Tâhirü'l Mevlevî was born in Istanbul on the fifth of Ramadan 1294 and the 13th Thursday of September 1177. His father, Elhâc Mustafa Safvet Bey, was also from Istanbul. His mother was Mrs. Emîne Emsâl.

He studied at Hekimbaşı Ömer Efendi Mekteb-i İbtidâisi in the Molla Gürânî neighborhood in Taşkasab, then at Gülhâne Askerî Rüştiyesi, and later at (Menşe’ kitâb-ı Askeriyeye), and was appointed to the Bâb-ı Ser Askerî piyâde dâiresi in June 1308. While continuing his duty, he attended the lessons of Filibeli Mehmed Râsim Efendi, the chief imam of the Fatih Mosque, and Mesnevîhan Mehmed Es’ad Dede, and received a Mesnevi certificate from Es’ad Dede. The fact that the father of his paternal grandmother was the calligrapher Tâhir Efendi, who was a Mevlevi, and that she was the milk sister of Şeyh Osman Salâhaddin Efendi of the Yenikapı Mevlevîhânesi, especially led him to feel an attraction towards Hazret-i Mevlânâ and Mevlevilik, so he wore the sikke from Şeyh Mehmed Celâleddin Efendi, the son of Şeyh Salâhaddin, and joined Mevlevilik.

In 310/1312 (when he was only 18 years old), he was honored with a visit to Medina-i Münevvere, Ravza-i Mutahhara, and Hüccre-i Muattara via Alexandria, Cairo, Suez, and Yanbu, with the guidance and accompaniment of his teacher Es’ad Dede; after that, he went to Mecca-i Mükerreme via Yanbu and Jeddah, spent the month of Ramadan there, and returned via Suez - Alexandria after the Hajj.

While he was previously performing sema on his own, after his return from the Hijaz, he practiced Semâ from Karamanlı Halil Dede, the semazenbaşı of the Yenikapı Mevlevîhânesi, and gained fame among the semazens. However, the deceased, not considering his Mevlevi fondness sufficient, and wanting to undergo the çile and serve, resigned from his position and started çilekeşlik at the Yenikapı Mevlevîhânesi in Şaban 1313, and his prescribed service ended in Hijri 1316. On this occasion, he said this date:

While a çilekeş in its kitchen

Mevlânâ made me the owner of the cell!.

(1316)

Along with this:

While completing the Mevlevi retreat in a thousand and one days,

We have no limit to our retreat of love.

He expressed his desire to prostrate himself before Mevlânâ. Finally, upon receiving permission from his sheikh, he set out. First, he went to Eskişehir, then to Karahisar, and then to Konya. He returned via Uşak, Manisa, and İzmir. After this visit, Tâhirü’l-Mevlevi withdrew to his room in the Yenikapı Mevlevihanesi, but, in his own words, he wanted (to earn his own living rather than sit there and depend on the foundation's food). He wanted to open a library and publish Mevlevi works that were exposed to the destruction and annihilation of time here and there.

Because the books he had previously acquired and later brought from Hejaz were enough to be the capital for a secondhand bookstore, he first rented a shop on the tramway street in Beyazid and moved his books there. However, due to the lack of sales in Beyazid, he moved his books to one of the shops on Bab-ı Ali Street, opposite the current (Medresetü'l-Hattatin). Around the same time, he became enthusiastic about publishing a weekly newspaper. Since it was very difficult, even impossible, to obtain a newspaper and magazine license at that time, he rented the (Illustrated Newspaper) of the bookseller Karabet and published the first issue. On the cover of the magazine, he had printed a picture of a Mevlevi coin, along with the announcement of (Mecmua-i Medayih-i Mevlânâ), which contained many poems of praise about Hazret-i Mevlânâ, collected by Vasıf Efendi, one of the Mevlevi enthusiasts he had previously published. However, this announcement was seen as an opportunity for the journalists of that time (including Baba Tahir, the owner of the newspaper Malumat, and someone named Nazif Sürüri) and an order was issued to close the (Illustrated Newspaper); the reason given was that propaganda was being made in the name of the Crown Prince Mehmed Reşad Efendi (Mehmed the Fifth) because he was a Mevlevi enthusiast. In addition, the police commissioner of Bab-ı Ali, the famous (Mektepli Ahmed Efendi), was assigned to monitor the library. Tâhirü’l-Mevlevi, who was summoned and interrogated by the Minister of Police Şefik Pasha, was released because no incriminating action was seen. Faced with these pressures, he withdrew from bookselling and was forced to enter civil service.

In 1319/1903, he succeeded in an examination opened in the accounting department of the Ministry of Forestry-Mines and Agriculture and was appointed as a clerk to the Grand Ledger (Defter-i kebir) with a salary of 370 kuruş. Gradually rising in rank, in 1334/1918, he became the chief clerk of licensed mines of the General Directorate of Mines, and the first distinguishing officer of the unification-sales commission. He remained there until the commission was abolished; later, in 1336/1020, he was appointed as the chief clerk of the Economic Board of the Ministry of Commerce and Agriculture. Although the Chief Clerkship of the Private Office was also added to his responsibilities, he was dismissed because he was a supporter of the National Forces (Kuvay-ı Milliye). In 1337/1921, he became the chief clerk of the High Sales Commission, and later he was transferred to his former position as the distinguishing officer of licensed mines of the General Directorate of Mines.

