Nene Hatun
Encyclopedia
Nene Hatun, aka Nenehatun, (1857 – 22 May 1955) was a Turkish
folk hero
ine, who at her age of twenty showed bravery during the recapture of Fort Aziziye in Erzurum
from Russian
forces at the start of the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878.
This war is known in Turkish historiography as "The war of '93" to refer the year 1293 AH in Rumi calendar
. She had been living in a neighborhood of Erzurum
called Aziziye that was close to an important fortification defending the city. On the night of 7 November 1877, Fort Aziziye was attacked by the Russian army, which captured it on the evening of 9 November with the help of Turkish speaking local Armenian gangs, killing all Turkish guards. Nene Hatun's brother Hasan who was heavily wounded and came back from war one day ago had just died that evening. In the morning when the news of Russian invasion of Aziziye was heard, she kissed her dead brother's head and taking an oath to avenge his death, left her three-month old baby girl and a few years older son at home, she joined the attack against Aziziye with her dead brother's rifle and her hatchet. The counter-attack was launched by Turkish civilians who were mostly women and elderly men armed with axes and farming equipments. Hundreds of Turkish civilians were killed by Russian gunfire but their numbers were so overwhelming they managed to enter the fortifications breaking down its iron doors. A hand-to-hand fight ended with around 2000 Russian soldiers being killed and rest ran away. Nene Hatun was found unconscious, wounded and her bloodied hands still firmly grasping her hatchet. She was identified as being the most heroic of them all and became a symbol of bravery.
Third-party reports on the battle for Fort Aziziye shed a less-favorable light on the events and speak of terrible mutilations being inflicted on the Russian soldiers. C. B. Norman, reporter for the Daily News, recorded that
Nene Hatun (literally: grand lady) lived the rest of her life in Aziziye. She lost her husband in the following years and her son Yusuf was killed in Gallipoli wars (1915–1918). In March 1918 she was reported to be seen chasing the Armenian gangs who massacred many Turkish civilians of Erzurum and burnt down the city while they retreated before the advancing Turkish army. After independence war she had a difficult life depending on food (bread) help given by local municipality even sending a letter in 1943 to President Inonu asking for reinstatement of her one bread a day allowance. American General Ridgway visited her in 1952 and when he asked her if she could join a new war she told him "of course I will." In 1954 she was remembered as the last survivor of the Russian war of 93(1877) and was visited by General Baransel, commander of the 3rd Turkish army, and from then until her death she was known as the "Mother of the Third Army". She was named as "Mother of the Mothers" on the Mother's Day
in 1955. She died of pneumonia
on 22 May 1955 at the age of 98 and was laid to rest in the martyrs' cemetery at Fort Aziziye.
There is a project about shooting a movie about the heroic life of her. The project is expected to be ready by November 2007. A novel titled "Efsane Kadın Nene Hatun" (Legendary Woman Nene Hatun) was written by M. Talat Uzunyaylalı to tell her life story.
Nene Hatun should not be confused with Mama Hatun who, although associated with the same geography of Erzurum, was an important figure of the 12th century Saltukids.
and Kadir İnanır
.
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
folk hero
Folk hero
A folk hero is a type of hero, real, fictional, or mythological. The single salient characteristic which makes a character a folk hero is the imprinting of the name, personality and deeds of the character in the popular consciousness. This presence in the popular consciousness is evidenced by...
ine, who at her age of twenty showed bravery during the recapture of Fort Aziziye in Erzurum
Erzurum Province
Erzurum Province is a Province of Turkey, in the Eastern Anatolia Region of the country. It is bordered by the provinces of Kars and Ağrı to the east, Muş and Bingöl to the south, Erzincan and Bayburt to the west, Rize and Artvin to the north and Ardahan to the northeast. The provincial capital is...
from Russian
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
forces at the start of the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878.
This war is known in Turkish historiography as "The war of '93" to refer the year 1293 AH in Rumi calendar
Rumi calendar
This is about the solar Ottoman calendar based on the Julian calendar. For the lunar Hijri calendar see Islamic calendar.The Rumi calendar , a specific calendar based on the Julian calendar but starting with the year of Muhammad's emigration in 622 AD, was officially used by the Ottoman Empire...
