APersonIndependent states
Nasreddin Hodja
A witty folk sage said to have lived in Akşehir in the 13th century. His anecdotes are told across the Turkic world and have been UNESCO heritage since 2022.
Tradition says Nasreddin Hodja was born in the village of Hortu near Sivrihisar, lived in Akşehir and was buried there. His tomb is still visited, and Akşehir holds a Nasreddin Hodja festival every July.
His anecdotes are short stories that look simple but carry deep meaning: he rides his donkey backwards, tries to turn a lake into yoghurt, claims a cauldron has "given birth". With humour he mocks injustice, greed and arrogance.
He is Molla Nasreddin in Azerbaijan, Nasreddin Afandi in Uzbekistan and Kozha Nasyr in Kazakhstan. The tradition of telling his anecdotes was inscribed on the UNESCO list in 2022 on the joint nomination of seven countries.
Sources
Updated: October 2, 2026