Betal Axa

General Information

Also Known As

Betal Axa shrine, Betal Axa, Tirba Betal Axa

Type

Tirba

Nahiya (Subdistrict)

Efrîn

Village or Nearby Villages

Basûtê

The Betal Axa grave (Kurdish: tirba Betal Axa) is a tomb (tirba) in Basûtê.

Dedicated Figure & Historical Roots

The historical Betal Axa belonged to the Kurdish Genc family, which came from the Qonya region, and he was remembered as the ruler of Kela Basûtê. One account says he had forty Albanian soldiers. After breaking with the Ottoman state, Betal Axa was deceived and killed at Bab El-Ferec in Heleb. The same account places his burial in Heleb's Axyol district.1

Accounts differ over the location of Betal Axa's grave. In Basûtê a tomb called Tirba Betal Axa is remembered as his, while the Ax û Welat account says he was buried in Heleb's Axyol district.

Bibliography

References

  1. Ax û Welat, Episode "Basûtê," published 2017, YouTube video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuMwoSsumgg. Direct quotes: "Genc hew jî eşîreka Kurmanc e, ji mantiqa Tirkîyê ji Qonyayê tênê vê derê"; "Di kelepora Kurdî de tê gotin ku kesek bi navê Betal Axa ji malbata Genc weke Mîrê Kelaha Basûtê dihat naskirin"; "Peyayê xwa, hinek dibên çel, çel 'eskerê xwa hebû, hew jî ji Ernawûta bûn"; "Di vê fatrê de muhawle dike, înnî ji dewla Osmanlî bifasile, xwa jê dûr xe yanî"; "li Bab El-Ferec, li derê Bab El-Ferec, Betal dixapînin. Davêjinê, li hewşa hukûmetê, bi tîl û lûle û behrka digrin û dikujin"; "Û li bajarê Helebê taxa Axûyol ku bi navê Axa Evdax hatiye binavkirin hate veşartin." English translation: "Genc is also a Kurmanji tribe; they came to this place from the Qonya region of Turkey"; "In Kurdish folklore, it is said that a person named Betal Axa from the Genc family was known as the prince of Basûtê Castle"; "As for his followers, some say he had forty soldiers, and they were Albanians"; "In this period, he attempted to separate from the Ottoman state and distance himself from it"; "at Bab El-Ferec, at the gate of Bab El-Ferec, they deceived Betal. They threw him into the government courtyard, seized him by tricks and schemes, and killed him"; "He was buried in the city of Heleb, in the Axûyol neighborhood, which was named after Axa Evdax." ↩