About Nalî
Lived 1800 – 1877. Nalî was a Turkish and Kurdish poet, writer, linguist, mathematician and translator.
Nalî (, 1797/1800–1855/56), also known as Mela Khidrî Ehmedî Šaweysî Mikâʾîlî, was a prominent Kurdish poet, scholar, and linguist from the Sulaymaniyah region in present-day Kurdistan Region, Iraq. He is regarded as one of the most influential figures in classical Kurdish literature and a pioneer in the development of Central Kurdish as a literary language. He was known for his eloquent use of poetic forms and incorporation of themes such as love, mysticism, and Kurdish identity. Beside his literary contributions, he was also active in fields such as translation, jurisprudence, and mathematics, making him a key intellectual figure of 19th-century Kurdish society.
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Important facts
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Nalî's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Nalî?
Kurdish poet
When was Nalî born?
Nalî was born in 1800 in Sulaymaniyah.
When did Nalî die?
Nalî died on 23 November 1877 in Istanbul.
What was Nalî's occupation?
Nalî was a poet, writer, linguist, mathematician and translator.
What nationality was Nalî?
Nalî was Turkish and Kurdish.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Nalî. https://biography.guide/nali/
MLA: "Nalî." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/nali/.
Chicago: "Nalî." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/nali/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-21 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
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