Nur Baba: A Sufi Novel of Late Ottoman Istanbul

Yakup Kadri Karaosmanoğlu*, M. Brett Wilson

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Book/Report typesBookpeer-review

Abstract (may include machine translation)

This first- ever English translation of Nur Baba- a classic of modern Turkish literature written by Yakup Kadri Karaosmanoglu- offers a unique window into Sufi lodges, social dilemmas, and intellectual life in early twentieth- century Istanbul. Inspired by Karaosmanoglu's personal experiences with Islamic mystical orders, it is a story of illicit romance and spiritual inquiry, depicting a colorful lodge of Sufi dervishes led by a charismatic, yet morally suspect, spiritual master named Nur Baba. The plot follows his attempts to seduce an attractive married woman from an elite family and recounts her dramatic experiences in the life of a Sufi community. The setting shuttles between the grand mansions of Istanbul's elite families and a Sufi lodge where rich and poor intermingle. Exploring questions of gender, morality, and religious bias throughout, it captures the zeitgeist of early twentieth- century modernist thinkers who criticized Sufism for impeding social progress and debated the public roles of women in a rapidly modernizing society. Alongside the editor's meticulous translation, the volume includes a scholarly introduction, maps, and images, as well as explanatory footnotes that will aid both students and scholars alike. The novel will be of particular interest to those studying world literature, Sufi studies, and Ottoman- Turkish history.

Original languageEnglish
PublisherTaylor and Francis
Number of pages122
ISBN (Electronic)9781000876178
ISBN (Print)9781032463902
DOIs
StatePublished - 23 Jun 2023

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