Samiha Ayverdi

Samiha Ayverdi
Samiha Ayverdi
Born	25 November 1905; Istanbul, Ottoman Empire
Died	22 March 1993 (aged 87); Istanbul, Turkey
Resting place	Merkezefendi Cemetery, Istanbul
Nationality	Turkish
Occupation	Novelist
Relatives	Ekrem Hakkı Ayverdi [tr] (brother)

Samiha Ayverdi (25 November 1905 – 22 March 1993) was a Turkish writer.

Biography

Samiha Ayverdi was born in İstanbul to Fatma Meliha Hanim and İsmail Hakkı Bey, an Ottoman military official. She studied at Süleymaniye Kız Numune Mektebi and among other things, learned French and read about philosophy and Islamic mysticism. She became a follower and later official successor of Sufi thinker Kenan Rıfai, who became a major influence in her work.^[1] She was the sister of architect and historian Ekrem Hakkı Ayverdi.

In 1938, she published her first novel titled Aşk Budur and followed it with over 30 novels and short story collections.^[2]

Ayverdi died on 22 March 1993 and is buried at the Merkezefendi Cemetery in Zeytinburnu, İstanbul.

Works

Samiha Ayverdi published her first novel Aşk Budur in 1938. Since 1946, she focused more on ideas and historical works. She used history extensively in her works. Her reviews and novels are on Istanbul. Sufi thought and history were especially revived in her novels, and she tried to introduce Kenan Rifai to the readers through her works.

Her novels "The Unsinkable Day" and "Man and the Devil" are the products of her search for the past. Her novel that best reflects her longing for the past is İbrahim Efendi Mansion, which is also included in the list of 100 Essential Works. The number of books published by Kubbealtı Publications under the name of Samiha Ayverdi Collection is 47.^[3]^[4]

Bibliography

Aşk Budur (Aşk Bu imiş) 1938
Batmayan Gün 1939
Mâbette Bir Gece 1940
Ateş Ağacı 1941
Yaşayan Ölü 1942
İnsan ve Şeytan 1942
Son Menzil 1943
Yolcu Nereye Gidiyorsun 1944
Yusufcuk 1946
Mesihpaşa İmamı 1948
Ken'an Rifâî ve Yirminci Asrın Işığında Müslümanlık 1951
İstanbul Geceleri 1952
Edebî ve Mânevî Dünyâsı İçinde Fâtih 1953
İbrâhim Efendi Konağı 1964
Boğaziçi'nde Târih 1966
Misyonerlik Karşısında Türkiye 1969
Türk-Rus Münâsebetleri ve Muhârebeleri 1970
Bir Dünyâdan Bir Dünyâya 1974
Türk Târihinde Osmanlı Asırları 1975
Millî Kültür Meseleleri ve Maârif Dâvâmız 1976
Âbide Şahsiyetler 1976
Türkiye'nin Ermeni Meselesi 1976
Hâtıralarla Başbaşa 1977
Kölelikten Efendiliğe 1978 (Arabic and English 1979, Urduca 1981)
Dost 1980 (İngilizce 1995)
Yeryüzünde Birkaç Adım 1984
Rahmet Kapısı 1985
Mektuplardan Gelen Ses 1985
Ne İdik Ne Olduk 1986
Hancı 1986
Bağ Bozumu 1987
Hey Gidi Günler Hey 1988
Küplüce'deki Köşk 1989
Ah Tuna Vah Tuna 1990
Dile Gelen Taş 1999
Râtibe 2000
İki Âşinâ 2003
Ezelî Dostlar 2004
Mülâkatlar 2005
Dünden Bugüne Ne Kalmıştır 2006
Arkamızda Dönen Dolaplar 2007
Kaybolan Anahtar 2008
Paşa Hanım 2009
Ebabil Kuşları 2010
O da Bana Kalsın 2013
Türkiye'nin Ermeni Meselesi 2014
Sinan'ın Günlüğü 2015

Prizes

In 1978, the Turkish National Culture Foundation Gift; Honorary Service to the Turkish National Culture, given by the National Culture Foundation in 1984; In 1985, dhe received the Boğaziçi Achievement Award from Boğaziçi Publishing for her work named Few Steps on Earth. On April 26, 1986, a plaque was presented to her by the Turkish Literature Foundation for her "Services to National Art." She was given the Language Award of the Year by the Writers Union of Turkey for her work titled "Hey Gidi Günler Hey" published in 1988. In 1990, the Prime Ministry family research institution presented her with a plaque of appreciation. In 1992, she received the Outstanding Service Award given by the Professional Association of Owners of Scientific and Literary Works of Turkey (İLESAM). The name of Vatan Anatolian High School, located on Vatan Caddesi in Istanbul, Fatih was changed in 2005 to Samiha Ayverdi Anatolian High School.