Today's Zaman - Istanbul, TurkeySaturday, July 21, 2007
The works of Konya Sufis set to return to their homeland
The works of Mevlana Jelaluddin Rumi, Sadreddin Konevi and Ibn Arabi, all citizens of Konya at one time or another in centuries gone by, have long resided in various countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Azer-baijan, France and Iran, but not for much longer.
Various tomes and commentaries on their writings are finally coming home to roost in a new, purpose-built department at the Konya Manuscripts Library.
The director of the library, Bekir Şahin, announced they had launched a joint project with the Mevlana Research Center of Seljuk University to bring together the works of Mevlana, Sadreddin Konevi and Ibn Arabi, all of which occupy an invaluable place in Turco-Islamic culture and with inextricable ties to Konya.
Şahin also mentioned that they were planning another section in the library dedicated to Nasreddin Hodja.
They have managed to trace and bring much of the renowned Sufi manuscripts to Konya already, but there is still plenty to do.
"We have been working for over a year. We worked hard as this year is the [UNESCO designated] Year of Rumi," Şahin recalled, adding: "We are planning to gather all that was written on their ideas and these men of love. Up till now, we have been focusing our efforts on locating their work.
Our efforts to bring them to Konya continue. This will not be a limited process: We will continue to bring all such works to Konya in the coming years."
He highlighted that the oldest known copy of Mevlana's masterpiece, "Mesnevi," was already being displayed in the manuscripts library.
"We found the older copies particularly in Azerbaijan and Dubai. We brought in one of Konevi's works, a diary, from the Yusufağa Manuscripts Library, also in Konya. We have been given serious support by the Sadreddin Konevi Research Center, founded by the Meram Municipality"
"We have currently found 73 manuscripts related to Nasreddin Hodja. We also found that France is an important source for manuscripts. We have thus formed an important resource on Nasreddin Hodja," he said.
[picture: Konya Books from http://www.ibnarabisociety.org/archive.html]
The works of Konya Sufis set to return to their homeland
The works of Mevlana Jelaluddin Rumi, Sadreddin Konevi and Ibn Arabi, all citizens of Konya at one time or another in centuries gone by, have long resided in various countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Azer-baijan, France and Iran, but not for much longer.
Various tomes and commentaries on their writings are finally coming home to roost in a new, purpose-built department at the Konya Manuscripts Library.
The director of the library, Bekir Şahin, announced they had launched a joint project with the Mevlana Research Center of Seljuk University to bring together the works of Mevlana, Sadreddin Konevi and Ibn Arabi, all of which occupy an invaluable place in Turco-Islamic culture and with inextricable ties to Konya.
Şahin also mentioned that they were planning another section in the library dedicated to Nasreddin Hodja.
They have managed to trace and bring much of the renowned Sufi manuscripts to Konya already, but there is still plenty to do.
"We have been working for over a year. We worked hard as this year is the [UNESCO designated] Year of Rumi," Şahin recalled, adding: "We are planning to gather all that was written on their ideas and these men of love. Up till now, we have been focusing our efforts on locating their work.
Our efforts to bring them to Konya continue. This will not be a limited process: We will continue to bring all such works to Konya in the coming years."
He highlighted that the oldest known copy of Mevlana's masterpiece, "Mesnevi," was already being displayed in the manuscripts library.
"We found the older copies particularly in Azerbaijan and Dubai. We brought in one of Konevi's works, a diary, from the Yusufağa Manuscripts Library, also in Konya. We have been given serious support by the Sadreddin Konevi Research Center, founded by the Meram Municipality"
"We have currently found 73 manuscripts related to Nasreddin Hodja. We also found that France is an important source for manuscripts. We have thus formed an important resource on Nasreddin Hodja," he said.
[picture: Konya Books from http://www.ibnarabisociety.org/archive.html]
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