. She had been living in a neighborhood of Erzurum
Erzurum
Erzurum is a city in Turkey. It is the largest city, the capital of Erzurum Province. The city is situated 1757 meters above sea level. Erzurum had a population of 361,235 in the 2000 census. .Erzurum, known as "The Rock" in NATO code, served as NATO's southeastern-most air force post during the...
called Aziziye that was close to an important fortification defending the city. On the night of 7 November 1877, Fort Aziziye was attacked by the Russian army, which captured it on the evening of 9 November with the help of Turkish speaking local Armenian gangs, killing all Turkish guards. Nene Hatun's brother Hasan who was heavily wounded and came back from war one day ago had just died that evening. In the morning when the news of Russian invasion of Aziziye was heard, she kissed her dead brother's head and taking an oath to avenge his death, left her three-month old baby girl and a few years older son at home, she joined the attack against Aziziye with her dead brother's rifle and her hatchet. The counter-attack was launched by Turkish civilians who were mostly women and elderly men armed with axes and farming equipments. Hundreds of Turkish civilians were killed by Russian gunfire but their numbers were so overwhelming they managed to enter the fortifications breaking down its iron doors. A hand-to-hand fight ended with around 2000 Russian soldiers being killed and rest ran away. Nene Hatun was found unconscious, wounded and her bloodied hands still firmly grasping her hatchet. She was identified as being the most heroic of them all and became a symbol of bravery.
Third-party reports on the battle for Fort Aziziye shed a less-favorable light on the events and speak of terrible mutilations being inflicted on the Russian soldiers. C. B. Norman, reporter for the Daily News, recorded that
Nene Hatun (literally: grand lady) lived the rest of her life in Aziziye. She lost her husband in the following years and her son Yusuf was killed in Gallipoli wars (1915–1918). In March 1918 she was reported to be seen chasing the Armenian gangs who massacred many Turkish civilians of Erzurum and burnt down the city while they retreated before the advancing Turkish army. After independence war she had a difficult life depending on food (bread) help given by local municipality even sending a letter in 1943 to President Inonu asking for reinstatement of her one bread a day allowance. American General Ridgway visited her in 1952 and when he asked her if she could join a new war she told him "of course I will." In 1954 she was remembered as the last survivor of the Russian war of 93(1877) and was visited by General Baransel, commander of the 3rd Turkish army, and from then until her death she was known as the "Mother of the Third Army". She was named as "Mother of the Mothers" on the Mother's Day
Mother's Day
Mother's Day is a celebration honoring mothers and celebrating motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on various days in many parts of the world, yet most commonly in March, April, or May...
in 1955. She died of pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
on 22 May 1955 at the age of 98 and was laid to rest in the martyrs' cemetery at Fort Aziziye.
There is a project about shooting a movie about the heroic life of her. The project is expected to be ready by November 2007. A novel titled "Efsane Kadın Nene Hatun" (Legendary Woman Nene Hatun) was written by M. Talat Uzunyaylalı to tell her life story.
Nene Hatun should not be confused with Mama Hatun who, although associated with the same geography of Erzurum, was an important figure of the 12th century Saltukids.
Nene Hatun in film
Nene Hatun was depicted in the 1973 Turkish movie Gazi kadin (Nene hatun) starring Türkan ŞorayTürkan Soray
- Biography :Türkan Şoray was born to a government official father, Halit Şoray and her mother, Meliha Şoray, was a housewife. She has one younger sister Nazan, who is also an actress in her own right but is nowhere near as famous as Türkan. After the birth of her younger sister, Türkan's parents...
and Kadir İnanır
Kadir Inanir
Kadir İnanır is a popular Turkish film actor and director.- Biography :İnanır was born in 1949 in Fatsa, a town in Ordu province of Turkey. He acted in forty-three films since 1967 and appeared on television in "Bütün Çocuklarım" as Ali Yahya in 2004...
.