Seyahatname

Evliya Çelebi Seyahatnamesi Yapı Kredi Yayınları Seti #1

by Evliyâ Çelebi, Orhan Şaik Gökyay (Editor)

Seyahatname

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Biography, Travel, Travelogue, Turkish Literature, Turkish

828 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1682

About the author

Derviş Mehmed Zillî (1611 - 1682), known as Evliya Çelebi (Ottoman Turkish: اوليا چلبى‎), was an Ottoman explorer who travelled through the territory of the Ottoman Empire and neighboring lands over a period of forty years, recording his commentary in a travelogue called the Seyâhatnâme (Book of Travel). The name Çelebi is an honorific title meaning gentleman (see pre-1934 Turkish naming conventions)

Reviews

[Esilda Trushaj]

Evliya Celebi was a traveller,a tourist of the XVII century,that visited not only the otoman empire and its neighbours.He has seen Asia,Arabia,Egypt,Russia,Germany,Holand and even Sweden.He was the most magnificient traveller to me because he has written in details everything that he has seen and noticed.Celebi studies the history,geography,economy,architecture,social life,everything that he has seen and heard.I read only the chapter where he describes Albania.To have a better understanding,I will take an example.
Vlora:the origin of the name,a detailed describtion of the fortress(angels,walls,weapons,perimeter,highness),architecture of the religious buildings,the number of the solders,villages,how it is life organised.
Then it continues with the agriculture,neighbourhoods,foods,shops that are in total 117.Everything except water is in a good condition.
He appreciates the food especially the fish,oil,honey that smells good,olive oil,grape,orange.
People are good-looking,especially the youth.Boys are brave,rebels,proud and wear short clothes.
I really enjoyed the book,it was like a time capsule,it stimulated my imagination a lot.I started comparing the cities now with the cities 360 years ago.

[Lena]

Taken from Wikipedia:

In the 10 volumes of his Seyahatname, he describes the following journeys:

1. Constantinople and surrounding areas (1630)
2. Anatolia, the Caucasus, Crete and Azerbaijan (1640)
3. Syria, Palestine, Armenia and Rumelia (1648)
4. Eastern Anatolia, Iraq, and Iran (1655)
5. Russia and the Balkans (1656)
6. Military Campaigns in Hungary (1663/64)
7. Austria, the Crimea, and the Caucasus for the second time (1664)
8. Greece and then the Crimea and Rumelia for the second time (1667–1670)
9. the Hajj to Mecca (1671)
10. Egypt and the Sudan (1672)

[Erkan]

One of my favourites.