Aslı BALİ

Folk dance is a cultural indicator of the society to which it belongs and a way of expressing the society’s identity. At the same time, they are the creations of public knowledge that is featured to be a mirror of society with its structure, contents and functions. In this context, Silifke folk dances are one of the elements of folklore that reflects the culture of the region. Until today, an independent folklore study on the Silifke folk dances has not been done, so that is why this issue is chosen. In the study, firstly the information about the concepts of play and folk dancing are given, and the place and the importance of it are explained together with the opinions of various folklore researchers. Later on, the information collected from the Silifke county of Mersin province which is our research area is given about the environs of the folk dances, the forms of performance, the clothing of women and men and the tools used during the dance etc. In addition to this, the story of the emergence of nine folk games we have compiled in weddings, festivals, military ceremonies, circumcision ceremonies and festivals is briefly mentioned. In this study, it is aimed to determine the folk dances which belong to the Silifke region and record them so that the dances will be transferred to future generations.

Key Words: Folklore, dance, folk dance, Mersin folk culture, Silifke folk dance.