8 August 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

An Interesting Ottoman Tradition Resembling Christmas tree: “NAHIL” OR WISHING TREE

Nahıl, a word of Arabic origin, means date palm. This word was later used by the people to mean the wish tree.

Nahıl tree tradition, whose roots go back to the Anatolian Seljuk State, became more widespread in the Ottoman Empire. This tradition, which is similar to the celebration of Christmas, is one of the most important parts of the sultan’s festivities.

The tree has great importance in Turkish culture. With the belief of Shamanism, tree is entered daily life and accepted as a tool of communication.

All the meanings that the tree of life encompasses are reflected on traditions. The tree of life is used as a motive in architecture and handicrafts of the Anatolian realm in Turkish culture before and after Islam.

With the use of three-dimensional nahı in various sizes, celebrations, and weddings held in the Ottoman Empire exhibit a new interpretation of the tree.

A miniature showing the tradition of tree decoration in the Ottoman Empire.
A miniature showing the tradition of tree decoration in the Ottoman Empire.

Nahıl trees, the tallest of which is 10 meters and the shortest 2-3 meters high, were frequently used in festivities during the Ottoman period.

There was a candle on the top of these trees, and each floor had a separate ornament. In later years, a crescent was placed on the top of especially large Nahıl trees instead of candles.

Nahıl is a wedding and festival decoration that resembles a palm tree with its conic shape becoming thinner as it ascends and is decorated with ornaments of various shapes.

It was believed that for those who write their wishes on a piece of paper and hang it on the Nahıl tree, all their wishes will come true. Various balls and bows were hung on these trees, which were also used in circumcision weddings and various ceremonies of the sultans.

At weddings, a few large Nahıl trees and dozens of small Nahıl trees were made. At weddings, Nahıl was brought from the bride’s house to the groom’s house.

A miniature showing the tradition of tree decoration in the Ottoman Empire.
A miniature showing the tradition of tree decoration in the Ottoman Empire. Photo: Tarihi Kadim

The meaning ascribed to nahıl coincides with the meaning ascribed to the tree. Nahıls which draw all the attention to themselves are important indicators in terms of sharing power and beauty with the society.

Historians mention the existence and technical features of nahıls in small and large scales. Nahıls on which the power of sovereignty is also reflected have begun to be forgotten with the collapse of Ottoman Empire.

The traces of nahıl are found, though rarely, in Turkey and it is used in plain forms as a sign of wedding ceremonies. As a reflection of an almost forgotten cultural tradition, nahıl makers (Nahılbents) of today strive to keep alive this tradition.

Today, the Nahıl tree tradition, like many customs and traditions, is among the forgotten traditions. Today, this tradition is tried to be continued in Nevşehir/Ürgüp under the name of “eulogizing nahıl” at weddings.

Related Articles

Two more Giants discovered at Mont’e Prama in Sardinia, Italy

7 May 2022

7 May 2022

Two more Giants have emerged from the Mont’e Prama excavations in Sardinia: both of the new statues have been described...

Computational Analysis Points to a Non-Traditional Garden of Eden Location – Beneath the Pyramids?

30 April 2025

30 April 2025

A radical new theory proposed by a computer engineer suggests that the biblical Garden of Eden may not be in...

The Mystery of the Hekatompedon: An Ancient Shepherd’s Graffiti Sheds New Light on the Mystery of the Acropolis’ Lost Temple

13 June 2024

13 June 2024

The Acropolis of Athens and its monuments, the greatest architectural and artistic complex bequeathed to the world by ancient Greece,...

Researchers Say that Neanderthals Had the Same Hearing Capacity as Humans

1 March 2021

1 March 2021

Virtual reconstructions of Neanderthal ears show that had the same physical capacity for hearing as modern humans, and by inference...

Unexpected finds under the Tel Aviv Suburban

21 August 2021

21 August 2021

In preparation for a planned residential building project in suburban Tel Aviv, archaeologists from the Israel Antiquities Authority have begun...

3,700-Year-Old Bronze Age Ceremonial Site Discovered in Derbyshire, in Northern England

23 March 2025

23 March 2025

In a remarkable revelation, archaeologists have uncovered that the Farley Moor stone, previously thought to be a solitary monument, is...

Frozen but Not Forgotten: 2,500-Year-Old Tattoos of Siberian Ice Mummy Digitally Reconstructed

31 July 2025

31 July 2025

Siberian Ice Mummy: Unveiling Ancient Tattoo Traditions of Iron Age Siberia In a groundbreaking fusion of archaeology and modern imaging,...

13,000-year-old Clovis campsite discovered in Michigan

10 September 2021

10 September 2021

In St. Joseph County, independent researcher Thomas Talbot and University of Michigan scholars uncovered a 13,000-year-old Clovis campsite, which is...

An architectural gem from the medieval monastery of Posa, Germany

26 July 2023

26 July 2023

Archaeological excavations have been taking place on the Posaer Berg (Posa Hill) near Zeitz (Burgenland) every year since 2017. They...

Dominican mission discovers 1,305-meter Greco-Roman ancient rock-cut tunnel in Alexandria

4 November 2022

4 November 2022

A Greco-Roman tunnel measuring 1,305 meters in length was discovered beneath Tapuziris Magna, an Ancient Egyptian city, by an Egyptian-Dominican...

Orkney dig reveals ruins of huge Neolithic tomb

21 October 2023

21 October 2023 1

A 5,000-year-old tomb was unearthed in Orkney, north-east Scotland. The discovery was announced by the Guardian, describing the tomb structure...

Hidden Archaeological Treasures from Cologne Cathedral

25 January 2024

25 January 2024

An area of around 4,000 square meters (43,055 square feet) is being discovered beneath the Cologne Cathedral, the largest Gothic...

Places to Visit in Oman

6 February 2021

6 February 2021

There are many places to visit in Oman. In this article, we wanted to talk about a wonderful country that...

Uncovering the ritual past of ancient mustatils: Cult, herding, and ‘pilgrimage’ in the Late Neolithic of north-west Arabia

16 March 2023

16 March 2023

Mustatils—stone monuments from the Late Neolithic period thought to have been used for ritual purposes—have been the subject of new...

New Study Reveals That the First English Settlers in North America Ate Dogs to Survive

28 May 2024

28 May 2024

The first English settlers to arrive in North America ate indigenous dogs to survive an extreme period of starvation, according...