Examining Sufism and Space Through Ego-Documents: Tekke (Dervish Lodge) and Everyday Life in the Sohbetnâme (1661-1665) by Seyyid Hasan

Abstract

This article analyzes an ego-document written by a Halveti sheikh, Seyyid Hasan, in seventeenth-century Istanbul, the Sohbetnâme (1661-1665). By using space as an analytical category, this study illuminates the use of space in the daily practices of Sufi dervishes mentioned in the diary and discusses the role of dervish lodges in the lives of Sufis. It shows that the everyday lives of dervishes were not structured mainly around the lodge: they preferred to carry out their routines and devotional practices across various venues, such as individual houses, gardens, and shops, a preference that ultimately made these Sufis highly mobile. Given this itinerancy, this article provides an alternative to tekke-centered thinking and argues that the role of other spaces must also be examined in order to write a comprehensive history of Sufism. Finally, this article aims to show that ego-documents are fruitful sources for studying Sufi spaces in addition to conventional sources on this theme, such as archival documents and material sources.