Examples on the Use of Roses in Anatolian Folk Medicine and Traditions


Demirçe Altıntaş P., Altıntaş A.

ICMPBM 2019, 21th International Conference on Medicinal Plants and Botanical Medicine, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 2 - 03 December 2019, pp.157

  • Publication Type: Conference Paper / Summary Text
  • City: Amsterdam
  • Country: Netherlands
  • Page Numbers: pp.157
  • Anadolu University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

Today, with the developing technology, modern medicine is showing a rapid development. However, in addition to modern medicine, traditional folk medicine and folk medicine continue in Anatolia. Traditional medicine is widely used not only in Anatolia but also all over the world. With the widespread use of phytotherapy in recent years, research on traditional folk medicine has gained momentum. In this study, information about rose which has a very important place in Anatolian folk medicine was compiled. As a result of investigations on rose fossils, it was found that the rose plant existed 70 million years ago. Rose is mentioned for the first time in written sources 5000 years ago. Its homeland is Central Asia. The earliest finds on the use of roses in history have been found on clay tablets in Mesopotamia dating back 3,000 years. The records of Egypt, China and Greek civilizations also show information about roses. It is the symbol of Aphrodite in Greek mythology and Venus in Roman mythology. Rose symbols are used on the frescoes of the Cretan walls. In Rome, there was a rose madness during the Nero period; It is known that Neron slept on rose petals and equipped the places, chairs and table with rose petals in the feasts he gave to the nobles. The Chinese palace library contained 60 books about roses alone. Rose is considered to be the queen of flowers due to its fragrance, shape and color. It also gained meaning according to rose colors. Red roses are accepted as a symbol of love, pink roses as grace, white roses as innocence, yellow roses as separation, black roses as a symbol of farewell and mourning. It has also become the symbolic transformation of the resurrection and eternity due to the revival of the dried roses every spring. Plants and trees have been used in various meanings from the first ages to the present day in Anatolia and have been lived in all material cultural products with customs and traditions. Rosewood motifs are found in the researchers conducted on Anatolian folk embroideries. Rose and her prescriptions have been used for treatment since ancient times. Anatolian folk medicine physicians wrote about medicine made from rose in their medical books. In Anatolian folk medicine, rose was generally used as “rose water”, “rose paste”, “rose oil” and “rose sherbet”. As an example: Ibn-i Sînâ, a physician living in the 11th century, recommended the use of rose water in fires because of his refreshing and refreshing effect in his book “El-Kanun Fi’t-Tıbb”. Ibn al-Baytar stated that when the rose water was boiled and the vapor was kept to the head, the new eye diseases healed and their progress stopped. Rose oil is one of the important oils in aromatherapy and perfumery. There are around 1400 rose species in the world. In the researches, it was found that there are close to 100 active substances in the composition of rose oil.