Suzi Çelebi of Prizren (; died 1524) was an Ottoman poet and historiographer. He is remembered for his

epic poem In poetry, an epic is a lengthy narrative poem typically about the extraordinary deeds of extraordinary characters who, in dealings with gods or other superhuman forces, gave shape to the mortal universe for their descendants. With regard to ...

''Gazavatnama Mihaloğlu'' which narrates the 15th-century

Balkan The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throug ...

conquests of the Ottomans, and the battles and glory of the military commander Ali Bey Mihaloğlu, being one of the most-known poetic works of the 15th century in overall. Xhamia e Suzi Efendise

What is known from his early life, beside his birthplace in

Prizren Prizren ( sq-definite, Prizreni, ; sr-cyr, Призрен) is the second List of cities and towns in Kosovo, most populous city and Municipalities of Kosovo, municipality of Kosovo and seat of the eponymous municipality and District of Prizren, ...

, today's

Kosovo Kosovo, officially the Republic of Kosovo, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe with International recognition of Kosovo, partial diplomatic recognition. It is bordered by Albania to the southwest, Montenegro to the west, Serbia to the ...

, is that he was born between 1455-1465. His real name was Muhammad-Effendi, son of Mahmud, son of Abdullah. Suzi was a

pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true meaning ( orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individual's o ...

, meaning "blazing". Other names that he is referred with are Sûzî-i Rûmî, Sûzî-i Pürzerrînî, Mevlânâ Sûzî, Sozi Çelebi/Efendi/Baba. He founded a

waqf A (; , plural ), also called a (, plural or ), or ''mortmain'' property, is an Alienation (property law), inalienable charitable financial endowment, endowment under Sharia, Islamic law. It typically involves donating a building, plot ...

in Prizren. He also lived a part of his life in

Belgrade Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...

. The alternative name Naqshbandi Suzi indicates that he belonged to the

Naqshbandi Naqshbandi (Persian: نقشبندیه) is a major Sufi order within Sunni Islam, named after its 14th-century founder, Baha' al-Din Naqshband. Practitioners, known as Naqshbandis, trace their spiritual lineage (silsila) directly to the Prophet ...

order of

Sufism Sufism ( or ) is a mysticism, mystic body of religious practice found within Islam which is characterized by a focus on Islamic Tazkiyah, purification, spirituality, ritualism, and Asceticism#Islam, asceticism. Practitioners of Sufism are r ...

. Suzi Çelebi served as ''

katib A katib (, ''kātib'') is a writer, scribe, or secretary in the Arabic-speaking world, Persian World, and other Islamic areas as far as the Indian subcontinent. In North Africa, the local pronunciation of the term also causes it to be written ke ...

'' of the Ottoman military leader and exploiter Gazi Ali Mihaloğlu, being testimony of many campaigns and battles. On his return to Prizren he drafted ''Gazavatnam Mihaloğlu'', an epic poem of around 15,000 verses out of which 2,000 survived and are conserved in the Library of Berlin and in the "Oriental Collection" of the (former)

Yugoslav Academy of Sciences and Arts The Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts (; , HAZU) is the national academy of Croatia. HAZU was founded under the patronage of the Croatian bishop Josip Juraj Strossmayer under the name Yugoslav Academy of Sciences and Arts (, JAZU) since its ...

Zagreb Zagreb ( ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, north of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the ...

together with his vakufnama (deed of perpetual endowment), a 50x30 document of 16th century.
Although his poem was intended to be an epic military chronicle, the poet infused it with florid language in order to make it as attractive as a lyric one. Suzi Çelebi died in Prizren and was buried in the small Suzi Çelebi Mosque in Prizren's center, on the left side of Bistrica river. It was built in 1513 and is the oldest in town. The grave is surrounded by a small wall and the year of death is signed on it. A street in Prizren is named after him.VENDIM - per Emertimin e Rruges, te Shesheve, dhe Lagjeve te Qytetit te Prizrenit (in Albanian)
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Celebi, Prizrenali Suzi 1524 deaths People from Prizren 15th-century poets from the Ottoman Empire 16th-century poets from the Ottoman Empire Ottoman Sufis Turks from the Ottoman Empire Naqshbandi order Turkish-language poets Kosovan Turks Male poets from the Ottoman Empire 16th-century historians from the Ottoman Empire 15th-century historians from the Ottoman Empire

See also

References