ATA TARZIBASHI AND THE EPIC “ARZU-GAMBAR”

Abstract

Ata Tarzibashi has a special place in the collection, research and publication of Iraq-Turkmen folklore. The collection and publication of Turkmen folk examples, the epic "Arzu-Gambar", proverbs and sayings, folk songs, etc. are directly related with the name of Ata Tarzibashi. His books such as three-volume "Khoirats and manis of Kirkuk", "Songs and melodies", "Kirkuk old words" and others are distinguished by the richness of the collection materials. In the three-volume collection more than 2,000 songs with and without jinas‖ clearly shows the scale of the done work. In addition to collection materials Ata Tarzibashi‘s books contain his theoretical views on various genres of Kirkuk folklore, which allows us to evaluate him as a folklorist-scientist. Ata Tarzibashi is considered the first collector and publisher of the Kirkuk version of the epic "Arzu-Gambar" in the first volume of three volumes. The version collected by him was published for the first time in Baghdad in 1964 and later appeared many times in Turkey and Baku.