In Tengrism, the belief of the ancient Turks and Mongols, and the indigenous beliefs of North America, there is also the "tree of the Worlds", which is believed to stand at the center of the world and unite the heavens and the earth. Traces of tree worship have been preserved until the Oghuzs: Beliefs similar to the belief in the sacred "Evliya Tree", called "Mr. Terek", "Temir Kavak", or "Tree of Life", can be found not only in Turkish mythology but also in all world mythologies.

Symbolic Meanings

When we look at the Turkish ethnic-cultural tradition, the tree myth, which has an important place, is shown as one of the main motifs of the reason for its creation in Turkish thought. According to this idea, the first man was created under a nine-knotted tree. In Turkish mythology, "Evliya Agac" is the way to reach God. According to the belief, the gaze of some sacred trees, like the lofty mountains, rises too high to be seen with the naked eye and reaches the light-filled realm of heaven, which is thought to be in the sky. Heaven is turned into the visible side of the Great God. Thus, "Evliya Great Tree" has become the symbol of God's divine attributes on the material earth in Turkish thought, in other words, it symbolized it. The tree also symbolizes the bond of people with each other and nature with people in the traditional worldviews of Turkish peoples.

The Sacred Trees of Saints, which symbolize God, have many features in terms of their compatibility with the definition in Turkish mythology; These trees are unique and unique, symbolizing immortality and being a place of refuge. These features are also the features of the "Great Sky God". Therefore, the tree was considered sacred and cutting it was considered a sin. Like God Mountain, "Evliya Agac" represents God in theism of Turkish mythology.

In Turkish peoples, there are traditions known as "frightening the tree" for the trees to be fertile or for the trees that did not produce fruit for a few years. The interpretation of seeing a blossoming tree in sleep as a sign of a child coming to the world, and seeing a fallen tree as a sign of death is a product of ancient beliefs attached to trees. According to the mythological belief, there is a tree in the afterlife, every leaf of which belongs to a person on this earth; A person dies when the leaf turns yellow and falls to the ground. In the nights of power, it is believed that the waters stop and the trees go into prostration.

Historical Origins

It shows that in the eyes of the Turks, the Great Tree has the divine attributes of God. It was the tree that fell into the sleep of Osman Gazi, the founder of the Ottoman State, and told how far his dominion would extend, that spread branches and knots, and the shadow of its knots covered all four sides.

The tree motif in Sayan Altay folk culture is related to the owner motif. Here, the tree is where the Great Mother lives and gives milk to the heroes from her breast. The elders of the Khakas see the expression of the power connected with the ancestral realm in the underworld in the roots of the beech tree. It is also very common for Turkish peoples to refer to the great trees with the names of saints. Lonely trees occupied an important place in mythological beliefs, probably because they symbolized the oneness of God.

Names such as “World Tree”, “Shaman Tree”, “Mr. Terek” are found in literatures about the mythology of “Evliya Ağaç”. “Tree of Life” in the mythology of the peoples of the world; “Mr Kayink” in Altai Turkish mythology; In some stories, the names "Tamir Terek" are mentioned.

The roots of this tree, which rises from the middle of the world, go underground, and its branches rise to the top of the world mountain. Thus, this sacred tree connects all three layers of the world - the heaven, the earth and the underworld.

The tree that the shamanist Turks consider the most sacred is the beech tree. This tree, which is called "Mr. Beech" because it is considered sacred, takes place in all shamanic rites. Beech, which is a tree motif, was an important element in shamanic rites, births, weddings and holidays in Altai. The lives of ancestors were connected with this tree. According to the belief of Altai shamans, when humans were created, the first beech tree fell to the ground with Mother Umay. The tree that fed and raised the shaman was called the Search Tree. According to the Yakuts, it is on the top floor of the sky and is the door of the sky opening to the ground. At the top of the World Tree, which connects the earth and the sky, a two-headed eagle has built its nest. The duty of this eagle is to protect the heavens.

Source https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/A%C4%9Fa%C3%A7_inanc%C4%B1 

Tree of Life in Turkish Tradition

 In Turkish communities, the tree of life is known by names such as Ulukayın, Bayterek and Aal Luuk Mas.

In Yakut and Altai Turks, the tree of life is also called the World Tree. According to the old Turkish tradition, this is a tree that connects the Earth from its middle (navel) to the beyond-realm and to the Iron-Pile Star (Pole Star), allowing shamans to travel from the earth to the higher realms through its branches. It is also called Iron Tree.

According to the shamanistic tradition, the Earth is in contact with the "navel of the sky" through this tree and is nourished by this tree. Just as the umbilical cord is of vital importance for a baby in the womb, this communication channel is equally important for the earth.

Sourcehttps://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ya%C5%9Fam_a%C4%9Fac%C4%B1 

Tree Belief in Turks