Feridüddîn-i Attâr, who was born in Nishapur, is no stranger to Turkish intellectuals interested in Sufism and classical Eastern literature, having previously translated works such as İlâhînâme and Mantıku't-tayr into Turkish using the Latin alphabet.
The works of this great Sufi, who lived in Nişabur between 513-627 AH (1119-1230 AD), were brought to Anatolia through the Mevlânâ tribe, who were forced to migrate from Belh at that time. and even dedicated his Esrârnâme, which he wrote at a young age and presented as a gift to Mevlânâ Celâleddîn-i Rûmî, who had met him and kissed his hand, to him. Thus, for nearly 700 years, Feridüddîn-i Attâr, whose name has been mentioned in Anatolia and recognized by Sufi scholars, like Mevlânâ, softened the atmosphere of blood and fire in the face of the Mongol invasion and similar social upheavals of that period with love and poetry, and worked to inspire the best morals in people by making use of the forms of the time.
Nishapur, located on the migration routes stretching from Central Asia to Anatolia, has long been a cultural centre that nourished the intellectual life of our Oğuz and Seljuk civilisations. In the works of Feridüddîn-i Attâr, we find feelings, events, and people that are very close to us.
The Tezkiretü'l-evliyâ we are presenting this time is a short book of ‘stories of saints.’ It contains miracles, sermons, advice, and great words filled with a thousand and one useful meanings, thus forming a beautiful book of morals.
This work by Feridüddîn-i Attâr, which we present in Latin letters, is a copy of one of the copies previously translated into Turkish in the old letters. For this reason, there may be some differences between the original work and this copy. It may have taken on a somewhat anonymous character as it passed from hand to hand. We have endeavoured to preserve the style reminiscent of 15th-century Anatolian Turkish, avoiding any distortion, and have presented this work as a popular book, using language that is close to the people. We have sought to create a book of stories from which lessons can be drawn, rather than a work of scholarly research.
If this attempt to bring the other works of this great mystic, whose Tezkiretü'l-evliyâ was translated into English by Nicholson in 1905, into our library sparks a movement, we will consider ourselves fortunate.
