What is Gulyabani? Anatolia's Most Terrifying Folkloric Creature
What is Gulyabani? One of the most terrifying figures in Anatolian/Mesopotamian folklore; a creature with backward feet, hairy body, wandering through graveyards, attacking travelers and graves. Origin: A multi-layered legend extending from Persian and Arab mythology to Anatolia. Physical characteristics: Tall, bearded, foul-smelling, sometimes appears disguised as a woman. Literature & cinema: Popular culture impact extending from Hüseyin Rahmi Gürpınar’s novel to the film “Süt Kardeşler.” Imagine a creature wandering among graveyards on dark nights, confusing those who follow it with its backward feet, terrifying people with its hairy body and horrific smell. If you immediately thought “jinn” at the backward feet part, you’d be wrong. Gulyabani, one of…
What are the Backrooms?
Have you ever felt yourself lost in an endless corridor in your dreams, familiar yet utterly foreign? Can you imagine being trapped alone in a never-ending labyrinth filled with yellow wallpaper, damp carpets, and humming fluorescent lights? The answer to “what are the Backrooms” will introduce you to the internet’s most unsettling liminal nightmare. This creepypasta phenomenon has become one of modern horror’s most captivating legends. The Backrooms story, which began on 4chan in 2019 and rapidly spread across the internet, has embedded itself in the minds of millions. This parallel dimension you fall into by “no-clipping” out of reality offers an escape room of terror filled with infinite corridors,…
Spooky Istanbul No. 2: A "Haunted" Mansion from the Bosphorus – Cemil Molla Mansion
Hello, dear Korku101 readers with a passion for folk horror! Today we’re here to share a brand new urban legend with you. We’re shifting our route from the remote villages of Anatolia to one of the most magnificent spots on the Istanbul Bosphorus. Along the Bosphorus shore, where grand waterfront mansions and historic villas line up one after another, there stands a mansion spoken of in hushed, spine-chilling whispers among locals: Cemil Molla Mansion. Located in Kuzguncuk and bearing the marks of history when viewed from outside, this structure, according to the urban legends that have formed around it, is also the center of certain ghost stories and strange…
Scary Folklore Creatures from Around the World
Goatman (American Folklore) La Llorona (Mexican Folklore) Black Annis (English Folklore) Kuchisake-Onna (Japanese Folklore) Mngwa (African Folklore) Ghouls (Arab Folklore) and Gulyabani (Turkish Folklore) Yara-ma-yha-who (Australian Mythology) Every culture has its monsters. From the shadowy forests of England to the riverbanks of Mexico, from the mountains of Japan to the outback of Australia, terrifying creatures lurk in folklore around the world. Some of these beings are so feared that people refuse to speak their names aloud, referring to them only through whispers and euphemisms. These aren’t just bedtime stories meant to scare children, they’re deeply rooted cultural phenomena that reflect our universal fears and the darkness we sense lurking…
Karakoncolos: The Dark Winter Creature of Anatolian Folklore
Anatolian folklore and pre-Islamic Turkic mythology form a rich tapestry of legends, spirits, and supernatural beings. Among these, few figures are as intriguing or as unsettling as the Karakoncolos. What is Karakoncolos? Karakoncolos is typically depicted as a small, black, hairy creature, sometimes resembling a diminutive devil cloaked in darkness. The entity is almost always described as male. Across various cultures where this belief persists, Karakoncolos is said to emerge from the underworld during the coldest nights of winter, roaming the earth from Christmas through January 6th and in some traditions, even into February. The origins of Karakoncolos are as varied as the cultures that tell its tales. In Greek…
Turkish Urban Legends No:8 - The Haunting Echoes of Molla Zeyrek Mosque:
Istanbul’s history-soaked streets harbor intriguing tales that captivate folk horror enthusiasts. Among the city’s most compelling stories is that of Molla Zeyrek Mosque, standing tall in the Zeyrek neighborhood. This ancient structure, bearing traces of the Byzantine era, draws attention with its mysterious past and the fear-filled legends whispered among locals. Historical Background Molla Zeyrek Mosque was originally constructed as the Pantokrator Monastery in the 12th century. Transformed into a mosque over time following the conquest of Istanbul, this building embodies both Byzantine and Ottoman architectural influences. Every corner of the structure is adorned with stories echoing from the past. Legends and Horror Tales The paranormal folklore surrounding Molla Zeyrek…
Turkish Urban Legends No. 3: The Issız Cuma Cemetery – Where Gravestones Move on Their Own
We continue our exploration of folk horror beliefs from Anatolia with a paranormal urban legend centered around Çanakkale. What we find appealing about this particular story is that it isn’t the product of media sensationalism or a scenario that became an urban legend only after being featured in a horror film—it’s genuinely known among the local population. This article will examine the mysterious history of a cemetery that hosts a folkloric horror-themed urban legend, along with a narrative that can only be described as both haunting and tragic. Let’s uncover the secrets of Issız Cuma Cemetery together. Located in the Yenice district of Çanakkale, Issız Cuma Cemetery (which translates roughly…
Turkish Urban Legends No. 2: Apartment No. 129
According to some sources it happened in Ankara, according to others in Antalya—in the İşçi Blokları (Workers’ Housing) neighborhood, on 1530th Street. Two female university students performed a ritual around 1:00 AM, surrounded by candles and candlesticks. After that night, numerous claims emerged: residents harming themselves, animals being sacrificed, and more. According to those who lived in the building, a violent tremor struck on the night the women died. Furniture was thrown around in every apartment, and windows shattered. The strange part? There’s no record of any earthquake or seismic activity that night. Following this incident, the building’s residents abandoned the place, never to return. Those who eventually mustered the…
Turkish Urban Legends No. 1: The Haunted Bathhouse of Eskişehir
Among the urban legends that emerged in Turkey during the 2000s and beyond, the story of the “haunted bathhouse” in Eskişehir stands out as perhaps the most intriguing—and certainly the one that has secured the firmest foothold in popular culture. What sets this tale apart from other paranormal urban legends is its remarkable success in spreading through word of mouth, far outpacing similar creepy stories of its era. In fact, this legend achieved such notoriety that it was even featured in a sketch on “Kime Diyorum Ben” (Who Am I Talking To), one of the most popular talk shows of its time, hosted by comedian Şahan Gökbakar. Of course, this…
