Short Summary of Book "Rengigül"

Rengigül Hanım is my mother’s beloved paternal grandmother.

Her name was Belma. 
She was born in Caucasus in 1858 as a member of a wealthy family.

155 years ago, when Belma was six years old, her parents were killed in the Circassian Exile (1864). She was the only child.

Circassian Exile was known as the biggest exile in the world history. The victims migrated to many places over the world.

Belma went to Istanbul (which was the capital of the Ottoman Empire) together with her mother’s brother.

In Istanbul, Ulema Tayfur Bey’s wife decided to adopt a girl so that she would be a sister but also a friend to her only son named Nazım.

Belma and her uncle in Tayfur Bey’s Mansion.

Lady looked at Belma and asked her uncle:

“What is her name?”

“Her name is Belma.”

“Oh… what a beautiful, noble, little girl. Her cheeks blush like a rose. I must give her a new name. I call you Rengigül, my dear child.” said the lady and loved her very much.

After that day, her uncle had to leave Istanbul, because no one could stay in the city of İstanbul (Şehr-i Saadet means City of Felicity) without passport according to the Ottoman rules.

Day by day…

Rengigül (Belma) forgot her own language. She grew up as a lady, together with Nazım either in winter house or in summer mansion (Konak) in Prince Island. She learned Turkish (with Istanbul accent) language, Turkish music, how to act in/live by the protocol.

“Konak” was named as “Tayfur Bey Konağı, Aksaray” and the life style was parallel to “Saray”, the Palace of the Ottoman Empire.

One of the members of the big “Konak” family, who was Caucasian from her mother’s side, gave Rengigül an elegant, surprising present: A pair of pearl earrings with rose (gül) design from Paris.

Her favorite music composers were Hacı Arif Bey, Dede Efendi…

Nazım Bey decided to marry a young lady because they were brought up like a sister and brother but young Lady was jealous.

Rengigül married Hacı Ahmet Efendi who was the exporter of wheat (from England and France) owner of 6 big villages, a wheat mill, and mayor of the city Afyon, which means Land of Opium. He was Sufi, and the promoter of Sultan Divani Afyon Mawlawi House. His family tree came from Karamanoğlu Beylik.

Hacı Ahmet Efendi was very found of ”Hisar Buselik Makamı” which is “Gönül Makamı” (Love-Soul Mode).

In 1900, Rengigül gave birth to a baby boy called Haydar as it means Lion. He completed his education in Afyon and Istanbul.

Nazım Bey had an education in law, became the mayor of the Ottoman cities, and reported to Sultan Abdul Hamid II.

When he was the Minister of Law in 1909, Nazım Pasha was killed accidently in the Court.

Rengigül and Hacı Ahmet Efendi were very sorry to hear that. Because Nazım Bey was her “pasha-brother”. That moment, Rengigül suddenly remembered her mother and father’s passing away.

This was a milestone for the Ottoman Empire.

Sultan Abdulhamid II himself was sent to exile in Salonica (Alatini Mension). His brother Mehmed V Reşad became the Sultan.

Between 1912 and 1916 Hacı Ahmet Efendi became the member of the Parliament of Sultan Reşad. According to his broad vision, Hacı Ahmet Efendi didn’t like the political situation of Istanbul and he decided to return to Afyon with his family. He passed away in 1916 when he was 63.

Under the black-grey shadows of the Days of World War I…

Hacı Ahmet Efendi’s Summer (Haremlik - Selamlık houses, pool, wineyards) and Winter Residences became the Private Military Headquarters of the Greek Commander N. Trikoupis during the Turkish War of Independence.

After World War I, Commander Mustafa Kemal became the founder of Republic of Turkey.

Full of sad, tragicomic extreme war stories…

Rengigül Hanım’s son Haydar Bey thought that people need to be entertained in early twenties, so he became the first entrepreneur and owner of cinema, and supported music companies, artists and musicians. He examined if a young musician had a fine ear for music. For example:

He asked “Tell me what is this mode (makam)?“ several times and also taught the young relations.

He became the first managerial entrepreneur of the Fine Dining Restaurant at the Station (called “Gar Lokantası”) for 19 years, during day and at night. (Trains arrived in the middle of the night) He had a huge ranch, with a thermal inside it in Afyon.

In 1931, he married Bahriye Hanım, a beautiful young lady who loved and played Charleton dance well. Her mother Seher Hanım was born in Istanbul, Balat. Her family had come from Caucasus Exile. Seher Hanım was the first woman council member of Akçakoca in 1935. Her father Tayyip Bey was the first deputy engineer of the Ministry of Forestry.

