The Seyahetname of Evliya Çelebi is a multivolume travel account of a larger-than-life Ottoman gentleman from 17th century Anatolia. Educated in a courtly medrese with little interest in a bureaucratic career, Evliya-the-traveler embraced roles as diverse as muezzin (caller to prayer), sipahi (soldier), and general representative of the Ottoman Empire while navigating the world.

Distinguishing himself from both ‘religious fanatics’ and ‘aimless dervishes,’ Evliya saw himself as a more balanced world-traveler who was nonetheless divinely called to the pursuit of travel. In the Seyahatname, Evliya combines detailed descriptions of people and places with colorful anecdotes interspersed with poetry and pithy phrases, often to hilarious (and, occasionally, unsavory) effect. His extensive ten-volume account is available in an abridged English translation,¹ unlocking access into a strangely familiar world. His account offers surprisingly relevant tips for the spiritually-aware traveler, even today.

1. Dream actively

“One blessed night [of Ashura] … while asleep in my hovel, I dreamed that I saw the holy Prophet [s.a.w] in person. I kissed his hand and, instead of begging for intercession [şefa’at], by a slip of the tongue begged for travel [seyahat] instead. He… smiled and said:  ‘My intercession and my travel and my pilgrimage [şefa’ati, seyaheti, ve ziyareti]…” ²

Evliya narrates several lengthy, spiritually significant dreams to provide some divine context for his travels. This particular dream features an assortment of divinely blessed figures who offer Evliya guidance and instruction, helping him clarify his “Reason for travelling and roaming the land.” Despite this dream, Evliya is compelled by his circumstances to wait ten years before beginning his travels. 

2. Don’t let the expectations of others deter you

“How, I asked myself, can I get free of the pressure of father and mother, brother and teacher, and become a world traveler?… I aimlessly wandered the streets of Istanbul… Still, day and night I longed to gird my loins and set out for the Holy Land, towards Baghdad and Mecca and Medina and Cairo and Damascus.” ³

Lacking the courage to inform his family of his desire to travel the world and visit the Holy Lands, Evliya initially spends some time exploring his native city before finally making his first trip outside Istanbul at the ripe age of thirty, when he spontaneously and unceremoniously sets off to Bursa with friends.

3. Trust in God to prepare the way

“The following morning, by God’s wisdom, I happened to visit my old friend…  [He] said, ‘Come join me, my brother Evliya. First the companion, then the road… We’ll tour Bursa with its magnificent countryside…’  I uttered a benediction and recited a Fatiha. Then immediately, without informing parents or siblings, I joined the party of twenty friends.”⁴

The means that God provides are usually only apparent in retrospect; “When God desires something he prepares intermediate causes for it.” Thus Evliya offers this phrase while reflecting on the events that facilitated his travels. His spontaneous decision to join his friends, however, suggests that Evliya was perhaps always on the lookout for ‘intermediate causes’…

4. Get your parents’ and teachers’ blessings

 “‘Come, my son, henceforth you are marked out for travel; may God bless you. But I have some advice to give you.’ With his right hand, he grasped my left ear, and began to give his counsel…  With that he gave me a resounding slap on the back of my neck, twisted my ear, and said, ‘Go forth, may your final end be good. A Fatiha!’… My father presented me with a sack containing twelve excellent books of religious guidance… He also gave me 200 musk-scented şerifi gold pieces…” ⁵

Evliya returns home surprised to learn that his father is well-aware of his visit to Bursa (due to a miraculous dream which had illuminated for him his son’s fervent desire to travel the world). Now ready to bless his son’s travels, Evliya’s father offers paragraphs of advice (both worldly and spiritual), 200 gold pieces (for road expenses), a dozen books on Islamic law (such as Hidaya and Quduri), and a request to a dozen local sheikhs to bless his son. As far as parental blessings go, Evliya’s father’s approach is both practical and spiritual.

5. Recite a Fatiha on every good intention

In yet another lengthy dream (after he falls asleep in a mausoleum), Evliya is advised by a dervish: “ ‘… Eat little, speak little, and sleep little. Do much for the sake of knowledge … Keep to this counsel of mine, and carry out your obligations to your parents…’ ‘A Fatiha on this intention,’ said I, and recited a Fatiha.” ⁶

The Fatiha is most frequently recited during the daily prayer, through which one calls out to God, and converses with Him. It is also recited outside of the prayer to seek God’s help and grace, and a divine opening for whatever act one is about to embark upon.

