Mahya
Mahya ( Ottoman ماهيهfrom Persian ماه, DMG māh , 'month, moon') is the name for the traditional lighting of mosques during religious months and festivals in Turkey and Albania . Mahyâs are fairy lights that are attached in the form of letters.
It is unknown when mahyas were introduced into the Ottoman Empire . The first known illustration comes from the "Reiss description" of Salomon Schweiggers from around 1578. Mahyas were mainly attached to so-called sultan mosques ( Selâtin Camii in Turkish ). These mosques only include those that were built by sultans and their relatives. In the Ottoman Empire, only sultan mosques were allowed to have more than one minaret . Since the fairy lights are stretched between two minarets, mahyâs can only be attached to these mosques. Nowadays, mahyâs are also attached to mosques with two minarets that are not sultan mosques .
Before there were electric fairy lights, the Mahya master ( Mahyacı in Turkish ) had to climb the minarets and light the candles in the lanterns with an extended torch. Refilling lamp oil or repairs were usually done with an extended arm. A well-known Mahyâcı was the Ottoman prince Şehzade Mehmed Seyfeddin Efendi .
Examples of Mahya texts
- "Safâ geldin ey Ramazan" (Welcome, o Ramadan.)
- "Merhabâ yâ şehr-i Ramazan" (Greetings, o month of Ramadan.)
- "Elvedâ yâ şehr-i Ramazan" (Farewell, o month of Ramadan.)
- " Bismillahirrahmânirrahîm " (In the name of the merciful and gracious God.)
- "Ya Allah ve Muhammed" (O Allah and Mohammed .)
- "Lâilahe illallah" (There is no god but God.)
- "Ahlâk dînin temelidir" ( Morality is the cornerstone of religion .)
- "İnsaf îmânın yarısıdır" (Mercy is half of faith.)
- "Dünyâ âhiretin tarlasıdır" (The world is the field of the hereafter.)
