This lesson series explores various genres of Ottoman literature, providing a broad perspective on the empire’s long-lasting literary tradition from its beginnings to the Tanzimat era.
The first lesson introduces the theoretical foundations of classical Ottoman poetry, commonly known as Divan Edebiyatı. This will be followed by a session on Yunus Emre, a central figure in Ottoman poetry, focusing on the mystical poetry (tasavvufi şiir) tradition to which his works belong. The third lesson focuses on the hagiography genre, examining how it reconstructs history within its own narrative framework. The final three lessons shift to a period of significant cultural and political transformations. These changes will be analyzed through the works of Ottoman poets and intellectuals, tracing the evolving literary landscape in response to these shifts.