6. Before traveling, pray for inspiration

“Finally, on the Night of Power [27th of Ramadan], invoking the aid of all the prophets and saints and noble spirits, I set out to visit the shrine of Abu Ayyub Ansari. …God be praised, I performed the visit and recited a noble Yasin…  Aid came from God. That night, as I lay moaning and groaning in my corner of travail, free of hypocrisy and crass desires, I saw in my dream my teacher…” ⁷

Evliya frequently reminds us of the different ways he seeks help from God before setting out on his journeys, often through prayers, reciting Fatiha, the Qur’an, and visiting saints. For Evliya, prayers are the best means for obtaining results and indicate the seriousness of his intention. In this instance, he intends to make the Hajj pilgrimage.

7. Travel with purpose

“Even so, I consulted with my conscience and said: ‘Why in the course of my journeyings should I waste the precious time of my life? In addition to travel (seyahat) let me also engage in pilgrimage (ziyaret—includes visiting the shrines of holy men as well as the Hajj pilgrimage) and trade (ticaret).’” ⁸

Initially, when explaining the motivation behind his desire to travel, Evliya cites the verses of the Qur’an that invite one to travel the earth to learn about its origins and the fate of past civilizations: Qur’an 27:69, 29:20, 30:42. Later in life, Evliya considers practical matters such as trade, but he cannot, in good conscience, travel without a meaningful purpose.

8. Seek shrines instead of monuments; spirituality instead of tourist attractions

“The floor of the church [of the Holy Sepulcher] has no carpets, but rather is paved with tiny precious stones… All around this church are hundreds of expensive chairs… The wonder of this place is that, with so much beautiful adornment, it lacks spirituality: it is more like a tourist attraction.” ⁹

Evliya informs us that upon entering any city he first visits the shrines of local saints (although he seems to visit more hammams than shrines). During his visit to Jerusalem, after visiting places of religious significance to Muslims, he goes on to explore the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. After describing it in his usual detail, he concludes that it remains a superficial attraction for him. Although Evliya visited any noteworthy place, he remained discerning about its spiritual significance.

9. If shipwrecked [or otherwise under distress], recite Qur’an

“Now another squall struck and tore the ship in two… I continuously recited [Surah Yasin]… From the depth of my heart I held to the noble Qur’an as my intercessor…” ¹⁰

Describing a shipwreck in which he barely survives, Evliya explains how he clung to the Qur’an during his distress. Later, recovering inside the khanqah (monastery) of Keligra Sultan, he completes ten full recitations of the Qur’an, aided by his ability, as a hafiz, to complete an entire recitation in just eight hours (or in ten hours at a more measured pace). 

10.  Travel with a sense of humour

“In Cairo, flocks of animals – horses and mules, camels, cows, water-buffalos, sheep and goats –roam about in the marketplace. And donkeys are so numerous that they have taken over the city. One can hardly pass through the streets because the donkey drivers are constantly shouting ‘Behind you! On your side! In front of you! On your right! On your left!’ Sometimes they pick out naïve Turks for abuse, crying ‘Give way Efendi!’ and trample them with their donkeys. The first temcid [glorification] one hears in Cairo is the braying of donkeys, in the segah musical mode…”¹¹

Evliya lived to travel widely across the Ottoman world and to lands outside of it; he traveled for forty years, survived shipwrecks, fought in several battles, and eventually settled in Cairo. His narrative, though serious in tone at times, is littered with humorous anecdotes and hyperbole. His remarkable stories and evocative descriptions of the people and places he encountered leave us to wonder if, perhaps, his reality was indeed stranger than fiction.

Footnotes

• ¹ Çelebi, Evliya, translated by Robert Dankoff, and Sooyong Kim. An Ottoman Traveller: Selections from the Book of Travels of Evliya Çelebi. London: Eland (2011).
• ² Ibid, 35.
• ³ Ibid.
• ⁴ Ibid, 36.
• ⁵ Ibid, 42.
• ⁶ Ibid, 81.
• ⁷ Ibid, 303.
• ⁸ Ibid, 305.
• ⁹ Ibid, 336.
• ¹⁰ Ibid, 52.
• ¹¹ Ibid, 373.