Why do Turks assign colors to directions?

Why do Turks assign colors to directions?

Altaic Tai, knows Turkish

Updated Wed

Ancient Turks they were alone tied with the feet of their horses(flying with their horses). They would think as it was in the void, hung between the swollen earth and the azure sky( Their head in the sky). The only thing that exhausted their mind and filled their heart was the everlasting blue that covers them(Infinite sky). The single color and the single dome of the infinite sky were an important reason that united their thoughts and directed them to a single purpose. Just like the dome eternal blue sky and the house (Yurts)that gathered his family under his own presidency.
The head of the family under the house (Yurt) and a Turkish khan under the blue dome. Of course, this infinite and blue dome, the sun, moon and stars circulating on the earth . it would be an owner and the rightful. He(Tengri) created everything, and He gave the creatures and the waters so that the creatures would live.[1]

In ancient Turkish culture, directions and direction of the world are very important. Particularly in pre-Islamic times, separating the world into four main directions is a reflection of the traditional religious beliefs of the Turkic tengrism. because of the nomadic life world had to be meaningful. [2]

Best way to describe with it is with the colors.

Doğu = East , Blue,Green

The east, where the sun rises, has been the most important and blessed aspect of the Turks. Because in ancient Turks the Sun is the symbol of the East, most of the idioms used to say the directions are always related to the Sun. For example, “Gün doğusu-sun rises ”, “Gün batısı- sunset” still used by Turkish and other Turkic people today. [3]

The fact that the ancient Turks turned their faces towards the sunrise shows the universality of Turkish contemplation before Islam. Because the sun symbolizes greatness and eternity. sun also embraces and surrounds the world. The Turks, who acted from this idea, should have wanted to surround the world, like the sun, by turning their faces to the east. [4]

Another indication of the importance of the ancient Turks to the east is that all the houses, tents and even the tents on the car are facing east [5]

nazar boncuğu (note center of the dot should be blue)

correct : nazar boncuğu blue represents good spirits. watching like eye…

Güney = South, Red

South is the second important direction after the east. It was a direction in which the sun is wandering(northern hemisphere). According to the Turks, Güney(South) is the center of this circle drawn by the sun. For this reason, the Turks called the south “kün-Ortası” or “Mid-day”.[6]

After sunrise it draws as semicircle and then sets. When the sun is in the middle of this semicircle, the time has come to noon. At the same time, the sun stands in the south and points to the south. that way the Turks found this direction from the astronomical thinking.

kygyz yurt , center above hole for sun… which also represents their flag.

The value of the south is clearly seen in the Yakut Turks. The Yakut had to migrate from the south to the north in an unknown age , were they forced to live a poor life in the tundra of Siberia near the Arctic Sea. For this reason, the Yakut, longing for the old homes of the south have never lost, To them the most blessed directions is the east. But the south has a great importance as well as the east. As a matter of fact, they reflected their longings in their lives and put the “Töre ” Honored side in their tents to the southern side.[7]

so if Blue represents Tengri (GOD).then the Turk color flag should be second most important red color.. that’s why Turkic or many Turkic tribes use red color for their daily lifestyle.

Batı = West , white

The third direction named according to the movement of the sun is west. The West was called “Kün batısı” by the ancient Turks.

The Turks turned their faces to the sun because they and directed the world. behind them is the west For this reason, the phrase BATI is used for the west in all Turkish tribes. [7]

According to the beliefs of the old Turks, life after death will be lived again in the west. The fact that the sun sets from the west every day gives rise to the idea that in believing . if you look at the sky in northern hemisphere clouds move west to east.

world wind direction. turkic original location close to EUROASIA

Kuzey = North, black

The most important feature that separates the north from the south, which is the symbol of night and darkness in the Turks, is related to the sun taking in that place. Therefore, the Turks called the north where the sun did not fall. cold place such as some Turkish called KUZ, kuz, yırı (northern area, less sunny place) and güney,beri (southern area , place were gets more sunlight)[8]

black sometimes used as negetive words in turkic langauge such as

badnews= kara[black]haber[news],

severe winter= kara[black] kış[winter],

illiterate= kara [black]cahil[uneducated] etc.

Turkish map

Kara Deniz BLACK sea , Ak Deniz White sea Kızıl Deniz Red Sea Gök deniz Blue sea

SARI= Center -Yellow

Expressing the dominance and power of the center, yellow was one of the colors commonly used by Turks in history. This understanding seems to have originated from Tengrism , between the swollen earth and the azure sky is the GOLD ground. Golds as , family And the steppes where Turks lived …

famous Turkic migration. Turkic people emerged from Altai area Altai means (GOLD-mountain )

Most of Turkic tiles represent similar colors .. main cardinal direction colors.

[1]Bahaeddin Ögel- Kültürünün Gelişme Çağları
[2]brahim Kafesoğlu, Türk Milli Kültürü, Ötüken, İstanbul 1997, s. 48
[3] Muharrem Ergin, Orhun Abideleri, 14. Baskı, Boğaziçi Yayınları, İstanbul 1991, s. 87.
[4]Bkz. JeanPaul Roux, Türklerin ve Moğolların Eski Dini, çeviren Aykut Kazancıgil, İşaret yay., İstanbul 1994, s. 104.
[5]Bkz. Ögel, a.e., I, S. 433.

[6] Bkz. Kafesoğlu, Türk Bozkır Kültürü, s. 437.
[7] Bkz. Ögel, Türk Kültür Tarihine Giriş, I, s. 440.
[7]Krş. Von Gabin, a.g.m., Türkoloji Dergisi, III, s. 108.
[8]Ögel, Türk Kültür tarihine Giriş, I, s. 442.