The Healing Power of Makam Music

Makam music is a traditional musical system that for centuries was used in Ottoman medicine and the Islamic world to treat spiritual and physical ailments. This practice is based on the belief that music can influence an individual’s psychophysiological balance. Makams have been regarded as possessing the potential to affect a person’s emotional state through specific tone sequences and the emotional characteristics inherent in those sequences. It was believed that different makams exerted distinct physiological and psychological effects, making them suitable for treating specific illnesses.

In Turkish music, makams are tonal systems characterized by specific melodic progression rules, comprising initial, developmental, and conclusive phases. Each makam was thought to possess a unique emotional impact; for example, the Rast makam was described as imparting strength and confidence, while the Nava makam was associated with joy and openness. Throughout history, physicians prescribed specific makams according to the patient’s temperament, the nature of the illness, and the patient’s psychological condition, thereby implementing personalized music therapies.

This approach experienced significant development particularly during the Seljuk and Ottoman periods. Medical scholars of the time examined music therapy both theoretically and practically. Sources include the views of prominent thinkers such as Al-Farabi, Ibn Sina, Al-Razi, and Safi al-Din al-Urmawi on the healing power of music. Ibn Sina, in his work Al-Qanun fi’t-Tibb, treated music as a factor that restores mental equilibrium, detailing the effects of rhythm and tone on the human spirit.

During the Ottoman period, music therapy practices acquired institutional structure, particularly at the Darüşşifa of Sultan Bayezid II in Edirne. At this medical center, the sounds of running water and makam music were used together in the treatment of mental disorders. Physicians stationed at the darüşşifa selected appropriate makams for specific illnesses and performed them live using instruments such as the ney, ud, and rebap. For instance, the Sabâ makam was accepted as beneficial for melancholy and introversion, while the Hüseyni makam was believed to soothe the heart and alleviate spiritual fatigue.

Therapy through makam music was not limited to the elimination of physical symptoms; it also aimed at achieving inner calm, mental peace, enhanced concentration in worship, and the restoration of inner balance. This multidimensional framework reveals that makam music encompasses not only medical but also spiritual and aesthetic dimensions. According to this understanding, music functions as a bridge between body and soul, assuming a transformative role in the individual’s entire being.

Most knowledge regarding the healing effects of makams was recorded in written works, which detailed which makams were effective for specific emotional states or illnesses. For example, the Uşşak makam was recommended for excessive nervousness, the Rast makam for heart conditions, and the Rehavi makam for nervous disorders. These insights were compiled from both written sources and practical experience gained in darüşşifas that implemented such treatments.

Modern scientific research has produced findings that support the positive effects of traditional makam music on certain psychological disorders. Evidence indicating that music therapy can be effective in managing stress, anxiety, depression, and pain suggests that this traditional practice may hold scientific validity. However, makam-based music therapy must be understood as a holistic approach, not merely an acoustic one, since it is grounded not only in the physiological effects of sound but also in its cultural, religious, and metaphysical contexts.

The healing power of makam music is a multidimensional medical and cultural phenomenon, rooted in historical tradition, theoretical foundations, institutional practices, and individual experiences. This practice, which has contributed to human health both in the past and today, demonstrates that music can function not only as an art form but also as a therapeutic instrument. In this regard, makam music has been an essential component of holistic healing approaches that address both the human soul and body.