Cenap Sahabettin

Born 1870, in Monastir (Bitola); died Nov. 13, 1934, in Istanbul. Turkish writer. Graduated from Istanbul Military-Medical School in 1889 and underwent specialized training in Paris from 1890 to 1894. From 1894 to 1914 he worked as a doctor in Turkey. From 1914 to 1922 he taught a course in European literature at the University of Istanbul. He was a prominent representative of the ServetifŞnun literary group.

The youthful poems of Cenap şahabettin, written in the traditional form of the ghazal and qasida, were published in the collection The End (1887). The poet’s mature work is distinguished by the strong influence of French symbolism. His love and nature lyrics are characterized by refinement of language and precision of rhythms. Cenap şahabettin was the author of the travel essays On the Pilgrim’s Path (1907) and Letters From Europe (1919), the plays The Lie (1911) and Blindman’s Buff (1917), and critical works on Turkish and Western European literature.