Turkish 1

Üsküdar’a gider iken or Kâtibim is one of the most popular Turkish songs
(türkü). The song is sung on behalf of a woman travelling to Uskudar, accompanied by a scribe. Apparently, this is a person she has a romantic relationship with. The song got a wide distribution after the performance of a Turkish singer Safiye Ayla. There are still a number of debates about its origin, as it was spread to other territories under the influence of the Ottoman Empire. Therefore different versions of the song can be found in countries neighbouring Turkey, sometimes with a completely dissimilar lyrics.