Sakaryalı Hacı Hafız Mevlüt Erdem Hoca Efendi'nin hayatı, eserleri, tasavvuf Anlayışı ve musikişinaslığı

Abstract

The social and cultural conditions of life in certain recent periods of history have resulted in the loss of a great deal of information about important historical figures and the times in which they lived. The effort to rediscover these figures, men and women who have served certain segments of society and indeed who have served as an example for them, is therefore a worthy endeavor. This thesis is one such study. Its focus is the life of Hâcı Hafız Mevlüt Erdem, a man who lived and served as an imam in various locations in the Turkish provinces of Eskişehir and Adapazarı. The first section of this thesis focuses on Hâcı Hafız Mevlüt Erdem's early life?his birth, family, childhood, hafiz training, marriage, and education?through to his work as an imam in various locations in his early career and his other activities outside of his primary vocation. The subsequent sections of this thesis focus on his social life, his relationship to Sufism, and his approach to music. Lastly, a number of documents, including photographs, personal letters, and other writings, are compiled in an appendix at the end of the thesis.