Yunus Emre

Yunus Emre , also known as Derviş Yûnus (Yûnus the Dervish; 1238–1320; Old Anatolian Turkish: يونس امره), was a Turkish folk poet and Sufi who greatly influenced Turkish culture. The UNESCO General Conference unanimously passed a resolution declaring 1991, the 750th anniversary of the poet's birth, International Yunus Emre Year.

Biography

Yunus Emre has exercised immense influence on Turkish literature, because Yunus Emre is, after Ahmed Yesevi and Sultan Walad, one of the first known poets to have composed works in the spoken Old Anatolian Turkish. His diction remains very close to the popular speech of the people in Central and Western Anatolia. This is also the language of a number of anonymous folk-poets, folk-songs, fairy tales, riddles (Hayran), and proverbs. Following the Mongolian invasion of Anatolia, facilitated by the Sultanate of Rûm's defeat at the 1243 Battle of Köse Dağ, Islamic mystic literature thrived in Anatolia; Yunus Emre became one of its most distinguished poets. He remains a popular figure in a number of countries, stretching from Azerbaijan to the Balkans, with seven different and widely dispersed localities disputing the privilege of having his tomb within their boundaries.

His poems, written in the tradition of Anatolian folk poetry, mainly concern divine love as well as human destiny:

and a poem about Muhammad, Ali, Hasan and Husayn:

In popular culture Yunus Emre was the focus of Yunus Emre: Aşkın Yolculuğu (The Journey of Love), which ran for two seasons and 44 episodes, focused on Yunus Emre's life and premiered in 2015 on Turkish National Television (TRT), created by Mehmet Bozdağ, and starring Gökhan Atalay as Yunus Emre. Yunus Emre has also been the focus of a film and a song; his representations in popular culture include: Yunus Emre: Aşkın Yolculuğu – A two-season 44-episode fictional drama based on the life of Yunus Emre, premiering in 2015 on Turkish National Television (TRT). Yunus Emre: Aşkın Sesi – A 2014 Turkish film based on Yunus Emre's life starring Devrim Evin in the lead role. Adımız Miskindir Bizim – A 1973 psychedelic folk-rock song by Mazhar ve Fuat, with lyrics belongs to Yunus Emre. Yûnus Emre Divânı 1 – A 2021 album based on four poems: Şükür Şükür Ol Çalab'a, Hak'dan Gelen Şerbeti, Cânlar Cânını Buldum and Biz Dünyadan Gider Olduk by Yunus Emre was produced by the group An'dan İçeri, with music from Turkish composer Tuncay Korkmaz.

International legacy In Ashgabat (Turkmenistan), a street was named after Yunus Emre and three monuments were erected (in the Parahat-1 microdistrict, in the Inspiration Park and in the Magtymguly Park ).

Gallery