Writer (b. ?,
Gelibolu / Çanakkale – d. 1466, Gelibolu / Çanakkale). He is brother of
Yazıcıoğlu Mehmed of Gelibolu. He lived and died in Gelibolu after having
entered to convent of Bayram-ı Veli with his brother. He translated the works
of his brother and father with a cleaner Turkish so the people would understand
it.
WORKS:
Envaru'l-Âşıkîn (Light of Aşıks, 1451, translation
of the work of his brother Megaribü'z-Zeman / Sunsets of the Time, from 1001
Fundamental Works Series, 1975),
Acaibü'l-Mahlukat (Strange Creatures, a summarized translation from famous
Arabian geographer Kazvini, 1453), Dürr-i
Meknûn (a pamphlet of mysticism),
Şemsiyye (Şemsiyye, translation of the work of his father Yazıcı Salih
Efendi).
The Bican brothers were two Sufis, who lived in
15th century and whose studies are still extant today. One of them,
Yazıcıoğlu (Yazıcızade) Mehmed Efendi was born in Ankara, and died in Gallipoli
in 1451. There is not any sufficient information on his life. It is supposed
that he and his brother Ahmed Bican were educated by their father Yazıcı Salih
Efendi, a highbrow himself. That he spoke Arabic and Persian very well and that
he had a deep information on hadith (the prophet Muhammad’s words and
behaviours), kalam, fiqh (Islamic law) and Sufism, which proves how
well-educated he was.
It is known that he was a pupil of Hacı Bayram-ı
Velî, the important sufi of the time, and he was his caliph and also he had an Islamic
monastery (tekke) in Gallipoli. Evliya Çelebi spoke of his monastery highly in
his Seyehatname. Yazıcızâde brothers
were trained by Hacı Bayram-ı Velî when they were on the way to Edirne to meet
the Sultan Murat II.
He wrote his books in his çilehane (T.N. a small
room to stay in for a long time, forty day probably, to be alone and think of
Allah), which still stands today. His first work was Megaribü’z-Zeman, in Arabic. His second work Muhammediye and
his brother Ahmed Bican’s work Envaru’l
Âşıkîn were the descriptive translations of the first book. Muhammediye,
which attracted great attention since
the time it was written till now in various regions like Crimea and Kazan, was
completed in 1449 (853 in Islamic calendar). Muhammediye, which consisted
of 9119 verses, have been composed and read for many centuries like the Mevlid
of Süleyman Çelebi have been. His grave is just outside Gallipoli, on the road
to Istanbul.
The little brother Ahmed Bican was born in
Gallipoli and his birth date is unknown, too. He passed away in Gallipoli sometime
after 1466. After they got attached to Hacı Bayram-ı Velî, they settled in
Gallipoli and died there. He translated works of his brother and his father
into simple Turkish as the public could understand.
WORKS:
Envaru’l-Âşıkîn (Âşıkların Işıkları, 1451, translation of his brother’s
work, Megaribü’z-Zeman / Zamanın Gün Batışları, in 1001 Temel Eser
series, 1975), Acaibü’l-Mahlukat (summarized translation of Kazvini’s
work, a famous Arabic geographer, 1453), Dürr-i Meknûn (a booklet about Sufism),
Şemsiyye (translation of Şemsiyye, work of his father, Yazıcı Salih
Efendi).
