Abstract:

This article takes Ahmet Ümit’s novel Bab-ı Esrar (The Dervish Gate) as its object of study in order to understand the functions and connotations of Sufism – the story’s main motif – in connection with cultural memory. Sufism is explored in three of the book’s facets: its genre, where Sufism contributes to the plot of crime fiction; its style, with Bab-ı Esrar being a contemporary example of Sufi literature; and its ideology, which identifies Bab-ı Esrar as revisionist fiction. This article argues that Sufism contributes both to the generic conventions and the underlying philosophy of Bab-ı Esrar. Moreover, it proposes that the novel be read not merely as a thriller but also as contemporary prose in keeping with Sufi thought. In this respect, Bab-ı Esrar can be viewed as a remarkable example of how Sufism manifests itself in secular Turkish popular culture.

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