Dil Beyti
Dil Beyti is a comprehensive cultural project that presents the rich repertoire of Turkish Sufi music in the form of a digital archive. Drawing on the tradition of musical practice at the Cerrahî Âsitânesi in Karagümrük, Istanbul, this project is a tangible reflection of the mission of the Foundation for the Research and Preservation of Turkish Sufi Music and Folklore (TTMFAV) to preserve cultural heritage and pass it on to future generations. The primary aim of the Dil Beyti Project is to bring together the performance, notation and lyrical heritage of Sufi music on a single digital platform. Within this framework, recordings of dervish lodge sessions, compositions, lyrics, examples of musical modes and rhythms, sacred discourses, and information on key figures in Sufi culture are presented in a structured and accessible format. In this way, a reliable reference source is created for both musicologists and researchers and enthusiasts interested in this ancient tradition.
The meşk content featured on the platform comprises audio recordings and repertoire information from the Monday meşk sessions that have been held at the Cerrahî Âsitânesi for many years. The ‘Compositions and Lyrics’ section brings together works of Sufi music performed in various maqams and usûls, serving as a reference for both performance and research. The ‘Nutk-u Şerif’ section, meanwhile, examines the oral heritage of Sufi masters within both textual and musical contexts, thereby bringing to light the spiritual dimension of the tradition.
Dil Beyti is also enriched by a video and photograph archive. Visual materials relating to the Foundation’s activities, musical practice sessions and cultural events ensure that the project functions as a living archive. All this content demonstrates that Turkish Sufi Music is not merely a historical legacy, but a living tradition with continuity.
Designed with a user-friendly structure, Dil Beyti provides access based on maqam, usûl, composer and work through its search and filtering options. Developed using modern web technologies, the platform offers an app-like experience on both desktop and mobile devices. The content is protected under the Law on Intellectual and Artistic Works No. 5846, and all rights are reserved by TTMFAV.
The Dil Beyti Project makes a significant contribution to the preservation of cultural memory by transferring the heritage of Sufi music, which originates from the oral tradition, into a digital environment. It also serves as a reliable reference centre for academic research, performance practices and cultural transmission. In this respect, Dil Beyti embodies TTMFAV’s vision of culture and the arts, spanning ‘from tradition to the future’, in the digital world.
www.dilbeyti.com