Belen Mill

Belen Mill is one of the most touristic attractions in Mugla. It is restored by Mugla Governorship to provide for attracting visitors and tourists.

Belen Mill is one of the most touristic attractions in Mugla. It is restored by Mugla Governorship to provide for attracting visitors and tourists. The sculptures of Tahir Erdinc and his wife are exhibited in the Mill. He is known as ‘Kemancı Tahir’ (Violinist Tahir), the composer of famous Turkish folk song ‘Ormancı’ (means ‘Forester’ in English).

150 years of historical background of Belen Mill, preserving the traces of the past comes out when the historical water mill at Gevenes Village is restored and shows of its originality. The village house next to the mill is open to visitors after being renovated.

Belen Mill and Kemancı Tahir are of the most important historical and cultural values in Gevenes Village, Yatagan. He used to work in the mill and was a composer. He set up his first musical orchestra in Mugla. He trained those who were not interested in music and made musical groups. Belen Mill is now a museum for the exhibition of his art which has great historical value.

Ormancı Folk Song: Lyrics and the story

A forest fire breaks out near Gevenes and Kozağaç villages of Muğla (a

province of Turkey) in 1946. Tevfik Cezayir, mukhtar (head of a village) of

Gevenes village, is playing draughts with his friend Mustafa Şahbudak in

Belen Café in the village. In the mean time, Mehmet İn, Ormancı (The

Forester), who is responsible for guarding forests, comes to the café to ask for

help from Tevfik to extinguish the fire. But, mukhtar says that he is not able to

help him in extinguishing the fire since there is no one else. Hereupon,

Ormancı becomes very angry, with effect of alcohol he drank, and breaks the

draughts table down. Mustafa says to Ormancı: “you are drunk, get out of

here.” Ormancı becomes angrier and kicks the table again. Then they start to

argue and Mustafa slaps in the face of the forester. Ormancı loses his temper

and draws a knife, then wounds Mustafa on his arm. In response, Mustafa

draws his gun and Tevfik slumps down on ground in a pool of blood while

trying to prevent Mustafa from shooting at Ormancı. Mustafa shoots at

Ormancı and wounds his heel and hip. Villagers cool Mustafa off and take

Tevfik to hospital. Despite all efforts, doctors are unable to keep him alive and

he dies of blood lose. Death of Tevfik, a loved mukhtar in his village, leaves

villagers in a great sorrow.

The villagers lament after this tragic event, and Tahir Erdinç, one of the

villagers and a violin player, elegises the folk song Ormancı (The Forester).

Today, this song is usually sung in daily life, weddings and in musical

meetings around Muğla. The Ormancı folk song is a popular song all over the

Turkey, especially in Western Anatolia, and it is sung by many people in many

different environments.

Belen Café, place of this tragic incident, is restored between 2001-2006 by

Hüseyin Aksoy, governor of Muğla and Ormancı fork song and the tragic

incident is kept alive in memories by this way. The Cafe is a symbol in te

cuture of the region. (Mehmet Ali Eren, Öyküleriyle Muğla Türküleri (Muğla

Folk Songs with Their Stories, Muğla, 2003, pp.53-54)

Belen Café

Ormancı

Çıktım Belen kahvesine baktım ovaya

Bay Mustafa çağırdı dama oynamaya

Ormancı da gelir gelmez yıkar masaya

Söz anlamaz ormancı çekmiş kafaya

Aman Ormancı canım Ormancı

Köyümüze bıraktın yoktan bir acı

Gevenes’in suları hoştur içmeye

İçinde köprüsü var gelip geçmeye

Yiğitleri vurdular hiç mi hiçine

Yazık ettin Ormancı köyün iki genci

Aman Ormancı canım Ormancı

Köyümüze bıraktın yoktan bir acı

Gevenes’in ortasında değirmen döner

Değirmenin suları dağından iner

Ormancıya atılan kurşun Tevfiğe değer

Tevfiğimin acıları yürekler deler

Aman Ormancı canım Ormancı

Köyümüze bıraktın yoktan bir acı

Forester

I rode up to Belen Café and watched the plain

Mr. Mustafa asked me to play draughts with him

Ormancı breaks the table down as soon as he comes

He is drunk and listens to no one

Oh! Ormancı dear Ormancı

You left the village in great sorrow

Water in Gevenes is good to drink

Water in Gevenes is good to drink

There is a bridge in it to cross

Heros were shoot for nothing

You ruined lives of two youngsters of the village

Oh! Ormancı dear Ormancı

You left the village in great sorrow

There is a mill in the middle of our village

And water for it, comes from the mountains

The gun drawn for Ormancı, kills Tevfik

Death of Tevfik hurts so bad in my heart

Oh! Ormancı dear Ormancı

You left the village in great sorrow

HACETTEPE ÜNİVERSİTESİ

Geleneksel Müzik Kültürü Araştırma ve Uygulama Merkezi

Center for Traditional Musical Culture

(HÜGEM)

Gülay MİRZAOĞLU

42nd International Ballad Conference Coordinator

Zehra KADERLİ

42nd International Ballad Conference Assistant Coordinator

Gevenes, Tevfik Cezayir, mukhtar, Mustafa Şahbudak, Mehmet İn, ormancı, Forester, Muğla, Belen, Café, Mill, Tahir Erdinc, violin player ,folk, song

Gevenes, Tevfik Cezayir, mukhtar, Mustafa Şahbudak, Mehmet İn, ormancı, Forester, Muğla, Belen, Café, Mill, Tahir Erdinc, violin player ,folk, song

Gevenes, Tevfik Cezayir, mukhtar, Mustafa Şahbudak, Mehmet İn, ormancı, Forester, Muğla, Belen, Café, Mill, Tahir Erdinc, violin player ,folk, song

Gevenes, Tevfik Cezayir, mukhtar, Mustafa Şahbudak, Mehmet İn, ormancı, Forester, Muğla, Belen, Café, Mill, Tahir Erdinc, violin player ,folk, song

Gevenes, Tevfik Cezayir, mukhtar, Mustafa Şahbudak, Mehmet İn, ormancı, Forester, Muğla, Belen, Café, Mill, Tahir Erdinc, violin player ,folk, song

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