Mufti Bekir Efendi’s Divan in Light of a Forgotten Copy and Poems Exclusive to This Copy

Turkmen, Aisha Mumtaz

doi:10.32894/1992-1179.2025.189665

	Mufti Bekir Efendi’s Divan in Light of a Forgotten Copy and Poems Exclusive to This Copy
Kirkuk University Journal: Humanity Studies
Volume 20, Issue 1, Part 3 - Serial Number 20, July 2025, Pages 459-478 PDF (927.55 K)
DOI: 10.32894/1992-1179.2025.189665
Author
Aisha Mumtaz Turkmen
University of Kirkuk / College of Education for Humanities / Department of Turkish Language
Abstract
Mufti Bekir Efendi of Kirkuk, who lived between the late 18th and early 19th centuries, is recognized as one of the significant poets of classical divan literature. Throughout his life, he held the position of mufti in Kerkuk and its surrounding regions and also served for a period as a deputy judge (nâib) in Baghdad. The only known work of Bekir Efendi is his divan, compiled systematically. The first known copy of this divan is preserved in the Manuscripts Collection of the National Library of Ankara under the catalog number 06 Mil Yz A 7096. This copy was the subject of a master's thesis in 2012, where it was stated that no other copies of the divan were known at that time. However, recent research led to the discovery of another copy of the divan in the private collection of Dr. Sabah Abdullah in Baghdad. This Baghdad copy consists of 129 leaves and includes several couplets and poems that do not appear in the Ankara copy. The presence of these unique pieces in the Baghdad manuscript offers new insights into the literary legacy of Bekir Efendi. The primary aim of this study is to introduce these previously unpublished couplets and poems to the academic world, thereby contributing to the comprehensive evaluation of Bekir Efendi’s literary heritage and providing new material for future research on Ottoman-Turkish poetry.
Keywords
Mufti Bekir Efendi; divan; Kirkuk; Baghdad manuscript

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