Traditions of the County of Miyandoab (Goshachay), in the South of the West Azerbaijan Province of Iran

Abstract

The rituals, traditions and customs of a nation are constituent elements of its society’s culture. A variety of rituals and traditions is the measure of the society’s cultural wealth. Traditions lay the foundations of society and constitute its distinctive features. The way that culture preserves and renews itself, or that societies unite within the framework of a single cultural structure and interact with each other, how this interaction is effected, and its parameters, are the basis of a proper recognition and study of a cultured society. Various aspects of Turkic society were considered from this concept in different regions. Although Turkic communities in Iran have recently attracted the attention of researchers, no comprehensive study has yet been conducted of Iranian Turks. Iran, a key factor in Turkology, requires basic research. For this inadequately studied region of Iran, the collection of factual material was given immediate priority. For this purpose, a study was conducted in the county of Miyandoab, situated in the south of the West Azerbaijan province of Iran and having the Turkic name Goshachay. To collect material, we conducted field research by observation and conversation.

The Miyandoab Plain is a vast agricultural area. Since this is a very wide, flat plain and climatic conditions are convenient, local residents communicate easily with each other. The Turkic population lives compactly in this area. However, due to the proximity of the province of Kurdistan and the county of Bukan, in particular the proximity of some Kurdish villages to Bukan county, Turkic-Kurdish relations are possible in this region. Consequently, this may lead to a mutual influence of traditions. In Iran, Persian culture and traditions are now imposed by the media as a superior culture. As a result, Turkic culture and traditions are influenced by Persian culture and traditions.

The material collected in the city of Miyandoab reflects the traditions associated with wedding ceremonies, holidays, funerals, births and visits. In addition, beliefs prevalent in the region were recorded. In rare cases, modern forms of tradition were compared with those of former times.