Abstract:

Abstract enTo be able to set forth Turkish people's understanding of the universe, we should firstly define the concept of God. The presence and vigor of God, along with cosmic occurrences on earth's surface and the undefined beings in heavens, had a direct influence on the understanding of the universe, and the people's mindset regarding the concept. Turkish people believed that the God had an exquisite-eternal power, and that God commanded the whole universe. The oldest term found in the history of Turkish religion was "God". The term "Tengri" as found on the Orkhon inscriptions, exhibits the properties of the Turkish language. God was not only envisioned regarding religious aspects, but also as the source of people's view of the universe and life. Ancient memorials have shown that the same term was found to be used for "God" and "Heaven". "Kök Tengri" was the term used both for the heavens, and the only creator of the universe per se. The God, as a being abstract from the space and time, was compared to the eternal heavens, which was not completely definable in mind. Faith of God in Turkish people was observed to hold its vital importance since the beginning of history. The term God, without any alterations, was found to be the basic and common word in most Turkish dialects. Establishing firstly the standing point for belief in God in the history of Turkish people during pre-Islamic period, this paper aims to discuss the origins of monotheist belief, and related literature on the basis of God's domain of influence.

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