HODJA AHMET YESEVI             

       The exact date of birth of Hodja Ahmet Yesevi, who had contributed much to spreading of Islam among Middle Asian Turks and Anatolia's being Turk and Muslim. However, it is estimated to be in the mid-5th century after hijrah in Yesi (Turkistan).

 

       His name is Ahmet bin Ibrahim bin Ilyas Yesevi. He is also called as Hodja Ahmet, Kul Hace Ahmet. He studied sciences in Yesi city. It is said that he is reputed with his name Yesevi for this reason.

 

       Hodja Ahmet Yesevi took lessons from his father Sheik İbrahim Ata from Sayram in his childhood. İbrahim Ata was one of the most famous saints of Sayram. Hodja Ahmet lost his mother when he was very little, and his father when he was 7. Hodja Ahmet, who was taught by Arslan Baba in Yesi after his father's death, reached high levels in Sufism in a short time. After Arslan Baba's death, he went to Bukhara and became the student of great saint Yusuf Hamedani. Hodja Ahmet, who was granted icazet (diploma) and successor degree by Hamedani, taught students in Bukhara after his hodja's death for a period of time.

 

       Ahmet Yesevi, who turned back to Yesi and went on educating students there, taught the Turks around him about Islam and his reputation spread in a short time in Turkistan, Maveraunnehir, Horasan and Harezm. The students he educated spread around in several countries and ensured accurate teaching of Islam there.

 

       In the period when Ahmet Yesevi lived, Karahanlıs, one of the first Muslim Turk States in Turkistan, dominated there. Therefore, Islam could spread easily among nomad Turks in the vicinity of Seyhun river. The Sufi path of Yesevi, who was a great scholar and saint of his times was called "Yeseviyye". The Yeseviyye sect got stronger in first near Seyhun and Tashkent, and then Harezm and Maveraunnehir. Many dervishes, who were trained with Ahmet Yesevi's lessons spread his Sufi pat in Horasan, Azerbaijan, Hejaz and Anatolia.

 

       The wisdom of Ahmet Yesevi who collected his epigrams with delicate meanings in a simple Turkish language and his poems called "Hikmet" in his book named "Divan-ı Hikmet" spread as far as Chinese border in the east, the Mediterranean and Marmara coasts in the west in a short time.

 

       Ahmet Yesevi thus provided the background of development of Turkish literature and revealing of great poem-sufists such as Yunus Emre in Anatolia. Hodja Ahmet Yesevi was strictly obedient to our Prophet's habits. So he constructed a chamber under the ground when he reached his 63 which the Prophet had passed away "in order not to remain on earth". He lived most of his long remaining life there worshipping and thinking.

 

       Yesevi divided his time into three. In most of his time he engaged himself in worshipping and rosary. In one part, he gave lessons to his students and in the final part of his time he made wooden spoons to meet his and his students' needs and sold them.

 

       Hodja Ahmet Yesevi passed away in 1194 in Yesi where he was born. Rumors have it that he was 125 or 133 when he died. The tomb and campus on Hodja Ahmet Yesevi's tomb, who was buried in the right coast of Seyhun was constructed by Great Emperor Timur.