Art historiographer, researcher of literature, translator (b. 1906,
Demirci / Manisa –d. 16 September 1967, İstanbul). His full name was Burhan Ümid Toprak. He
was the son of Doctor Ali Rıza Bey. He attended the French and
While he was the director, he did studies into rejuvenating the methods
of education at the academy with the help of Lèopold Lèvy, Louis Sue Rudolf
Belling and Bruna Tout who were foreign experts in this field. Although he left
his directorship after the fire at the Academy in 1948, he continued to give
lessons. He was also an inspector at the Ministry of National Education for
three years and he was a member of the Board of Instruction and Education
between 1949-50.
Burhan Toprak, who was one of the important names in the history of our
literature and art, was the first who translated the famous work of Adrè Gide, Dar Kapı (Narrow Door) into Turkish. He
collected and published Yunus Emre Divanı (The Divan* of Yunus Emre) and
with his important work Ballar Balını
Buldum (I Found the Honey of the Honeys) he became well known. He led the
way in using the meter known as “Yunus Tarzı” (Yunus Style) in Turkish
poetry. The first scientific research on Yunus Emre in which known sources were
evaluated, was done by Fuad Köprülü (İlk Mutasavvıflar, The First
Theologians, 1919). Burhan Toprak was the fist to rewrite in the new alphabet
the 1885 lithograph publication of Yunus Emre Divanı (The Divan* of
Yunus Emre - 3 volumes, the first two volumes were under the name Burhan Ümit,
1933. The third volume includes the research of Niyazi-i Mısri and Bursalı
İsmail Hakkı: 1934). In this work of Burhan Toprak there is a perfect article
named Başlangıç (The Start) that
reads: “Before finding Yunus Emre, I was
very bored with the feeling of Turkish literature.”
Burhan Toprak was interested in theosophy and had many discussions with
those who were connected to Sufism. According to sources, he often met with with
Kenan Rıfai, Nezihe Araz, Münevver Ayaşlı, Ahmet Adnan Saygun, Ekrem Hakkı
Ayverdi, Sâmiha Ayverdi, Sevgi Çağıl, Dr. Bedri Ruhselman and the men of
letters Abdülbaki Gölpınarlı and Ahmet Kutsi Tecer.
WORKS:
STUDY-RESERCH: Yunus Emre Divanı (The Divan* of Yunus Emre (3rd volume, Booklet of
Advice, Commentaries of Bursalı İsmail Hakkı and Niyazi-i Mısri, 1934; new
editions 1972, 1982), Sanat Şaheserleri-
Rönesanstan Bugüne Kadar (Masterpieces of Art-from the Renaissance to
Today, 3 volumes, with Louis Hourticq, 1940-41, 4th edition, 1958), Sanat Tarihi (Art History, 1960).
ESSAY: Ballar Balını Buldum (I Found the Honey of the Honeys, 1940).
In addition, he translated works by Oscar Wilde, Andre Gide and Migeon.
REFERENCE: Burhan Toprak / Yunus Emre -Yunus Emre Divanı, 1972), Türk Ansiklopedisi, Münevver Ayaşlı / İşittiklerim, Gördüklerim ve Bildiklerim (1973), Toprak, Burhan Ümit (Büyük Larousse, cilt: 19, s. 11633, 1986), İhsan Işık / Resimli ve Metin Örnekli Türkiye Edebiyatçılar ve Kültür Adamları Ansiklopedisi (2. bas., 2009).