There are myths formed by the life and beliefs of each societies. The Turks also have mythological elements that originate from their lives and beliefs in all geographies they live in. As in many nations and geographies, the symbols which are the symbol of power and force are used in the foreground. It is often seen that they installed a protective symbol, sometimes a sacred mission and transformed them into mythological creatures due to their strong ties with animals. These are sometimes reflected on the canvas as painting likewise on the stones, on the wood, on the carpet and on the rug. It has also been a source of significant source for the development of contemporary Turkish painting. In this article, the reflections of the works of Turkish art artists after 1950, who considered the mythological elements as a source of inspiration by basing on the especially Turkish and old Anatolian culture, were studied. By examining the pictures of our artists after 1950 like Erol Akyavaş, Süleyman Saim Tekcan, Bedri Rahmi Eyüboglu, Hüsamettin Koçan, Nuri Abaç, Rauf Tuncer, Tomur Atagök and İbrahim Balaban, who considered Turkish mythology and cultural heritage as an outlet point, were in search and took important roles in the transfer of myths between the past and the future, it was investigated how and in what way mythological and symbolic elements are used. The study was carried out as a literature review, and mythological and symbolic elements in the pictures were evaluated in terms of plastic items. In addition, the works of the artists in museums, galleries and collections were examined and the work was enriched with visuals.

Keywords: Mythology, Turkish mythological elements, Modern Turkish painting after 1950, Turkish artists using mythological elements.