The journey of Ibn Haldun Academy ’26, which commenced on April 11, 2026, under the theme “The Limits of Vision and Beyond” and explored disciplines such as literature, cinema, history, Sufism, music, branding, psychology, physics, and philosophy every Saturday with its rich palette, culminated with the program held at the Darüşşifa on Saturday, May 16. The final week of Academy ’26 focused intensively on poetry, music, and Sufism.
Author and faculty member Assoc. Prof. Vahdettin Işık conducted a poetry analysis through İsmet Özel’s work “Of Not Being a Jew” in his seminar titled “The Poet’s Intent: To Raise a Cry and Lamentation”. The discussion centered on images such as home, heart, city, mother, and companion, and the meanings they convey. For instance, it was stated that a connection was established in the poem between the image of the city and an inauthentic mother. It was emphasized that just like a false mother feeding a child with toxic milk, the city, despite satisfying people, makes them hungrier the more it feeds them, thereby detaching them from reality.
Following Assoc. Prof. Işık, Prof. Halil Berktay shared his experiences on poetry in his seminar titled “Moments I Was Enchanted by in My Historian Journey: And Then There Was Poetry…” Touching upon the differences between a historian and a poet, our professor enriched his narrative with works such as Shakespeare’s poem “Antony and Cleopatra”.
In his speech, Prof. Berktay expressed what reading poetry meant to him with the sentences: “Poetry neither fades with age nor becomes stale with habit. Poetry possesses the magic of keeping alive and chanting the infinite diversity of human beings.” He expressed that reading poetry resembles listening to music with the structure of the lines, and the rhythm and harmony of the language.
Composer and pianist Büşra Kayıkçı talked about her music career, the factors influencing her world of inspiration, her discipline, and her collaborations in the interview titled “Beyond the Walls.”
Believing that there is much to learn from everyone in life, Kayıkçı stated that she has also learned a great deal from the artists she collaborates with. Mentioning that she possesses her own discipline, she noted that she spends many hours with her piano without waiting for a magical inspiration. She expressed that while products that have previously seeped into our consciousness can emerge as inspiration, rather than waiting for this state, one must sit down and work.
Kayıkçı, in whose music we encounter many elements from daily life, explained the sounds that have inspired her since childhood and how she incorporates these sounds into her works.
Kayıkçı also spoke about the criticisms she received and how she psychologically adopted an attitude against criticisms over time. She stated that her determination to do the work she loves brought her success.
The panel session titled “Beautifying the World,” honored by the presence of Prof. Necdet Tosun, Prof. Nurullah Koltaş, and Assoc. Prof. Ahmet Murat Özel, focused on the impact of Sufism on the way human beings live their lives.
Sufism was defined as a spiritual training of the heart that serves to elevate our level of perception. It was expressed that through Sufi training, a person's level of contemplation develops, and their heart gains refinement. It was stated that the belief “The world is the field of the hereafter,” combined with people's desire for their afterlife to be beautiful, transforms into a motivation to perform good and beautiful deeds in this world.
The spiritual journey of converts (muhtadis) after reaching guidance (hidayah) was discussed. Attention was drawn to the awareness of how valuable an opportunity Islamic practices embedded in our traditions are, particularly lodges (tekkes) and lodge culture. It was emphasized that the routinization of acts of worship also holds its own specific wisdom.
The intersecting aspects of Sufism, whose primary goal is to reach truth (haqiqah) and gnosis (marifah) by lowering the wall of the ego, with Islamic theology (kalam) and philosophy were addressed. It was stated that the theoretical questions of Sufism bring us closer to other fields of science.
Following the conclusion of the sessions, the Ibn Haldun Academy ’26 Closing Ceremony commenced. The Academy ’26 adventure was completed at the ceremony with the presentation of the incentive, fidelity, and theme awards to their recipients.