Bahriye Hanım’s elder sister Nevzat Hanım was a fashion tailor/designer in Istanbul (My grandmother - father side) She played ud together with my grandfather Eyüp Bey.

Their young brother Saffet Ural, is a painter and photographer (He took 350,000 photos in his professional life and he is the father of my husband Ersin Ural.) Ersin did a very difficult job for the Book Rengigül. He examined and searched approximately 5,000 family photos and scanned the selected 500 for the book Rengigül.

Rengigül Hanım’s and Hacı Ahmet Efendi’s beloved grandson Bedri Bey married Bedia Hanım who was the daughter of Sami Atam. Sami Bey was my mother’s grandfather. He was the commander of the Ottoman Army and 12 years older than Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, as in the father side of Atatürk’s family tree and studied at the same Military School.

Another Exile in history: Thessaloniki Exile.

My father Prof. Dr. Faik Yaltırık was the first Turkish botanist who had his doctorate in Edinburgh and assisted in writing of “Flora of Turkey and the Aegean Islands“ in the Royal Botanic Garden. He was the member of “Academia Italiana Di Science Forostali”. Some new species were given his surname like “Centaurea yaltirikii”.

In addition to these characters, so many side characters in this book.

One is Pembe Hatun who lived in Egypt, River Nile who was in the Kavalalı Mehmet Ali Pasha’s Harem. She fell in love with my mother’s grand grand-grandfather: “The Love Story of Pembe Hatun”

This is short simple summary of the Book Rengigül.

The concept of this book is the lifestyle of our big family tree. Actually, roots in an elegant style. My style of literature is like colors of a rainbow as I am writing “First Loves” and “First Nights” within a history of 150 years. Therefore, the music of the Book Rengigül may be based on five main cultures, but in harmony “to be one”.

“Ol”mak (being, becoming) in Turkish Sufi philosophy means becoming a mature, sophisticated, refined person with tolerance.

1. Caucasus / Dances and the skirt pattern is like whirling dervishes

2. Ottoman – Istanbul

3. Karamanoğlu - Hisar Buselik

4. Mevlevihane (Mawlawi House)

5. Selanik (Thessaloniki)

Rengigül Hanım’s Caucasus dances’ and her husband Hacı Ahmet Efendi’s Mawlawi Dervishes’ waves of skirts are just like the “waves of our lives”. Rengigül Hanım never argued, never wailed, never shouted loudly and never screamed.

Haydar Bey (and also Atatürk and his cousin Sami Bey) loved to listen to Münir Nurettin Selçuk, Saadettin Kaynak, Mustafa Nafiz, Afitap, Yesarî Asım Arsoy, Hamiyet Yüceses, Safiye Ayla, Müzeyyen Senar and Selahattin Pınar. Hamiyet Yüceses was the most popular singer in 30’s Turkey. She staged first at Haydar Bey’s Cinema Hall (Historical Place) and she stayed at his house.

When I was born, Haydar Bey whispered his beloved mother’s name Rengigül to my ear three times and he prayed. This is the Islamic tradition:

“Long live my child. I put you in my mother’s place in my soul.”

He was the member of City Club. In March 1963, he visited every friend and said:

“Now I’m 63. Our beloved prophet Muhammed passed away when he was 63. My beloved father passed away when he was 63. I’m 63 now. “Hakkınızı helal edin” (Give me your blessings).

It means “If I have done something wrong in my life, please forgive me”. They said “Helal olsun.” (Bless you) in return. It means “I forgive you, too.”

On May 19, 1963, he passed away.

Their Life Like;

Vivaldi “Four Seasons” but Mussorgsky “Night on bald mountain”.
Eric Satie inities, 88 -GNOSSIENNE No.1”,
Tosca. “E lucevan le stelle...”in it.

Traditional life in Modern style.
Their Dinner Flower – Dainthus tros, “heavenly flower".

“A gravestone may disappear, but a song does not”

RENGİGÜL URAL RE BOOKS ARTS YAYINEVİ 
Kuruluş Tarihi : 15 Kasım 2017 Çarşamba 
Ticaret Odası : İSTANBUL TİCARET ODASI

Müzik: II. Mahmud - Hisarbuselik Şarkı [ Sultan Bestekarlar © 1999 Kalan Müzik ]