Ankara Üniversitesi Dil ve Tarih-Coğrafya Fakültesi Dergisi (Jan 2017)
The Turkish and Ottoman Image in Gérard de Nerval's "Travel in the East"
Abstract
In the article, the Turkish and Ottoman image in "The Journey in the East" of Gérard de Nerval, who traveled to the main cities of the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century, will be analysed by the means of the text-oriented method. Lived in France in the 19th century, in which everyday life and dreams, and reality and dreams blended together, Nerval sees the light of hope in the East that would end the irregularities and sorrows in his life. Describing the Ottoman cities he had traveled for many years in his dreams, Nerval continues his journey, which began with Egypt and Syria, with Istanbul. In such spaces, Nerval delicately conveys the legend, traditions and customs of the East, its social and political structure. The information given by the author about Istanbul, especially the impressions of Pera, harem experience, social tolerance against religious differences, Muslim cemeteries, market places, religious festivals, Ramadan entertainments, constitute the cultural background of the work.
