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The “sea” must’ve been the first love of Tevfik…

 

Tevfik was sort of born into the sea. The beautiful garden house where he was born, the first streets he walked, the school he went to, the coffee house where his father often went, were all on the shores of the sea. Soaking up the infinite horizons and strong winds; Tevfik was growing up to be a fan and amazed by the sea, which gave peace on a quiet day whereas could be frightening on a harsh winter day. He was a slender, intelligent, sensitive, nimble kind of child that would attract human attention at first glance. Bodrum High School’s teacher Mr. Hasan Fehmi enrolled his son, Tevfik, in the "primary school" located right next to the Bodrum High School. Every chance he got, he came to that high school, even during recess. So he and his father could go to the coffee house where his father often went and listen to “ney” which was blown by the dervishes who came there. At that age, he was dying to blow into a ney, but Mr. Hasan Fehmi did not allow his son to learn ney because he thought it might hinder his education.

“Ney” must’ve been the second love of Tevfik…

 

In the following years, when Mr. Hasan Fehmi was appointed to Urla, Tevfik's life had changed. He advanced both his education and his music. He started taking lessons from Neyzen Kazim. A short time later, he had his first "epileptic seizure." Although it was thought that the sound of ney had triggered this disease, thanks to a doctor found by his mother "Emine Hanım" in Istanbul, it was understood that Tevfik could not forget the "severed heads of the bandits on pikes" that he saw as a child. So his family was suggested that he should have continued to blow a ney. In this way, Tevfik began his new life, which he would be called "Neyzen Tevfik".

 

Mr. Hasan Fehmi, who was also lettered, sent his son to the "high school" that prepared students for higher education in those years so that he could become lettered as well. However, due to increased epilepsy seizures, he was unable to continue his education. He was taken from his school where he studied as a boarder, and he could continue his education in "İzmir Mawlavi House". That's how he got a chance to devote himself to ney.

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