Abstract:

In Divan Literature, there is a standard, general and sometimes vague geography that was referred to by all poets. In almost all of the divan poetry, it is possible to encounter references to a standard geography such as Egypt (Mısır), Damascus (Şam), Rumelia (Rum) China (Çin) Hotan (Hoten) and Badakshan (Bedehşan) and saying and imagery woven around this geography. This geography, from the smallest town to the biggest city, from the nearest one to the farthest, was an important material for poets. Poets tackled the local geography as well in their poetry in addition to these unknown places which they had never been, lived or even seen, taking into account different aspects of these places. Karaman is one of those local places. Karaman, which was one of the important centers for Karamanid Dynasty, was dealt by divan poems with its geographic, historical, political and social properties. Poems associated Karaman with different elements of the beauty assumed to belong to the beloved; and sometimes they used Karaman as an decorative element with several plays on word and meaning. Karaman, both as a geography and as a place including those who lived there, was the subject of separate poems, sometimes being glorified and embraced and sometimes vilified and disgraced. This study investigates how and under what conditions Karaman was subject of divan poetry and what kind of wit, imagination and saying were created around this subject.

Keywords: