Human education in Menakiname literature

This study is about the critic of Menakıpnames from moral and contemporarypoint of view. Examples of Menakıpnames from the beginning to 19.th century has beenpresented in the study. Sufism which has an important role on the birth of Menakıpnameliterature and its terms were used rather frequently.The question to how to use the short stories in the Menakıpnames that tell us theSaints? model behaviours and their educational methods of the voluntary students and thecommunity in our present educational system to the contemporary educational system wastried to be answered.Psychologist Lawrance Kohlberg?s development of moral phases was used toexplain the understanding capacities of individuals in different ages.The importance of presenting historical models to make a syntesis of universalmoral and individual values in the process of creation of identity and character was specicallyemphasized.Sufi, mutasavvıf, gönül ereni, veli, olgun insan, gönül eğitimcisi …etc. words wereused as substitutes. Tezkiretü?l Evliya, Sefine-yi Evliya and Menakıbü?l Arifin that are themain source of the epics were used in this study. The epics of Emir Buharû, Kaygusuz Abdal,Kuşadalı İbrahim Halveti, Mevlana, Hacı Bektaş-ı Veli…. were used and a brief story oftheir lives were presented within a couple of words.At the end of the study, suggestions were given to the teachers for the best use ofepics for the moral and individual development.Emine GENÇ