The Epic of Koroghlu (Azerbaijani: Koroğlu dastanı, کوروجلو حماسه سی; Turkish: Köroğlu destanı; Turkmen: Görogly dessany; Uzbek: Goʻr oʻgʻli dostoni) is a heroic legend prominent in the oral traditions of the Turkic peoples, mainly the Oghuz Turks.

The epic tells about the life and heroic deeds of Koroghlu as a hero of the people who struggled against unjust rulers.

Due to the migration in the Middle Ages of large groups of Oghuz Turks within Central Asia, South Caucasus and Asia Minor, and their subsequent assimilation with other ethnic groups, the Epic of Koroghlu spread widely in these geographical regions leading to emergence of its Turkmen, Kazakh, Uzbek, Tajik, Azerbaijani, Turkish, Crimean Tatar, Georgian, Kurdish, and Armenian[3] versions.

The story has been told for many generations by the "bagshy" narrators of Turkmenistan, fighter Ashik bards of Azerbaijan and Turkey, and has been written down mostly in the 18th century.

Outside of Turkmenistan, the tradition is found in neighbouring countries — including Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Iran — and in other places where Turkmen ethnic groups have historically lived.

The first "chapter" of the epic is about a miraculous birth and heroic education of Görogly (he grows up with grandfather Jygalybek and aunt Gülendam), raising the winged horse called Gyrat, building the Chandybil fortress and gathering warriors.

Next are the stories about the marriage of Görogly to a fairy-tale girl, peri Agaýunus (the hero falls in love with a girl in his dream, goes in search of her, overcomes obstacles, takes her to Chandybil), about revenge on Arab-Reýhan for kidnapping his aunt, Gülendam, about the adoption of Ovez, about saving him from captivity and about his marriage.

[6] Various art forms are employed in the oral performance of Görogly, including narration, singing, vocal improvisation, and acting.

Dessanchy bagshys are known for their prodigious memory, outstanding musical skills, and intelligence, which are all necessary qualities for performing the epic.

The epic enables Turkmen people to learn and transmit their common history and social values to younger generations.

Dessanchy bagshy competitions, regular national and religious holidays, celebrations, commemorations, and international cultural festivals also contribute greatly to the safeguarding of the Görogly tradition.

In addition, each province has a bagshylar oyi ("house of bagshy"), where masters gather monthly to exchange ideas, record themselves, and broadcast their performances on TV and radio.

Aryp bolsaň, habar algyl sözünden, Bakdygynça, gözüň doýmaz gözünden, Aşyk bolan behre alar ýüzünden, Aga jan, Arabyň gyzyn bereýin.

Görogly beg ar üstünde söweşer, Burma saçy tar-tar topugna düşer, Ýuka dodaklary balmydyr-şeker, Aga jan, Arabyň gyzyn bereýin.

Köroğlu beğ öç uğruna savaşır, Kıvırcık saçları topuğuna düşer, İnce dudakları baldır ve şeker, Ağacan, Arabın kızını vereyim.

Gorogly likes to fight for revenge, Her curly hair reaches her tender ankles, Her thin lips are made of honey, sugar, Brother, let me give you the Arab's daughter.

In many of the versions, Turkish: Köroğlu earns his name from the wrongful blinding of his father, an act for which the son takes his revenge and which initiates his series of adventures.

The most common version of the tale describes Turkish: Köroğlu destanı as Rushen Ali, the son of the stableman Koca Yusuf lives in Dörtdivan under the service of the Bey of Bolu.

As this miracle can give everlasting health and youth to only one man, Yusuf loses his chance to see again, and dies a few days later, ordering his son to avenge him.

He raids and plunders his former master's property, and eludes his would-be captors by staying on the move and fleeing to distant lands whenever his enemy organises a large-scale campaign to capture him.

Even the simple guns of the time are sufficient to change the ways of the warriors forever: The balance of power is upset by the "holed iron", as Köroğlu calls the tool when he first sees one, and the Beys of Northern Anatolia engage in brutal warfare with each other.

In 1967, Yaşar Kemal successfully collected this legend in his epic novel Üç Anadolu Efsanesi, which stands as the most outstanding Köroğlu reference in contemporary literature.

[11] Gurughli, whose name means "born of the grave", is the immaculately conceived child of the sister of Ahmadkhan (a Turkistan khan).

She dies during pregnancy, and the child is born while the mother is already buried and survives on the milk of one of the mares from Ahmadkhan's herd, until he is found and named by shepherds.

In December 2015, the Turkmen epic art of Görogly was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.