Ahmet Mahmut Ünlü (born February 27, 1965), known colloquially as Cübbeli Ahmet

Hoca Hoca is the Turkish spelling of the Persian word Khawaja ( Persian: خواجه ''khwāja, khâjeh''), used as a title, given name or surname. As a title, Hoca (variant ''Hodja'') means “master” and is commonly used for teachers, professor ...

, is a Turkish

televangelist Televangelism (wikt:tele-, tele- "distance" and "evangelism," meaning "Christian ministry, ministry," sometimes called teleministry) is the use of media, specifically radio and television, to communicate Christianity. Televangelists are minister ...

and hafiz. He is a follower of

Mahmut Ustaosmanoğlu Mahmut Ustaosmanoğlu (1927 – 23 June 2022), usually referred to as Mahmut Effendi and known to his disciples as "Efendi Hazretleri", was a Turkish Sufi Sheikh and the leader of the influential '' İsmailağa jamia'' of the Naqshbandi-Khalidi ...

in İsmailağa. His controversial views are often reported by the Turkish press.

Biography

Early life and education: 1965–1980

Ahmet Mahmut Ünlü was born in

Fatih Fatih () is a district of and a municipality (''belediye'') in Istanbul, Turkey, and home to almost all of the provincial authorities (including the governor's office, police headquarters, metropolitan municipality and tax office) but not the co ...

Istanbul Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...

, on 27 February 1965 to Yusuf Ünlü, a factory owner, and his wife Rabia. His surname, ''Ünlü'', means "famous". In his childhood years, Ünlü was wearing a

Cassock The cassock or soutane is a Christian clerical clothing coat used by the clergy and male religious of the Oriental Orthodox Churches, Eastern Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church, in addition to some clergy in certain Protestant denomi ...

. He started his education when he was 3 years old. He preached in big

mosque A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...

s like Yavuz Selim while he was 14 years old.

Later life: 1980–present

Ünlü reportedly did not have to do military service after being diagnosed as diabetic.

Personal life

Mahmut Ünlü is married and has eight children.

References

1965 births Living people Turkish Sufis People from Fatih Turkish people of Uzbekistani descent {{Islam-bio-stub