Christian Motives in the Gazels of Fatih Sultan Mehmed - Awni

Abstract

Seventh Ottoman Sultan Mehmed Fatih was not only a successful conqueror and statesman but also a poet who signed his lyrics using Avni as an alias. His poetry, in which the object of love is impersonated by a Christian is rather intriguing, given the reputation of the author as a successful warrior in the name of Islam. In order to understand this seeming contradiction one requires plunging deeper in the analysis of social circumstances prevailing in the Ottoman Empire during the 15th century. This, furthermore, entails understanding the view of the world through the prism of Islamic mysticism as well as Islamic-Ottoman literary tradition, which dominated over poetic standards applied by the Ottoman elite. In light of previously said this paper takes critical approach to some attempts of literary historians who sought to connect the poet’s biography and real personal emotions with the content of his gazels. Fatih`s gazels require to be interpreted in the context of mystical-Islamic dogma and the social environment in which they appeared.