Nur Baba: A Sufi Novel of Late Ottoman Istanbul

The first-ever English translation of Nur Baba, a classic of modern Turkish literature, provides a unique window into Sufi lodges, social dilemmas, and intellectual life in early twentieth-century Istanbul. Inspired by the author's personal experiences with Islamic mystical orders, the novel explores themes of illicit romance, spiritual inquiry, and gender roles in a Sufi community. Set against the backdrop of Istanbul's elite families and a Sufi lodge, the book captures the zeitgeist of modernist thinkers who criticized Sufism and debated the roles of women in a rapidly modernizing society. With a scholarly introduction, maps, images, and explanatory footnotes, the book is of interest to students and scholars of world literature, Sufi studies, and Ottoman-Turkish history.

Format: Hardback
Length: 122 pages
Publication date: 23 June 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This first-ever English translation of Nur Baba, a classic of modern Turkish literature written by Yakup Kadri Karaosmanoğlu, offers a unique window into Sufi lodges, social dilemmas, and intellectual life in early twentieth-century Istanbul. Inspired by Karaosmanoğlu'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 editors 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.

Weight: 410g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032463902