Hasan Sezayi's life, works, caliphs and his views on sufism

Hasan Sezâyî Efendi was born in Mora, Gordus (Corinth) in 1080/1669. As a result of the Venetians' invasion of the Peloponnese in 1098/1687, he came to Istanbul at the age of 18, and after a while to Edirne, where he joıned the Halvetiyye Branch Gülşeniyye Sect. Hasan Sezâyî Efendi is the founder of Sezaiyye, which is attributed to his own pseudonym. Sezâyî Efendi draws attention with his poems in the style of divan and lodge literature. In this respect, he was considered one of the representatives of dervish lodge literature of his period. Another work of Sezâyî, who is mostly famous for his Dîvân, is at least as important as his Dîvân is Mektûbâtı. Based on these information, in the first part of our study, information about his life, personality, works, caliphs were given by applying to many different sources, especially the works of Hasan Sezâyî Efendi. In the second part, his views on status and ranks, Sufism and sect problems, nafs and the ways to struggle with nafs, were presented in the light of his Dîvân and Mektûbât. Our aim with this study is to create a portrait of Hasan Sezâyî by referring to his life, personality, works and his mystical views that have not been discussed before.