Minstrel (b. 1860,
Samikale village / Narman / Erzurum – d. 5 January 1915). His real name
was Hüseyin. He worked as a shepherd in his village. He learnt how to play the
baglama from the minstrels of Erzurum.
It is said that he traveled to Caucasia, Iran, Afghanistan,
India
and Turan (Turkic lands) and returned to find his imaginary lover, whom he gave
the name, Gülperi. As a traveling minstrel, he was known for his folk poems
influenced by Ardahan, Emrah and Karacaoğlan. His poems were collected by Haşim
Nezih Okay, with the title of Aşık Sümmani (The Poet, 1940) and Sümmanî - Hayatı ve Şiirleri (Sümmani -
His Life and Poems, by Nesip Yağmurdereli, 1963), Sümmanî - Hayatı ve
Şiirleri (His Life and Poems, by Mehmet Kardeş 1939), Meşhur Saz Şairi Sümmanî - Hayatı ve Şiirleri (The Famous
Minstrel Summani-His Life and Poems, 1963),
Sümmani Bibliyografyası (Bibliography of Sümmani, 1982).
