Çiyayê Hesenan/en

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Çiyayê Hesenan (The Legend of Mount Hesen) is a narrative transmitted especially among Kurdish communities in Ankara’s Haymana district, leaving deep traces in the social memory of the region.

The documents detail the content of this legend as follows:

• Hero and resistance: At the center of the legend stands a Kurdish warrior named Hesen, believed to have lived during the Ottoman period and to have resisted the state.
• Mythological identity: Among local people, Hesen came to be regarded not only as a historical figure, but also as a mythological figure.
• Sanctification of the mountain: According to the narrative, when Hesen died, the mountain on which he had carried on his struggle became sacred and began to be remembered with great respect by the Kurds of the region.
• Cultural heritage: This narrative holds an important place among the epics and legends of the Kurds of Central Anatolia (çîrokên xeyalî), involving themes such as heroism, war, and resistance.

This legend is a typical example of how the struggles experienced by the Kurds of Central Anatolia in historical processes became legendary through their fusion with nature.