Religion and sufism in the Divan of Esrar Dede

The value given to art by the Mevlevi sect and the methods followed in educational institutions bring many poets to Classical Turkish literature. The spiritual influence created by the philosophy of Mevlana shapes the inner world of many followers of the sect and lays the groundwork for the transfer of the changes they experienced in their souls. Esrar Dede, who is the subject of our study, is one of the poets that the Mevlevi culture brought to Turkish literature. Esrar Dede, who lived in the 18th century, joined the Mevlevi sect in his forties. The poet, who changed the direction of his life at an age that could be said to be late, dedicates the remaining nine years of his life to the journey of finding himself in Mevlevi. Esrar Dede, who grew up under the supervision of a great poet like Şeyh Galip, synthesizes the education he received from his teacher with his cultural background and creates many works in a short time. Esrar Dede, who was also influenced by many Mevlevi poets who grew up in the sect, writes very original poems by melting this interaction in his own poetry pot. The poet, who rose to the rank of dede in the Mevlevi order, spent the last days of his life writing works in isolation in the Galata Mevlevi Lodge. Esrar Dede is a poet who dominates the literature of Sufism, religion and Mevlevi. His religious and mystical discourses occupy an important place in his divan. In this study, it is aimed to determine the religious and mystical concepts in Esrar Dede's poems and the usage characteristics of these concepts. In this direction, religious and mystical concepts, which have become original in the poet's imagination, have been evaluated and explained in the context of our subject. Thus, the depth of meaning that emerged during the poet's expressions and the background of the messages that were intended to be given to the reader were tried to be reflected.