Description: Newly translated into English, this influential book examines literary and religious history in late medieval Anatolia. Invaluable to those interested in early Turkish literature, Sufism, Anatolian and Middle Eastern history in the late Middle Ages.
Review Quotes:
The Muslim World Book Review
Islamic Spirituality- Shiraz Sheikh
Early Mystics in Turkish Literature
After a short discussion on Turkish literature before Ahmad Yasawi, the first part of the book proceeds with an account on the life and times of this great sufi personality. Relying primarily on hagiographical works (velayet-name, manaqib), such as the Jawahir al-Abrar of Hazini.]-[The second part which deals with Yunus Emre, follows a similar format to the one on Yasawi's in almost equal treatment, except now the focus has shifted from Central Asia to Anatolia. In this regard, before embanking on an account of the life of Yunus Emre, Koprulu begins by giving an overview of the first appearances of Turkish "national" literature in Anatolia. It is also in this section that Koprulu deals with the question of the flourishing and spread of Islmic mysticism in Anatolia, with special attention to the life and influence of Mawlana Jalal al-Din Rumi.