Every bayram, whether it is Eid-ul Fitr or Eid-ul Adha, which is today, Muslims in the mosques sing a simple hymn after the bayram prayer in the morning hours. The simplicity of the hymn comes from its lyrics, which are just "God is great" and "There is no god but God." At the same time, as can be heard in the video above, its musical composition is not simple; it's short, but sublimely artistic and mystically enchanting.
The person who fantastically composed these Quranic verses is Buhurizade Mustafa Itri Efendi (1640-1711), or just simply, Itri. Probably as the best Turkish musician ever, Itri is still regarded as the "Ottoman Bach." In the 17th century, he, who belongs to the Mevlevi Order, institutionalized the classical Turkish music. The bayram song, which is also called the "Segah Kurban Bayrami Tekbiri" or the Sultanate Hymn, is just one of his remarkable pieces.
Itri was actually a florist and a calligrapher, but also a musical genius. He was studying music not only throughout the Ottoman lands from Bosnia to Yemen and from Tunisia to Azerbaijan, but also in Central Europe. Sultan Mehmed IV finally banned him from visiting foreign countries. Instead, he was given the opportunity to be the general administrator for prisoners of war; so that he can interview them and learn about the music in different countries.
Once, an Ottoman delegation was visiting a European country. During a royal feast, each guest around the table was singing his/her national -or imperial- anthem. Knowing that the Ottoman Empire had no official anthem, the Ottoman delegation started to sing Itri's bayram hymn. It is said that the host and other guests admired it so much that the delegation had to sing the short piece over and over again.
This morning, the same hymn has been sung by millions of Muslims in Turkey and other countries in the Middle East, which was ruled by the Ottomans in the past.
Let's finish it off with the verses of Yahya Kemal:
"Our fathers were calling Itri the Great
As the master of our genuine music
He was the one who mobilized masses
He was the master of the dawn
While the sky of many bayram mornings
Was being filled by the cannon shots
He was the one who sang the Sultanate Hymn."
100 Turkish lira banknote, which is due to be in circulation from 2009 on,
will feature Itri's face on its back.
I believe that this is not an appropriate tribute to his heritage. In fact, it is an insult.
