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Asik Ali Izzet Turkey (1902 - 1981) Timeline Muslim / Sufi Poems by Asik Ali Izzet Books |
Most of my information below comes from the excellent anthology, Quarreling with God: Mystic Rebel Poems of the Dervishes of Turkey, by Jennifer Ferraro and Latif Bolat.
At a young age, Ali Izzet became an asik or ashik -- a wandering minstrel who travels throughout the country composing and singing songs, accompanied by the stringed saz. He was both a Sufi and a social activist. Although he didn't have much formal education, his work came to be widely appreciated in his lifetime. Her shared his poems and songs in many of the great performance halls of Turkey. Later in life he was persecuted for his leftist politics and he died in relative obscurity in Ankara in 1981. His songs and poetry, however, have enjoyed a revival and are widely appreciated today.
Poems by Asik Ali Izzet
Recommended Books: Asik Ali Izzet
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Quarreling with God: Mystic Rebel Poems of the Dervishes of Turkey |