On the Legendary Motifs in the Menakıpname About Sarı Saltuk and Seyyid Ali Sultan Who Played Role in the Balkan Conquest

The veterans and dervishes played a major role in the Ottoman Empire’s conquest and settlement of the Balkans, as well as the settlement policy’s success. They were effective in the regulation of economic, religious, social and cultural life. Sarı Saltuk and Seyyid Ali Sultan are among the best known. Dervishes influenced the people both in the period they lived and in the following periods, and became role models for the people with their services in the Balkans regardless of language and religion, with their good morals and miracles. By building a bridge between the past and the future, they gained a legendary identity and personality thus their Menakıpnames appeared. Menakıpnames are the story of the Balkan conquest and the spread of the Turkish-Islamic culture in these regions, as well as the biographies that exaggerate the lives of the veterans-dervishes. In this context, this study seeks to answer following questions: Who are Sarı Saltuk and Seyyid Ali Sultan? What are the general characteristics of Sarı Saltuk and Seyyid Ali Sultan Menakıpnames? What are the legendary motifs in their Menakıpnames? To what extent do these Menakıpnames shed light on the Balkans becoming a part of Ottoman culture and civilization? The common mythical elements and miracle motifs in the Menakıpnames of Sarı Saltuk and Seyyid Ali Sultan, such as dream, wooden sword, walking on water, and extracting water from soil or stone were examined by quoting from the related texts. The examples of these legendary elements in pre-Islamic old Turkish beliefs and epics, Islamic culture and Islamic Turkish epics and Bektashi legends were presented comparatively, and the similarities between them were emphasized.Keywords: Legendary, Bektashism, Dervish, Dervish Lodge, Menakıpname, Keramat, Balkans.