Memories of Humankind Seminars
Enderunlu Fazıl's Istanbul: Istanbul Beyond the Human Mind
Selim S. Kuru
19 December 2019 / 18:30
Enderunlu Fazıl (1757?-1810) penned two major works in verse, Hubanname (Book of Beautiful Young Men) and Zenanname (Book of Women): The former sheds light on the 'true' love experienced between two men, and the latter underscores the adverse effects of sexuality, and relations with women. Based on a specific geographic perspective, these works place Istanbul at the center of a region spanning from India to the New World in late eighteenth century. In both texts, the sections on Istanbul, described as a land of unfathomable plenty, feature the most elaborate passages complete with a depiction of the ethnical and religious groups living in the city. In this talk, Kuru will focus on these sections of the works, and share some general insights about Hubanname and Zenanname.
About Selim S. Kuru
A faculty member at University of Washington, Selim S. Kuru's research interests include Ottoman and Turkish studies. A consultant of the exhibition Memories of Humankind:Stories from the Ottoman Manuscripts, Kuru has penned the texts in the section of the exhibition titled Love and Sexuality in Ottoman Literature.
Free of admissions; drop in. The talk will be in Turkish.
Image caption: Hûbanname and Zenanname. İstanbul University, Manuscripts Section 5502.
