Taka Reş

General Information

Also Known As

Taka Reş shrine, Tokê Reş, Black Tree

Type

Ziyareta

Nahiya (Subdistrict)

Şera

Village or Nearby Villages

Diraqliya

Taka Reş is a shrine of Diraqliya in the Şera sub-district, a holy place centred on an old oak tree.

Physical & Landscape Features

The shrine is an old oak tree that passersby treat as a holy place and value. The name means "Black Tree," reş being "black" in Kurdish and the women giving the Turkish equivalent as Kara Ağaç.1

Ritual Practices & Beliefs

From long ago people have tied strings to the tree, and for rheumatism they would place a board against it. Villagers also gathered and sat beneath it.2

Transcripts

Diraqliya (Ax û Welat – Episode 1136):

  • 24:29 – The host presents Taka Reş, an oak tree treated as a holy place, with village women.
  • 25:33 – The women explain that the name means "Black Tree."

Videography

Diraqliya (Ax û Welat – Episode 1136): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lz-343TNf-4

Bibliography

References

  1. Ax û Welat, "Diraqliya," Episode 1136 (village Diraqliya), YouTube video, at 24:29–25:43, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lz-343TNf-4. Quote: "Like this village too, they have a holy place, there is a tree here, they call it Taka Reş... It is actually an oak tree... Passersby consider it a holy place, value it." Quote: "Tokê Reş, meaning in Turkish 'Kara' Black... Kara Ağaç... Black tree." ↩

  2. Ax û Welat, "Diraqliya," Episode 1136, at 25:14–25:31. Quote: "It is from long ago, we were small children... They came here, some said... tied strings to it. They said for rheumatism, if there were some, we put a board to it... we sat in it." ↩