Reflections of the idea of existence and unity in classical Turkish poetry

The issue of existence, which is as old as the history of humanity, has been subjected to constant questioning by thinkers. The views put forward by Semavian religions, different beliefs and philosophers have ontologically characterised the nature of existence, as well as the position of the being in front of the creator. This study, prepared within the framework of philosophical, religious and sufism thought, focuses on the reflections of the understanding of existence and unity in classical Turkish poetry. After expressing various philosophical movements, mystical formations and sufism's view of existence, the theory of the unity of existence (wahdat al-wujūd) is discussed from Ibn al-'Arabī's perspective and the reflections of the dimensions of existence in classical Turkish poetry are emphasised. Symbols, metaphors and similes in classical Turkish poetry, in which the concepts of existence and unity are reflected with the image of the superior 'beloved/dear', are explained with the traditional commentary method. Based on the concepts of existence and unity, it is aimed to reveal the effects of the theory of the unity of being on classical Turkish poetry. This study is limited to 15 divans covering the 14th-19th centuries. The mentioned divans were scanned within the framework of the concepts of existence and unity. Among the scanned couplets, those directly related to the subject were selected and interpreted. In this study, the concepts of existence and unity, which are constantly discussed in the philosophical and religious fields, and how the theory of the unity of being (wahdat al-wujūd) in Sufi culture is treated in classical Turkish poetry have been revealed. It has been possible to determine how the doctrine of the unity of being systematised by Ibn al-'Arabī and his followers is evaluated in classical Turkish poetry.