Turkish Cypriot folk dances and songs

Turkish Cypriot folk music and dance arrived with the Anatolian Turks who settled on the island after 1571. Centuries of living alongside other Mediterranean cultures gave them a character of their own, distinct from their Anatolian roots.

Weddings are where the dances come most alive. The drum and zurna are the sound of happiness at weddings, while women's dances are accompanied by the frame drum and deblek (goblet drum). Many folk songs describe wedding customs such as the henna night and fetching the bride.

Today the TRNC State Folk Dance Ensemble and its children's troupes keep these dances alive at festivals and holidays in traditional dress — embroidered dresses for women, waistcoats and shalwar for men.