Asr-ı Sani

Ilahiler (singular: ilahi) are Turkish Sufi hymns—devotional songs in the Turkish language that praise God, the Prophet Muhammad, saints, and express mystical yearning and ethical counsel. They are a core strand of Ottoman/Turkish religious and tekke (dervish lodge) music, typically set in the makam (modal) system and performed with simple, singable melodies and memorable refrains. While ilahiler can be sung a cappella, they are often accompanied by instruments associated with Ottoman and Sufi music—ney (end-blown reed flute), ud, tanbur, kanun, and small devotional drums such as bendir and kudüm. Texts commonly draw on the poetry of Yunus Emre, Niyazi-i Mısri, and other Sufi poets. Musically, ilahiler balance accessibility and spiritual depth: they favor clear melodic contours, limited ambitus, and steady usul (rhythmic cycles) like Sofyan (4/4), Düyek (8/8), Aksak (9/8), or Semai (6/8), with occasional free-rhythm passages. They are performed in mosques and dervish lodges, in religious gatherings (zikr/sohbet), and in domestic devotional settings, and today also exist in concert, recording, and media contexts.