What the gas station attendants described was chilling: There are even those who refuse to eat the food we cook.

The profession of washing the dead, which has been on the agenda in the written and visual media with the series published on a digital platform in Turkey, has recently become one of the most curious professions. The TRT Tabii digital platform, where the series is broadcast, has become the most clicked and watched platform. The washers, who have come to the forefront with the series, continue to carry out their work with dedication for centuries while preparing the deceased for their final journey, sometimes even when their relatives cannot approach.

"THEY HAVE BEEN DOING THEIR JOBS WITH SENSITIVITY FOR CENTURIES"

These days, the profession of washing the dead, which has once again drawn the attention of society, is also practiced with the same sensitivity at the washing facility located in Gaziantep Asri Cemetery. The washers, who perform their duties with great care while preparing the deceased for their final journey, shared the spiritual responsibilities and difficulties of their work with İhlas News Agency.

THE WASHER DESCRIBED THE CHALLENGES OF THE CURIOUS PROFESSION

Providing information about the profession that has recently become a topic of curiosity, Washer Celal Ulaşlı said, "Washing the dead is the act of washing, shrouding, and preparing the deceased. For this, three pieces of shroud are needed for men: izar, lifafe, and kamis. Then, there are a total of three pieces consisting of foot bindings and ties. When the corpse first arrives, the cleaning of the private parts is done. After being placed on the washing stone, the cleaning is done first. Then, a normal ablution is performed. After that, it is washed twice and rinsed. Finally, after rinsing again, the shrouding process begins. All kinds of corpses can come here. They can come injured. There are corpses that have been left in a house for a long time. There can be cases of decomposition. For this, we take precautions with a plastic sheet, which we call boy naylonu. After being wrapped in plastic, it is then wrapped in three layers of shroud and prepared for burial accordingly. During the pandemic, corpses were buried without being washed. Later, when it was understood that this disease was temporary, they were washed and then shrouded again. During the earthquake process, this place was quite busy. Accordingly, we prepared and shrouded the corpses as quickly as possible without waiting," he said.

"BABY CORPSES AFFECT US"

Ulaşlı stated that the corpses that affected him the most among those encountered were baby and martyr corpses, saying, "The corpses we find most challenging are generally those that are burned, abandoned, or have been left at home for about 10 days without anyone. Besides that, we are generally affected by baby corpses. Because it is a constant sadness. For that reason, people feel a bit more sorrowful. Martyr corpses affect us a little. Other than that, we are generally not very affected by corpses," he expressed.

"A JOB LOADED WITH EMOTION, A DUTY"

Washer Yavuz Akçaba, who expressed his satisfaction with his work and his efforts to perform it properly, said, "Someone had to take on this profession. As a community, we are the most suitable people for this profession. In terms of education, the sciences we have studied, madrasas, etc. Arabic, imam hatip background. I am quite satisfied with the work I am doing now. It is a job loaded with spiritual feelings, a duty. We try to fulfill it in the best way possible," he stated.

"WE DON'T EVEN LOOK AT THE FACE OF THE DEAD SO IT DOESN'T STAY IN OUR MINDS"

Akçaba shared that he was affected by an incident, stating that they experience the emotional moments that families go through in the same way. Yavuz Akçaba said, "Last week, I witnessed a statement from the wife of a young brother who was married for 4 months. Her husband died in a traffic accident. While kissing her husband's feet, she used the expression, 'I used to wake you up for work by kissing your feet every morning, how will I wake you up for work from now on?' I was very affected by that statement. Besides that, we do our profession without bringing it into our lives, our homes, or our relatives, only with the intention of work. Not everyone can do this. Corpses need to be washed very carefully and cleanly. First, a full ablution and prayer ablution must be performed so that no impurity remains on the corpse. Finally, after taking a full ablution, it is wrapped in three shrouds, dressed in a collarless shirt, tied, and placed in the coffin. While washing the corpses, we do not even look at the face of the deceased because we do not want it to stay in our minds. That is something the profession has accustomed us to," he added.

"THERE ARE EVEN THOSE WHO DO NOT EAT THE FOOD WE COOK"

Washer Selvi Yağmur, one of the female heroes of this challenging profession, stated that they see their profession not only as a job but also as a significant humanitarian duty. Yağmur said, "In every funeral, we act with a sense of final duty. There are those who shiver among those who hear about our profession, those who admire it, and those who are afraid. Some say, 'You washed my mother or my child, my baby.' They approach this topic with curiosity. Some say they cannot sit in the same room, and there are even those who do not eat the food we cook," she said.

"NOT EVERY CORPSE IS LIKE SLEEPING"

Washer Selvi Yağmur stated, "When you start, if you feel fear when you touch or see, I don't think you can continue. That courage, that stomach, or that state of mind must be present in that person. If not, they cannot do it. It is not something you get used to over time. Not every corpse is like sleeping. For example, we recently experienced an earthquake. There are those who have had accidents, those who have undergone autopsies. There are all kinds of deaths you can think of, and there are also the states reflected in the corpses. Some have bleeding, some have severed limbs. This job requires not only courage but also a strong will, to be honest. If your will and stomach are not strong, you cannot handle what you see. Therefore, there is certainly a side to be afraid of," she said.

"WE TRY TO DO OUR JOB WITH GREAT COMPASSION"

Yağmur stated, "If we look at our profession spiritually, if you see the deceased as your mother, sister, brother, or child, you do this job with great compassion."

It doesn't change my life negatively. It changes it positively. I mean, I look at my mother, my family, and my children with more compassion and emotion. Because it feels like I could lose them at any moment. So when I wash a child's body today and go home, hugging my child is of course a different experience. For example, we often see those who collapse on their mother's body and cry, saying, "I'm sorry." Your perspective towards your mother changes, your perspective towards your surroundings changes. We face death every day. Every soul will taste death, and you touch this death every day. In other words, you come into contact with death. Facing this truth strengthens a person in terms of faith, of course. For example, they ask us if we have gotten used to it. I say, "May God not let us get used to it." I mean, if we get used to death, there will be nothing left of us in this world, right? There is a death that stops a person, a death that scares. I try to look at my own soul this way," she said.

"THE WATER FOR WASHING THE BODY SHOULD BE NEITHER TOO HOT NOR TOO COLD"

Yagmur said, "Bodies are washed with sweet water. It should be neither too hot nor too cold, like baby washing water, but it is adjusted according to the conditions. In other words, sometimes tayammum (dry ablution) is performed. This is completely adjusted according to the conditions, but the sensitivity of our religion describes it as sweet water."

"THE ONLY EVENT I HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN FOR 12 YEARS."

The woman funeral attendant Yagmur, who said she experienced the most unforgettable event during the earthquake period, stated, "The only event I haven't forgotten for 12 years happened during the earthquake period. I had taken the hairpins out of a little girl's hair that I washed and gave them to her mother's palm. The child had asked her mother for the hairpins just the day before and she had put them in her hair. I can't forget it, perhaps because I am a mother myself," she said.