Defterdâr-zâde Ahmet Cemâlî'nin Siroz Şehrengîzi

Abstract

Şehrengîz  literature  (poems  about  a  certain  city),  examples  of  which  are found in many languages, including Arabic, Persian, Urdu and Turkish, are an important source in terms of the information they provide relating to the history, sociology and the various professions which existed in the cities they describe during the periods they cover. These types of works are called sehrâşûb in   Iranian literature and şehrengîz in Turkish literature.  The most widely used  poetic form used in the şehrengîz genre was the masnavi (poem of rhymed couplets), however, the kaside (ode), rubai (quatrain) and the terci-i bent or  terkib-i bent (long poem each stanza of which is followed by a couplet) forms were also used depending on the subject. Works called  Heves-nâme, Çengî-nâme, Defter-i Aşk, Hûbân-nâme, Zenân-nâme, Ta’rifât are similar to the şehrengîz, and are examined under its sub-headings. Too date, according to our findings, the number of şehrengîz works totals: 81. One of them is Cemâlî's (d.991/1583) Şehrengîz on the western Macedonian city of Siroz (Serez). In this article, the life and works of Cemâlî are examined, together with othes extant Şehrengîzes, and a partial bibliography on the subject is provided. In addition, the article also focuses on the literary value of the work, its form and contents, and its text is given in transcription for the benefit of the reader.