In 1319/1903, he joined the teaching profession. First, he taught Persian in the (Burhan-ı Terakki) and then in the (Rehnümay-i Füyuzat) schools; in the latter, he began teaching Islamic History. He started teaching history after the school principal, who taught that lesson, read and taught the name of (Amr-ibn-il-As) as (Amiru).

In 1325/1909, he was appointed as a teacher of Literature and Writing Methods at Darüşşafaka. On 15/8/1929, he was appointed as a literature teacher at Maltepe Military High School, and due to his competence in this position, he was transferred to Kuleli Military High School in August 1931, and served there until he reached retirement age. His last position was as a member of the Book Classification Commission of the Libraries Directorate of the Ministry of National Education.

As for his scientific life: The deceased, like most of our men of letters, grew up as a self-made man and acquired his knowledge through his own efforts. He knew Arabic and Persian well, especially all the intricacies of Persian. He also learned French on his own and made translations with a strength that many of us could not. The parts of the famous work of the French writer Telemaque, titled "Feneon", published in the (Mahfel) magazine, prove this very well. He used to write pretentiously at first; but later he made it a point to write very simply so that everyone could understand. He wrote his articles in a fluent style, as we would say today. These are still read with curiosity and pleasure today. His translations are very beautiful. As he said: "In a translated work, there should be no smell of translation." The distinguishing feature of both his verse and prose is sincerity. He never said a word or wrote a line against his conviction. He remained faithful to what he believed in until the end. He was attached to our Prophet with an unwavering faith and infinite love, which is granted to very few people.

He was a sensitive poet. He never uttered a single verse without feeling it. Let us read the following beautiful passage from the preface of his unpublished divan:

“It is said that excessive sensitivity is the product of poets. It is said that the excess in sensitivity is a disease, and that such sensitive people are sick. According to this saying, the most sensitive people are the most ill. Unfortunately, I am one of those unfortunates. Because I am a hopeless addict to an incurable disease called sensitivity. This patient groans under the pressure of some internal and external pains and causes, and even his moaning sometimes lasts for years. Although it makes those who hear it feel sorry, it also becomes tiresome. The patient cannot stop moaning, even though he fully appreciates the annoyance he causes. Because he imagines that his torments are relieved by lamentations. Perhaps he finds consolation in hearing the echo of his cry. The collection that I have compiled in the name of (Divan) contains such recommendations, each of which is a heartfelt and spiritual expression of various impressions of the soul. If there are any that resemble smiles, they are involuntary venomous laughs released in the face of certain misfortunes…” After saying this: “Let those moans, whose repeated echoes will only be heard by my heart, echo through the dome of the sky even after I die. Perhaps a single note of one of them will stir the feeling of mercy in a fair listener and he will pray for Allah to have mercy on its owner. This is all that those who have gone to the other side expect from those who remain here.

As for his works: They exceed 60.

PUBLISHED AND UNPUBLISHED BOOKS

Published:

1 — Mir’ât-ı Hz. Mevlânâ

2 — Dîvânçe-i Tâhir

3 — Nazım ve Eşkâli Nazım

4 — Edebiyat Lügati

5 — Teşebbüs-i Şahsî

6 — Şeyh Celâleddin Efendi Merhûm

7 — Cengiz ve Hülâgû Mezâlimi

8 — Şeyh Şâmil'in Gazevâtı

9 — İslâm Medreseleri Talebelerine Târih Hülâsaları

10 — Şeyh Sa’dî’nin Bir Sergüzeşti

11 — Âmûzgâri Fârisî

12 — Destâviz Fârisî Hânân

13 — Afghan Emir Abdurrahman Khan

14 — Mughal Emperors of India

15 — Indian Revolution

16 — Şükûfe-i Bahâristan

17 — Prophet Muhammad and His Time

18 — Indian Tales

19 — About Fuzûlî

20 — Nev’î and the Syrian Ode

21 — About Bâkî

22 — The History of Worship in Islam

23 — To the Islamic Soldier

24 — A Poetic Memorandum

25 — The Mesnevî's Old and New Critics

26 — To the Mesnevî's Latest Critic

27 — Catalogue of the Divans of the XII – XVI Century Poets

28 — Monthly (Mahfel) Magazine

29 — From the Pages of the History of Islam

Unpublished Works:

30 — Translation of Tafsîr-i Hüseynî (Incomplete)

31 — Siyer-i Peygamberî (Written up to the Battle of Badr)

