The accounts of the washer of the martyr's funeral were chilling.

The Gassal series, starring Ahmet Kural, has made a significant impact on the agenda as it was published on a digital platform. One of the most talked-about and researched topics on social media has been gassallık (the profession of washing the deceased). Gassals, who were once hesitant to even mention their profession, expressed that they have once again realized how important their duties are thanks to the series.

For years, gassals who have been preparing deceased individuals for their final journey with the same sensitivity at the Elazığ Municipality Cemetery Department explained the spiritual responsibilities and difficulties of their work.

"I EVEN ATE A REPORT"

Yavuz Kayadurmuş, who started his gassal duties 10 years ago by observing his uncles, said, "One of my uncles is a gassal in Malatya, and the other is in Adana. Since I saw this profession from them, I have been trying to continue it. I am trying to revive the profession left by my uncles. We strive to fulfill our duty properly. Until yesterday, we were trying to be recognized as funeral imams, but thanks to the series, we started to say we are gassals. I am proud of my profession. We try to perform the gassal duties in accordance with Islam, as if the deceased were one of our relatives. Even during the pandemic, I made an effort to fulfill my gassal duties. When my uncle had COVID-19, I went to Adana from here to wash and shroud him. I also washed and shrouded COVID-19 deceased here. While doing these, I even ate a report," he said.

"I SAW THAT THE BLOOD OF MARTYRS DOES NOT STOP"

Kayadurmuş, who shared interesting moments from his profession, said, "One of the most challenging events I faced while washing was a martyr's funeral. Normally, after washing the martyr's funeral here, we shroud it and send it off wrapped in the flag to their hometown. However, I was honored to wash and shroud the body of Hüseyin Göral, who was martyred in the Gölbaşı district of Ankara during the treacherous coup attempt on July 15. At that moment, as the body was coming, I saw that the inside of the bag was filled with blood. How many liters of blood does a person have that it keeps flowing? I personally saw that the blood of the martyrs was flowing and did not stop. With tears in my eyes, I performed the washing and shrouding of our martyr," he stated.

"WE TRY NOT TO LOOK AT THE FACE OF THE DECEASED"

Kayadurmuş stated, "Just as the events a person experiences in daily life correspond to their dreams, our dreams are filled with funerals. There should be a weakness in our profession. Therefore, while washing the deceased, we try to avoid looking at the face of the deceased as much as possible. This is because one of the unforgettable parts of the body is the face. For this reason, we pay attention not to look at the face of the deceased. I ask myself who will wash me after I die. I wonder if they will wash me in accordance with Islam or like how I wash the deceased here. I would also like to act in the gassal film after it is adapted to the big screen," he concluded.