Early Mystics in Turkish Literature
Mehmed Fuad Köprülü: Early Mystics in Turkish Literature. Translated, edited and with an introduction by Gary Leiser and Robert Dankoff. Foreword by Devin De Weese. London, New York: Routledge, 2006
Early Mystics in Turkish Literature is a translation and edition of Mehmed Fuad Köprülü's
(1890-1966) Turkish masterpiece Turk edebiyatinda ilk mutasavviflar, originally published in
1918 and republished numerous times. Focusing on two great medieval poets, Ahmad
Yasawī (Ahmed Yesevi) in Central Asia and Yunus Emre in Anatolia, it examines the origin and early
evolution of Turkish literature.
Using Arabic and Persian as well as Turkish sources, Köprülü describes the origin of Turkish literature and then attempts to show the continuity in its development between Central Asia and Anatolia. Furthermore, he studies these issues within the broader contexts of:
- Islam
- Sufism
- The genesis of Turkish culture in the Muslim world
The Turkish edition of this book was a major contribution to the study of Turkish literature, enjoying iconic status. The English edition updates and clarifies its detailed references, describes the influence of this book on subsequent scholarship, and includes a critique of the author's methods. Earl Mystics in Turkish Literature is essential reading for scholars of Turkish literature and history, Islam, and Sufism.
