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Semiha Cemal: A Portrait of a Turkish Sufi Philosopher
Paperback
PhilosophyBiographies GeneralIslam
Publisher Price: $23.95
Publisher: Kenan Center Press
Published: May 6 2026
Pages: 318
Weight: 0.70
Height: 0.71 Width: 5.00 Depth: 8.00
Language: English
Semiha Cemāl: A Portrait of a Turkish Sufi Philosopher restores to memory a pioneering figure whose voice was nearly lost to history. A philosopher, educator, and mystic, Semiha Cemāl lived at the threshold of empire and republic, bringing together Sufi metaphysics and classical philosophy in a way that quietly challenged the binaries of her time. This book presents both a critical portrait of her life and the inaugural English edition of her 1927 novel Aşk Peygamberi (The Prophet of Love). Written in Ottoman Turkish during the early Republican reforms, the novel stands as a bold work of metaphysical fiction. It stages love as a force of ethical transformation, blending Platonic allegory with Sufi cosmology to explore the soul's journey toward truth.
Through biography, interpretation, and translation, the volume situates Semiha Cemāl within a broader genealogy of Turkish thought, one that highlights the contributions of women, mystics, and overlooked intellectuals. At once scholarly and accessible, it invites readers to rediscover a voice that speaks with clarity, courage, and contemplative depth across a century of silence.
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