32 — Târîh-i Enbiyâ

33 — The Services of Islam to Civilization in the Age of Bliss

34 — The Late Poet Ali İffet from Crete

35 – Information on Lunar Months

36 – Some of Our Great Figures

37 – My Translations

38 – Appendix to a Poetic Memorandum

39 – My Life in the World of the Press

40 – Nedim's Köşk Ode and Commentary

41 – Sünbüllüzade Vehbi's (Tanâne) Ode and Commentary

42 – Ibni Kemal's Yavuz Elegy and Commentary

43 - Bursalı Gazâlî

44 – Two Letters and Sürûrî with Gubârî

45 – Bâkî's Kânûnî Elegy and Commentary

46 – Bâkî's Sünbül Ode and Commentary

47 – Yahya Bey’s Şehzade Mustafa Elegy and Commentary

48 – Nefi’s (Hotin) Ode and Commentary

49 – Şerif Sabri's Abu Sa'id Ode and Commentary

50 – Fuzûlî's Baghdad Ode and Commentary

51 – Fuzûlî's Complaint and Commentary

52 – Kudemây-i Mevleviyye

53 — Translation of Veliyüddin Oğlu Ahmet Pasha's Divan into Prose

54 — Dîvân-ı Tâhirülmevlevî (Second Divan)

55 – Dîvânçe-i Fârisî Tâhir

In addition to these works, he has many religious, historical, and literary articles in the monthly Mahfel Mecmuası (numbers 1 – 68), Beyânülhak, Sırâtı Müstakîm magazines, and most recently in "İSLÂMIN NURU" and other journals.

The late Tâhirü’l Mevlevî spent fifty years of his 75-year life in research and investigation, teaching what he knew tirelessly, without getting bored, and without seeking any material benefit, thus rendering great services to the country's science and knowledge. Some of our valuable scholars have caused us to lag behind in certain areas because they did not want to publish didactic, i.e., educational works, and were jealous of their knowledge. However, as can be seen in his works mentioned above, Tâhirü’l Mevlevî never hesitated to teach what he knew and considered this a national and religious duty.

He used to say, "Teaching is the zakat of knowledge!" Among his works, each of which is the result of great effort and long patience, we especially want to focus on two.

After being appointed as a member of the book classification commission affiliated with the library directorate, the deceased began to examine the Turkish manuscript divans in Istanbul libraries. He managed to complete the catalog of manuscript divans of poets who owned divans up to the 20th century shortly before his death, and the first volume of this catalog, pertaining to the 12th/16th centuries, was published by the Ministry of National Education in 1947. We learned with satisfaction that the second volume had also been sent to the printing house and would be published soon. This work, which will be of great value and importance for those who will conduct research in our literary history, is sufficient to prove the master's knowledge and virtue. However, in our opinion, his most mature and important work is the commentary he wrote on the Mesnevî under the name (Mesnevi Dersleri). This commentary, which is the culmination of all his acquisitions in the fields of Tafsir, Hadith, Islamic History, and Sufism, is a treasure trove of information that will explain the (Mesnevî-i ma’nevî) to today's generation. The late Tâhirü’l Mevlevî’s teacher, Mehmet Es’ad Efendi, taught Mesnevî in the Fatih Mosque for nearly half a century, and after his death, Karahisarlı Ahmet Efendi became the Mesnevîhan there. Upon his death, this lesson was given to TâhirüI-Mevlevî, and he gave Mesnevî lectures one day a week from August 20, 1339/1923 to December 7, 1341/1925. By expanding the notes he prepared to remember what he would say in the lesson, he translated and commented on three-quarters of the first volume of the Mesnevî, and later completed the first volume upon the request of his friends and students. Upon the assignment of the Mesnevîhan position, which a person named (Kubab Çavuş) had endowed in the Süleymaniye Mosque, to the master in 1948, he started to give Mesnevî lectures in the Lâleli Mosque on Saturdays, starting from May 29, 1948, because it was close to his position in the book classification commission at the Ragıp Pasha library, and he regularly continued his lessons, working day and night to prepare the Turkish manuscript divan catalog on the one hand, and to complete the translation and commentary of the Mesnevî on the other, even though he was over 70 years old and suffering from a stomach ulcer.

As is known, although Hazreti Mevlânâ's blessed and immortal work was annotated by the late İsmail Ankaravî, as our master said, this annotation was written in a style that has become incomprehensible today. The translations published in recent years are not of a nature to satisfy the readers. The deceased took this situation into consideration and wanted to write (Mesnevî Lessons).

Reading and understanding the (Mesnevî) will only be possible with the study of (Mesnevî Lessons).

The death of Tâhirü’l-Mevlevî is a great loss for the country. We do not expect the void he left behind to be filled easily. Perhaps the greatness of his value will be understood as time passes.

(Tâhir Hoca) was not only advanced in knowledge but also in morals. The deceased always rushed to the aid of the poor and the helpless, and never worked for material gain. Because he was not a man of the world, he was a true Muslim, a noble-spirited person, a man of high moral character, and a perfect human being in every sense.

May Allah's mercy be upon him with abundant mercy…

Sâdi Aytan