Lost 113-year-old Balkan Turkish folk tale “Uslu ile Süslü” published as a book

A long-lost folk tale of the Balkan Turks, “Uslu ile Süslü,” has been brought back to life after more than a century, following an academic initiative led by Igdir University.

The project was carried out by faculty members from the university’s Department of Turkish Folk Literature, Oguz Dogan and Ismail Abali, who worked to recover and publish the text, previously known only by name in academic sources.

Originally written in Ottoman Turkish between 1912 and 1913, the tale reflects the lived experiences of Turks in Bulgaria’s Deliorman region, particularly during the turbulent periods of the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878 and the Balkan Wars. The narrative explores themes of identity preservation and reconstruction amid war, migration, and displacement.

Long transmitted orally and attributed to an anonymous author under the pseudonym “Bir Deliormanlı” (“A Man from Deliorman”), the story has now been transcribed into the Latin alphabet and published for modern readers, 113 years after its creation.

At the heart of the tale are two siblings: Uslu, a boy marked by a crescent-shaped birthmark, and Süslü, a girl bearing a star-shaped mark. Their story unfolds as both a symbolic and emotional narrative intertwined with broader historical struggles faced by Balkan Turks.

Speaking about the project, Abalı noted that the work represents a collective voice of suffering and resilience:

“The absence of a named author and the use of ‘Bir Deliormanlı’ suggest an intention to reflect the shared pain of the Turkish communities in the region,” he said.

The book, which had long been considered a “lost” work due to the absence of a complete text in any publication, is now available to readers free of charge in digital format.

Dogan mentioned that the publication serves as a form of historical remembrance:

“We are reviving a memory of Balkan Turkish identity that has remained silent for over a century, hidden in what can be described as a sea of oblivion,” he said. “This work is not just a tale, but a testament to the struggles, migrations, and resilience of a people.”

He added that while the story begins with a folkloric tone, it gradually transitions into a stark historical narrative, depicting the harsh realities of war — including references to resistance during the 1877–1878 conflict, known in Turkish history as the “93 War.”

By blending folklore with historical testimony, “Uslu ile Süslü” offers readers both a literary and cultural window into the collective memory of Balkan Turks.