Rus Edebiyatında Bir Türk Kültürü Klasiği: Aflatuni’nin Kilden Harfler, Yüzen Elmalar Eserinde “Dervişlik”

Abstract

Dervishes were important figures who embraced asceticism, modesty, poverty, and patience as a way of living and played a key role in spreading Islam among the Turks. Culturally influential dervishes have been a common topic of research in many disciplines. In Sufi literature, dervishes are portrayed as nomads who advise people to be honest, have good morals, devote their lives on the path of truth, and are committed only to God. After the birth of orientalism in the West, which mainly focuses on the ever-fascinating East, dervishes appeared in different cultures and literature. For instance, in Russian culture and literature, dervishes are defined similarly but portrayed differently, depending on periods, conditions, and literary movements. However, the most potent example of a dervish notion, characterized by wisdom and mysticism, is Suhbat Aflatuni's “Clay Letters, Floating Apples." The author emphasizes the mystery of the East and the importance of being a perfect human being and conveys a profound life philosophy in his works. In this long story, the mystical dervish of the East reveals himself as a teacher. The dervish teacher comes to a village cursed by drought, poverty, and ignorance due to a cruel murder of a dervish a long time ago. He almost suffers the fate of the previous dervish, but divine powers help him complete his mission, and then he disappears. Aflatuni reflects all the aspects of the dervish image in his work and provides a unique example of intercultural interactions. This paper discusses the traces and intercultural similarities of mystical dervish images in Russian literature.