Mercimek Ahmet

Writer. There is not sufficient information about his life. It is understood that he lived in the 15th century. He is famous for being the interpreter of Kâbusname (Book of Nightmore, an advisory book which was written for Şah Giylan who was the son of Keykâvus, King of Kûhistan in 1208). In his preface to his work, Mercimek Ahmet explains that he translated this book in response to a request by Sultan Murat II. According to the information he gives the Sultan did not like the original translation of the book, which was translated from Persian, and wanted it to be translated with a more understandable Turkish, so he catered to the Sultan’s request.  

In the book called Kâbusname (Book of Nightmore), which was used as a course book in Ottoman Madrasah Muslim School for many years and is composed of forty four chapters, various issues such as literature, music, hunting, trade, astronomy, morality and rules of etiquette are included. Mercimek Ahmet’s translation, which is written in a plain Turkish very similar to colloquial Turkish, is important not only in that it is a significant source work regarding 15th century prose but also in that it initiated the tradition of purifying the language. This work was last published by the Ministry of National Education with a dictionary and necessary information added by Orhan Şaik Gökyay (1944).