’, and ‘parpulma’ in different parts of
Turkey. In this practice, it is aimed the treatment of patient by removing
the contaminated blood from the patient’s body.
It is believed in the traditional folk culture that every human body collects
the contaminated blood in the head or back area. The deposit of this
blood is drained from skin cut with a scalpel or razor. And thus body can
been cleaned from harmful factors.
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TREATMENT BY SITTING IN A SACRED PLACE
Places navigated during the life of a saint regarded as sacred places.
There are a lot of places occurring in this way in different parts of Turkey.
Rocks, trees, fountains and some of the tombs are from these sacred
places. Patients go to these sacred places and expect to get rid of
diseases.
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TREATMENT BY SITTING IN A SACRED PLACE
People also go to these places to make a wish.For example, infertile
women and men, women who want a son, persons who want to be rich
in future, students who want to pass an important examination . All these
people expect the realization of the wishes.
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TREATMENT BY USING THE MINERAL-BASED DRUGS
In addition to these practices, minerals can also be used as a treatment .
Many minerals such as mercury, silver, gold, copper, water were used by
folk healer to heal the patients in the traditional folk medicine.
•Gold and Gold Powder are used in treatment of heel thorn.
•Lime is used to treat hemorrhoid in humans,for tick & flea in animals.
•Salt is used in treatment of wounded and injured people.
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TREATMENT BY USING THE ANIMAL-BASED DRUGS
Some animal-based drugs had been used in treatment of some diseases
some are currently being used. They are:
• Ayran (or buttermilk) is used to treat food poisoning.
• Honey is used in treatment of anorexia, peptic ulcer, infertility,
irregular menstruation, hemorrhoid.
• Dog milk is used in treatment of cataract.
• Rabbit skin is used to treat malaria.
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TREATMENT BY USING THE ANIMAL-BASED DRUGS
It is well-known that the leech has a wide variety of usage in treatment
of diseases. It is also claimed that the leech can absorb contaminated
blood of up to 10 times the weight of itself. This method is still widely
used in Turkey.
Fish therapy: This type of fish found in Sivas county and known as
“healing fish”. This type of healing fishes had been recorded as “Garra
rufa” in Latin by the European Biologist Heckel in 1843 for the first
time.They are currently being used in treatment of atopic dermatitis and
psoriasis.
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TREATMENT BY USING THE PLANT-BASED DRUGS
Anatolia is very rich in plant species and we can not list all the healing
types here. While many of them had been widely used before
conventional medicine had taken place, later the interest in using them as
healer had decreased in time. But, the interest in natural and herbal
treatments has increased in Turkey as well as the rest of the world. The
studies on plants and herbs in Anatolia are still going on.
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TREATMENT BY USING THE PLANT-BASED DRUGS
When talked about some herbal treatments special to Anatolia:
• Thorn apple (Crataegus azarolus) is used in treatment of jaundice.
• Anise (Pimpinella anisum) is used in treatment of gastritis,
hemorrhoids.
• Juniper (Juniperus) is used in treatment of mangy (in humans) and
heart disease.
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TREATMENT BY USING THE PLANT-BASED DRUGS
When talked about some herbal treatments special to Anatolia:
• Barleycorn (Hordeum vulgare) is used in treatment of diarrhea,
hemorrhoids, diabetes, insect bites, obesity, wart (verrü) and sciatica.
• Couch grass (Chiedent, Agropyron repens) is used in treatment of
kidney diseases.
• Mulberry tree (Morus murier) is used in treatment of tooth ache.
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TREATMENT BY USING HEALING WATER
Water is healing, cleansing and purifying. Therefore water has been used
by folk healers. It is known that there are many healing water resources
all around Anatolia. Some of them are drinkable, some others are used as
bath water. Kidney disease, stomach pain, nausea, muscle and skeloton
disease is mainly tried to be healed by this method.
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TREATMENT BY USING HEALING WATER
Also sound of water is listened by patients because it is believed that
there is cure in the sound of water. Mental patients, schizophrenics are
usually treated in this way. We can also come across method of
chemotherapy applying with the sound of water in the past.
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TREATMENT WITH EVACUATION OF BLOOD FROM
THE BODY (CUPPING)
Cupping therapy is an ancient alternative medicine in which a local
suction is created on the skin; practitioners believe this mobilizes blood
flow in order to promote healing. Suction is created using heat (fire) or
nowadays using mechanical devices (hand or electrical pumps). Wet
cupping is known as Hijamah in Anatolia.
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TREATMENT WITH EVACUATION OF BLOOD FROM
THE BODY (CUPPING)
While the history of wet cupping may date
back thousands of years, the first
documented uses are found in the teachings
of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.
According to Muhammad al-Bukhari, Muslim
ibn al-Hajjaj Nishapuri and Ahmad ibn
Hanbal, Muhammad approved of the Hijama
(cupping) treatment.
A
number
of
hadith
support
its
recommendation and use by Muhammad. As
a result, the practice of cupping therapy has
survived in Muslim countries. Today, wet
cupping is a popular remedy practiced in
many parts of the world.
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TREATMENT WITH PRAY
After the adoption of Islam by the people of Anatolia, many psychological
illnesses were treated by the prays. Different methods of praying for
healing has come upto present. One of those methods is to get the sick
person drink prayerful water. Another one is carrying amulet. Touch
healing is also a method while praying.
