It is said that whatever you wish for on that night, will come true!
"Hıdrellez", is one of the seasonal festivals of all Turkish world which is celebrated as the first day of the "early summer". It is also "day of Hızır", the day on which prophets Hızır and Ilyas met with each other on earth. The words Hızır and İlyas have since fused together pronounced as Hıdrellez. Hıdrellez Day falls on May 5-6. There are various theories about the origin of Hızır and Hıdrellez. Various ceremonies and rituals have been performed for various gods with the arrival of spring or summer in Mesopotamia, Anatolia, Iran, Greece and in fact all eastern Mediterranean countries since ancient times. One widespread belief suggests that Hızır is a prophet who has attained immortality by drinking the water of life (ab-ı hayat), and who has reached God, and wanders around among people from time to time, especially in the spring, and helps people in difficulty and distributes plenty and health. The identity of Hızır, the place and the time he lived in are not certain. Hızır is the symbol of spring, and the new life which emerges with it. In Turkey, where belief in Hızır is widespread, the characteristics attributed to him are as follows:
• Hızır rushes to the aid of people in difficulty and grants peoples’ wishes.
• He always helps well-meaning, benevolent people.
• He brings plenty and wealth wherever he stops.
• He brings remedies to those who are troubled and health to the sick.
• He helps plants to grow, animals to reproduce, and human beings to grow strong
• He helps improve peoples’ fortune.
• He is the symbol of good omens.
• He has the God-given power of working miracles.
Hıdrellez Festival, which is still celebrated with grand ceremonies in Anatolia, has been celebrated since ancient times. Although it is celebrated under different names and in different times, it is possible to see the motifs of Hıdrellez in many places. The arrival of spring and awakening of nature have been perceived by mankind as a phenomenon to be celebrated. In fact, Hıdrellez, as a spring festival, has a universal character.
"The Hıdrellez at Ahırkapı" Rituals
The Armada Hotel has first started to organize a semi-contemporary “Hidrellez” at Ahırkapı streets and invited all of Istanbul’s citizens to come and participate in 1997. For the last couple of years “The Hıdrellez at Ahırkapı Streets” event has been turned to a collective civil community activity. Each year the activities begin on Ahirkapi Street and spread to the adjacent streets on 5th of May. Towards midnight the traditional fires will be jumped over and the wishes will be attached on the traditional Nahils. -The individual wishes are written on a piece of paper and attached on the Nahil´s that you will find in front of the Armada Garage.-Nahil is a symbolic "wish-tree" and an ornament from Ottoman culture. The ones at the Ahirkapi Street were first designed and used during an "Earth Day" celebration on April 22, 2002. Since then they are being used as the "wish tree" of the Hıdrellez spring festivals which is organized by "The Association of Ahırkapi Hidrellez Festivals" and supported by local Eminönü Municipality as well as by Istanbul Governorship. In 2009, the activity was credited and supported by "Istanbul 2010, European Capital of Culture" project.
Until 2009, all the traditional spring foods and drinks (both the traditional ones and the brewery) used to be sold through the street-buffets, while the local musicians perform gypsy and Balkan music. In order to get food and drink at Ahırkapı Street one should have bought the coupons for food (the white ones) and brewery (the red ones) first. Those coupons were treated like cash money! The Ahirkapi Roman Orchestra, which is consisting of the neighboring musician groups of Ahirkapi community, performed street concerts along with the guest performers... Küçük Hasan from Lüleburgaz a zurna genius and the drum master Tamer Kum and his group came every year. In 2007, The Ahirkapı Junior Orchestra (the children of the “Great Roman Orchestra” members), The "Macedon Koçani Orkestar", Buzuki Orhan, Yannis and Gorkem Saulis; Semaver Theatre Company, Goksenin Ileri Istanbul Songs Group joined and and DJ Shantel performed along with the others during whole evening.
The number of the participants significantly increased and reached 50.000 in 2007 and over 70.000 in 2008. So that the venue had to be carried to a larger venue in 2009: The Ahırkapı Park!
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