No matter in which part of the world we were born and in which culture we were brought up, the person with whom a person establishes the most special bonds from birth to death is his mother. This cycle, which is first formed by a physical bond, connects the mother and her child with these deep bonds that only mothers can understand in the first breath of the person, even before the child is born. In this article, we will go into the depths of history and explain the concept of motherhood not only with its relationship with the child, but also as a historical phenomenon that we must protect.

 

Being a mother is not just about meeting a child's needs and taking care of his/her development. Mother is the first person in the life of the child who allows him to discover himself as a unique individual. Being a mother beyond being a social status; sometimes to be a friend, sometimes to be a teacher, and sometimes to be a lover who can never leave.

 

Valuing and glorifying women is the essence of Turkish Culture.

 

The mother is also a woman. When we look historically, we can show many examples that will show the value given to women in Turkish Culture. E.g; The expression "God raised my father İl-Teriş Kağan and my mother İl-Bilge Hatun so that the Turkish Nation would not perish" in the Bilge Kagan inscription shows how high the political and social value of women is in Turkish culture. Mother in Turkish Culture (Anatolian phrase); It is the natural representative of labor, warmth, friendship, peace, patience and self-sacrifice in society. We have composed many songs and folk songs to show our gratitude, love and longing for them. They become a road map for us with idioms and proverbs that we know by heart.

 

In the Orkhon inscriptions, the cult of Mother Umay is mentioned, which protects Kül Tigin until he reaches adulthood, and is the protector of children, mothers and the family hearth. Umay Ana, known as the Female Goddess or Female Deity, appears when a child is born and puts a drop from the Milk Lake in the heavens on the lips of the child, thus protecting the mother and child for three days. The child's smile means that Umay is with the child. Anatolian people call this event 'Child talks to angels'. Umay, whose equivalent in Turkish mythology is "Ece" meaning Girl, is thought to be the Goddess of the earth, is depicted as a white-haired and delicate lady by Khakas Turks, and is known as "Aysıt" in Yakut Turks.

 

Mother's Day Date

 

We can say that mother's day, which is celebrated on the same day almost everywhere in the world - with the power of the dominant culture - actually spread to the world as a "ritual" from the Anatolian lands. Anatolian and Mesopotamian lands, which are considered the beginning of civilization in many areas; It has been a source of inspiration for many cultures with its religious beliefs, Gods and Goddesses. Mother Goddess belief is one of them. The Mother Goddess, known as Rhea in Greece, spread as the mother goddess figure, especially in the Roman period Egyptian culture, Isis, associated with fertility and fertility in Ephesus Artemis and called Ionian Cybele. Mother's Day began to be celebrated with the annual spring festivals given by the Greeks in honor of Rhea, the figure of Cybele (Kybele) connected to the Anatolian-origin Mother Goddess ritual. However, the origin of Cybele, a goddess of Anatolian origin, dates back to ancient times. Excavations in Anatolia revealed that the mother goddess figure dates back to 6500-7000 BC. The goddess figure symbolizing motherhood, reproduction, continuation of life and fertility appears in many different places. There are many Cybele monuments in Anatolia. The Hittite Cybele statue on Spil Mountain, the Phrygian Mother Goddess statue in Çatalhöyük village in Konya's Çumra district.

 

During the Phrygian era, Cybele was accepted as the Chief Deity (Mother Goddess) in Anatolia. Belief in Cybele greatly influenced later civilizations. Especially in Greek and Roman mythology, some worship rites in the Phrygian period continued in the same form, and the characteristics of Cybele were revived in different Gods and Goddesses. The most well-known example of this; Appears to be Artemis in Greek mythology. Artemis was named Diana in Roman mythology.