Takatukahane

Shahmaran (Persian. Shah=king, Maran=snakes) is a very beautiful woman with a snake tail, dragon or snake body, the king of snakes. She lives with her snakes in an underground city and has the endless medical knowledge to cure all diseases. Camasb was the first human to see Shahmeran. In time, he gains Shahmaran’s love and trust and in return, Shahmaran teaches him everything she knows about medicine. But after years, Camasb misses his life above the ground and says that he wants to return. Shahmaran tells him that he can go, only if he keeps her secret and doesn’t mention her and the underground city to anyone.Camasb keeps his word for many years. But one day the sultan of the country gets sick. Doctors say that he can be healed only if he eats Shahmaran’s flesh. The Vizier, who searches for Shahmaran all over the country with the order of the Sultan, finally reaches Camasb and makes him talk.When they finally find Shahmaran, she says “I will die anyway. Here is my secret. Whoever eats my tail will have all of my wisdom and long life.

Whoever eats my head will die in pain. “ Camasb, who thought that he betrayed Shahmaran, eats his head to die and the vizier eats the tail to have the wisdom. However, the vizier dies and Camasb gains the Shahmaran’s wisdom. Some sources write that Camasb is Luqman the Wise (a healer in folk legends across the Middle Eastern) who wandered about the country from land to land and cured people with his wisdom.

Although Shahmaran has its origins in Persian mythology, it is also in Turkish mythology. There say that Shahmaran’s city is Tarsus which is located in South-central Turkey. Shahmaran Hammam in Tarsus is known as the place where she was killed and cut into pieces.