The Divan of Resmi Ali Baba

ABSTRACT Resmi Ali Baba, a Cretan Bektashi poet, lived in XVIII. century. There is no definite record that he lived in Creta. We know that he had been in Greece and Turkey. His grave is in Davutpasha, Istanbul. He died in 1789. Resmi Ali Baba is a poet belonging to the Bektashi Order. As his Divan (collected poems) shows that he got his certificate from Seyyid Ali Sultan lodge, a well-known Bektashi lodge in Dimetoka, Greece. He had a deep love of Hadrat Ali, Twelve Imams, Hadji Bektashi Wali and his teacher (murshid). He often expressed his love and devotion towards them in his poems. His Divan mostly consists of the poems on Bektashi beliefs, culture and understanding of love. Besides, he has flourishing poems written in classical Ottoman poetry form. Especially his ghazels and murabbas (a poem composed of quatrains) reflect the aesthetics of his time. The Divan of Resmi Ali Baba has six copies, five in Turkey and one in Germany. Since I am informed the existence of the copy later, the critical text has been formed out of other four copies. One of these copies is a 'Collection of Poems' whose collector is Resmi Ali Baba. The poet included his poems in this collection. Other copies are in the following libraries: Sulaymaniye Library, Yapı Kredi Sermet Çifter Library, Atatürk Library, National Library. Resmi Ali Baba has two more books apart from his Divan: UyûnuVl- Hidâyah and The Book of Bektashi Order (Risala of Bektashi). UyûnuVl- Hidâya is a mystical work written in prose. This work has 20 copies to my knowledge. Risala of Bektashi that covers the beliefs on Bektashi order has 3 copies. The Divan of Resmi Ali Baba is an important work in terms of making the showing of Turkish literature in Creta and the Bektashi culture.