Ankara : Türk Edebiyatı Bölümü, Bilkent Üniversitesi, 2010.Thesis (Master's) -- Bilkent University, 2010.Includes bibliographical references leaves 81-86.This thesis is about the depiction of the East and the representations of the
Easterners in the works by the Turkish poet and author Cenap Şahabettin. Cenap
wrote three pieces of travel literature after his official and touristic visits to the
region: “Hac Yolunda” (“On the Road to Hadj”), “Âfâk-ı Irak” (“The Horizons of
Iraq”), “Suriye Mektupları” (“Letters from Syria”).
Cenap was educated in Istanbul and in Paris to become a dermatologist who
was appointed public health officer in Egypt and then in Iraq. Being impressed by
the beauty of the region and the virtuousness of the indigenous people, Cenap
made several trips to Alexandria, Cairo, the Red Sea, Shatt al-Arab, Baghdad and
Damascus.
Similar to the disparities between the East and the West, established by
French and English travellers, Cenap Şahabettin contrasted the eastern lands of the
Empire to its centre. Nourished by the relevant works by Edward Said, Ussama Makdisi, Jale Parla and Thierry Hentsch, the thesis asserts that while reproducing
the stereotypes about the Eastern people like being lazy, ignorant, sensual and
childish, Cenap Şahabettin argues that they need a hand in modernizing and
suggests that the Ottoman hand would be better one.Aydemir, UygarM.S
