DEDEKORKUT

Bayburt province is one of the oldest settlements where Turks settled in Anatolia. Sociologists describe Bayburt as a secondary cultural center of importance during both the Seljuk and Ottoman periods. Bayburt has produced many scientists and artists whose fame extends beyond our borders. Dede Korkut, one of the greatest shared cultural treasures of the Turkic world, can be counted among them. Dede Korkut is one of the most important of our shared historical and legendary figures, accepted throughout the Turkic world. Prof. Dr. M. Fuat Köprülü says of Dede Korkut: "If you put all of Turkish literature on one side of a scale and Dede Korkut on the other, Dede Korkut would still outweigh it." The Dede Korkut stories remain alive in Bayburt. The most variants of the Beğ Böğrek (Bamsi Beyrek) story, told in Turkish, have been identified in Bayburt. In the stories, Bayburt is referred to as "Parasar's Bayburt Fortress". Beğ Böyrek's tomb is located on Duduzar Hill, directly opposite the "Dungeon" in Bayburt Castle.