Îskender

General Information

Also Known As

Ziyareta Îskender, Ziyareta Meyremê, Şêx Îskender, Îskender shrine

Type

Ziyareta

Nahiya (Subdistrict)

Reco

Village or Nearby Villages

Me'mala, Çeqelê Ortê

Two shrines in the Reco sub-district carry the name Îskender, and it is not clear whether they are one place or two.1

Dedicated Figure & Historical Roots

At Me'mala, the shrine is called Meyrem or Îskender. Ismet Ibrahim says people call it the shrine of Îskender, while the shrine's own name is Meyrem. An older villager mentions the tomb of Merem and a sick woman named Litfî whose eye problem improved after she slept there. Litfî is remembered as a neighbor, not as Merem's relative.2

Ritual Practices & Beliefs

At Çeqelê Ortê, Şêx Îskender is one of several local shrines visited during the qeşmer rain ritual, a village procession held to ask God for rain. Participants collected oil and bulgur, took chickens to the shrines, cooked food, distributed it to the people, and sought God's mercy and rain.3

Transcripts

Me'mala (Ax û Welat - Episode 1058):

  • 18:48 – Narrator mentions the shrine of Meyrem or Iskender in the village.
  • 19:48 – Ismet Ibrahim gives the Me'mala shrine's two names.
  • 20:03 – A villager tells the Merem and healing account.

Çeqelê Ortê (Multi Channel - Episode 120):

  • 00:16:39 – A resident lists Şêx Îskender among the local shrines visited during the qeşmer ritual.
  • 00:16:47 – The resident describes cooking and distributing food at the shrines while seeking rain.

Videography

Me'mala (Ax û Welat - Episode 1058): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHx_io4SlBc

Çeqelê Ortê (Multi Channel - Episode 120): https://youtu.be/CFuE0Be0IO4?si=a8cruwm4vwaj-XaD

Bibliography

References

  1. Multi Channel, Episode 120 (village Çeqelê Ortê), "Çeqelê Ortê," published 2017, YouTube video, at 00:16:39, https://youtu.be/CFuE0Be0IO4?si=a8cruwm4vwaj-XaD. Quote: "Û ziyareta... Şêx Îskender, Îbrahîm Dede, Xelîl Dede, Sefîr Dede... Ziyaret li dorî me pir in." English translation: "And the shrines of... Şêx Îskender, Îbrahîm Dede, Xelîl Dede, Sefîr Dede... There are many shrines around us." ↩

  2. Ax û Welat, Episode 1058 (village Me'mala), "Me'mala," published 2017, YouTube video, at 18:48-20:35, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHx_io4SlBc. Quote: "Dîsa di gund da ziyaretageha Meyremê yan jî Îskender a heye. ... Navê ziyareta me... vêra dibêjin ziyareta Îskender. Û navê ziyareta bi xwe dibêjin Meyremê. ... Dibêjin li vî zerî temê Merem bû. Û jinik hat... çavê xwa dît, lê ber nexweş bû... têda xew kir, çê bû. ... Navê xwa Litfî bû... cîranê me ye." English translation: "Again, in the village there is the shrine of Meyrem or Îskender. ... The name of our shrine... they call this the shrine of Îskender. And the name of the shrine itself they call Meyrem. ... They say the tomb of Merem was in this place. And a woman came... her eye saw [was healed], but before she had been sick... she slept in it and got better. ... Her name was Litfî... she is our neighbor." ↩

  3. Multi Channel, Episode 120, "Çeqelê Ortê," at 00:16:23-00:17:18. Quote: "Avê bi ser wî de dikirin. Meene wek baran bibare... Li ber xwe diçûn... bi gund digeriyan. Kom kirine zeytên xwe... kom dikirin bulxurên xwe... Diçûn ber ziyaretan. Li vir ziyaret... 'Mala Eloyê Hecî' hebû li vir. Û ziyareta... Şêx Îskender, Îbrahîm Dede, Xelîl Dede, Sefîr Dede... Ziyaret li dorî me pir in. Diçûn ber. Ê li wê re... gava ferûc dibirin... xwarin çêdikirin... Xwarinê didan wî miletî yanî tevahî. Û li ber xwe xwedê digeriyan... meena Xwedê rehmê bike... Meena rehma xwe bibare." English translation: "They poured water over him, as if rain were falling... They went along, wandering through the village. They collected their oil and their bulgur... They went to the shrines. Here there was a shrine, Mala Eloyê Hecî. And the shrines of Şêx Îskender, Îbrahîm Dede, Xelîl Dede, Sefîr Dede... There are many shrines around us. They went to them. When they took chickens there, they cooked food... They gave all the food to the people. They went along seeking God, meaning for God to have mercy, to rain down His mercy." ↩