Bakacak Village: Alevi Music and Cem Traditions

Bakacak Village is associated with Alevi ocaks, Cem rituals, and a diverse musical tradition. The cultural context also includes the village’s former name, Seyithasan, and its administrative history. The village’s history explains the name change; the Cem music can be explored through its various forms and specific titles.

Bakacak and its former name, Seyithasan

Bakacak was formerly also known as Seyithasan. In 1932, the district administrative center was moved to Bismil; afterward, the village lost administrative importance. If you encounter Seyithasan in a cultural context, it refers to Bakacak. The former name also appears in Aziz Güçlü’s biography: he was born in 1951 in the village of Seyithasan (Bakacak).

Alevi ocaks in Bakacak

The İmam-Zeynelâbidîn Ocak, the Sarı-Saltık Ocak, and the Zelil-Kalender Ocak are among those mentioned in Seyithasan (Bakacak). The Zelil Kalender Ocak and the İbrahim Halilullah-Çoban Alo Ocak are among the significant Alevi ocaks in Bakacak. According to one account, a family belonging to the İmam-Zeynel-Abidin Ocak is said to have moved from the village of Kısas in Şanlıurfa at the beginning of the 20th century.

Cem ceremonies and musical forms

A description published in 2015 distinguishes between two types of Cem ceremonies in Bakacak’s Zeynel-Abidin Ocak: Sorgu Cemleri, or Hak Cemleri, and Muhabbet Cemleri. Other Cem ceremonies mentioned in Bakacak include Bayram Cemleri, Mihman Cemleri, and Muharrem Cemleri. Musical forms within the Cem traditions include Demeler, Dûvaz-ı İmamlar, Semahlar, and Mersiyeler.

In Bakacak, lament songs are called Matem-i Hüseyin, or simply Matem. The Mersiyeler sung at Muharrem Cems are particularly known there as Aşürleme. The Nefes melodies from Bakacak are mostly anonymous and have locally distinctive characteristics. Nefes collected and performed in the region generally show characteristics of the Uşşak, Hüseyni, and Gerdaniye makam scale patterns. This makes it possible to distinguish local terms from the musical forms described across the wider region.

Specific examples from the musical tradition

Fieldwork conducted in 2012 documented seven Deme examples in the Zeynel-Abidin Ocak: “Ali Gibi Er Gelmedi Cihana,” “Ey Erenler Kimse Şaha Gidemez,” “Ezel Meclisinde Kırklar Ceminde,” “Girdab-ı Gamdayım Şah Ali Merdan,” “Gel Gönül Yiyip İçelim,” “Dün Gece Bir Şehre Vardım,” and “Ezel Bahar Gelmeyince.” Three Dûvaz-ı-İmam examples were also recorded: “Muhammed Mustafa Ya Şah-ı Merdan,” “Hata Ettim Hüda Suçum Bağışla,” and “Şükür Ettim Niyaz Kıldım.” “Seyithasan Semahı” was recorded as a Semah. These examples illustrate the variety of the forms mentioned through individual titles.

Aziz Güçlü and the village’s traditions

Aziz Güçlü attended primary school in Bakacak and spent his childhood and youth there. He grew up in an environment where the Âşıklık and Zâkirlik traditions were actively maintained as part of the Alevi faith and Cem rituals. His biography connects the village with these traditions and adds a personal dimension to its history. For travelers interested in Alevi culture and its music, Bakacak offers a clear cultural focus.

Discover more destinations: Ergani, Silvan, Demirli, Güllük, Karaağaç, Karasungur/Diyarbakır, Dicle, Yokuşlu Village.

For the main travel overview: Diyarbakir.