Aşık Sümmani

Aşık Sümmani (1861–1915) was an Aşık, a singer who performed with a lute, from Narman, Erzurum Province, Ottoman Empire. His name Sümmani means "the last one" or "the one who completes", as well as "a very hard rock stone".

Sümmani's works encompass a wide range of forms, from the hece form- kosma, semai, and destan- to works in aruz form- divani, musammat, gazel, and müstezat.

According to legend, Sümmani was once in love with Gülperi, a princess of the legendary land of Badesah, possibly in current Uzbekistan. He supposedly searched for her all his life.

Sümmani himself stated:

"Sebavetten beri bir yol gözlerim." ("From early morning, from my childhood, I am looking at this special path.")

"El zanneder uzaklarda kalan var." ("But the others think there is (a beauty) somewhere in the far distance waiting.")

External links

• Hüseyin Sümmanioglu (grandchild of Asik Sümmani) performing a poem of Asik Sümmani in 'semai'-form on YouTube
• Sümmani'nin Hayati ve Tavri, Istanbul Teknik Üniverstesi (UT Istanbul), Master thesis of Emsal Günaydin, 08.06.1998/23.06.1998, signed: Doc. Senal Önaldi, Prof. Dr. Selahadin Icli, Doc. Fikret Degerli