by Yasmin Saghafi
My PhD research project at Leiden University focuses on medieval cultural history through exploring manuscripts of Sufi Persian narrative poetry from the late 13th to the early 14th century in Anatolia. In this period, as the Sufi brotherhood institutions became established in the Islamic world, the Mawlaviyya order emerged in Anatolia, inaugurating a manuscript tradition in the bilingual and multicultural environment of Anatolia, initially in the Seljuk capital of Konya.
The questions I follow in my research involve how such narratives could represent a communal Islamic past and a developing Sufi tradition, and how they reflect the oral-literate mode of transmission in the socio-political environment of medieval Anatolia. Manuscripts are my primary materials; as tangible artefacts, they are central to the philological method and essential for situating the narratives in their historical and cultural framework.
During my stay in Istanbul, supported by the Netherlands Institute in Turkey, I enjoyed visiting libraries, spots and museums where in medieval times manuscripts were transcribed and Persian Sufi poetry was circulated. My daily working space was usually the NIT library. One of the memorable parts of this trip was lunchtime gatherings with the members and students of NIT, a great opportunity to chat and learn from the researchers working in different fields and on various historical periods of the region. I truly appreciate Dr. Fokke Gerritsen and Dr. Aysel Arslan for this fellowship and their kind help, support and guidance throughout my month-long stay.
In the Suleymaniye manuscript collection in Istanbul, I saw a number of manuscripts. However, the exposure of the manuscripts is not allowed to be more than a few minutes; re-digitalisation of the online versions for a higher quality is possible. Thanks to the help of Mr. Ahmet Sait Kutgul, who ensured that I had access to all the sources I needed, a re-digitalised high-quality version of my selected manuscript became available on the website of the Presidency of Turkiye Manuscript Institution within a week.
In Konya, I had the opportunity to see several codices in the Mevlana Museum manuscript collection. It was quite productive for gaining a general overview of the manuscript tradition from the Seljuk to the Ilkhanate and Ottoman periods by comparing their handwriting, structure and titles, stamps and endowment notes, marginal notes and the colophons. It could not have been possible without the generous help of Dr. Naci Bakirci, who, with great patience, guided me through the materials and provided valuable information. I hope this significant collection will become available online in the future.