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TREATMENT AGAINST EVIL EYE
Evil eye (nazar in Turkish) is a very common folk belief which extends to
ancient times. The people of Anatolia associates the health and business
problems with evil eye. Therefore they practises many methods to get rid
of the evil eye effect. The most used one is a kind of amulet called
“nazarlık” which is made of materials from blue stone ,plants, animals or
minerals.
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OTHER THERAPIES
Fever: People drink sage to reduce the fever. Fever also drops down
when applied vinegar on the skin.
Head aches: Cheesecloth or head scarf is wrapped around the head
and squeezed by inserted wooden spoon.
Abdominal pain: People get extra virgin olive oil and black pepper
mixed and apply the mixture on chest and back. Then they wrap the
body with cloth. Heated brick is also used to treat abdominal pain.
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OTHER THERAPIES
Sore, cut and abscess: People wraps egg membrane on the lesion.
Linseed is also applied on the skin. Pine resin and cinnamon mixture is
also used to treat the lesion.
Varicella zoster: Either taken to the Ocaklı or sesame oil is applied.
Warts: People pray on same number of wheat and barley seeds as
much as the number of warts. Or jelly of fig tree is applied on the
warts.
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MUSIC THERAPY
The importance of music providing a
considerable
alternative
medical
option for the modern medicine and
its healing power were known by the
Anatolian Seljuks and the Ottomans
centuries ago. The importance given
to music can be realized by its usage
as a treatment method in medical
institutions.
The art of medicine was attached
importance in Seljuk period, and it is
written in medical books that the
method of treatment with sports as
well as music was also employed in
these institutions.
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MUSIC THERAPY
Anatolia folks expended and practiced
the studies on the effects of music in
darüssifas, old Turkish hospitals, had
their own music bands. In those
institutions, where treatment was free,
there were service classes such as
doctors,
surgeons,
pharmacists,
service group, nurses, imams(prayer
leader),
singers
and
sazendes
(musicians).
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MUSIC THERAPY
The scientific bases regarding the
therapeutic nature of music particularly
in psychological disorders in Islamic
world were first put forward by Kindi
(801-865), Er-Razi (854-932), Farabi
(870-950) and İbni Sina (980-1037),
and they were practiced by Anatolian
Seljuk and Ottoman physicians in
hospitals and improved until the 18th
century.
Er-Razi
recommends
keeping
melancholic patients busy, and doing
this with music and making them listen
to singers with beautiful voice.
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MUSIC THERAPY
Farabi explained the psychological effects of Turkish music
tunes according to the time of the day as some shown below:
tune Hüseyni: effective in the morning
tune Rast: effective when the sun is two-spear-round
tune Buselik: effective in mid-morning
tune Ussak: effective at noon
tune Hejaz: effective in the afternoon
tune Iraqi: effective in late afternoon
tune Esfahan: effective at dusk
tune Neva: effective in the evening
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MUSIC THERAPY
Farabi also specified the effects of Turkish music tunes on
illnesses as some shown below:
tune Esfahan: illumination, boosting intelligence, refreshing
memories
tune Rast: eclampsia and paralysis
tune Zirevkent: backache and arthralgia
tune Rehavi: headache
tune Neva: gynaecological diseases
tune Zengule: heart dieases
tune Hejaz: dysuria
tune Buselik: shoulder and low back pain
tune Ussak: heart, stomach diseases, dysuria and malaria
tune Irak: meningitis and neurological diseases
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MUSIC THERAPY
İbni Sina regarded music as one of the four mathematical sciences
together with geometry, arithmetic and astronomy. İbni Sina stated in
his written work (book) called Kitabül-Sifa that music was one of the
best ways of treatment to boost the mental and spiritual powers of the
patients and to encourage them to fight against the disease.
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MUSIC THERAPY
Music-therapy activities, as training and practises, are still being carried
out by TÜMATA Group in Turkey and abroad as well.
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WORKS AND BOOKS
Some famous medical works and books in the Anatolian History:
Ahmedî : Tervihu'l-Ervah, Müntehab-i Sifa
Haci Pasa : Kitabu'l-Feride, Kitabu's-Saade ve'l-Ikbal, Kitabu't-Ta'lim,
Sifau'l Eskam ve Devau'l-Âlâm, Müntehab-i Sifa
Şeyhî : Kenzu'l-Menafi
Mü'min b. Mukbil : Kitabu't-Tib, Miftahu'n-Nur ve Hazainu's-Surûr
Aksemseddin : Kitabu't-Tib, Maddetu'l-Hayat
Şerafeddin Sabuncuoğlu : Cerrahiye-i Ilhaniye, Mücerrebnâme
Bedr-i Dilsad : Kehhalnâme, Kemalnâme, Muhtasaru't-Tib
Ibn-i Serif : Yadigâr-i Ibn-i Serif
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Some famous medical works and books in the Anatolian History:
Sükrullah Sirvanî : Ilyasiye fi't-Tib
Kaysunîzâde Mehmed : Tıb Mecmuasi
Halimî Lütfullah Efendi : Kasimiyye
Hekimsah Mehmed Kazvinî : Asbabu Sitteti'z-Zaruriyye, Mucez Serhi,
Ahi Çelebi : Risâle-i Hassatu'l-Kilye ve'l-Mesâne, Mucez Tercümesi
Atufî: Hifzu'l-Ebdân, Ravzu'l-Insan fî Tedabir-i Sihhati'l-Ebdân
Nidaî : Baytarnâme : Manzume-i Tib, Menafi'n-Nâs, Tababet-i Beseriye
Takiyüddin Sirazî : Enisu'l-Etibba fi't-Tib
Mehmed Efendi : Menbau'l-Hayat
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