Ahmed Nedim

Nedîm was one of the most celebrated Ottoman poets who achieved his greatest fame during the reign of Ahmed III, the so-called Tulip Era from 1718 to 1730. He was known for his slightly decadent, even licentious poetry often couched in the most staid of classical formats, but also for bringing the folk poetic forms of türkü and şarkı into the court. He was a close friend and protégé of the Grand Vizier Ibrahim Pasha, who effectively served as his sponsor under the Ottoman patronage system. Nedîm fervently participated in the atmosphere of the Tulip Era, which was known both for its aesthetic achievements and its decadence. He is often called the "Poet of the Tulip Period". Nedîm is thought to have been an alcoholic and a drug user, most likely of opium. He died in 1730 during the Janissary revolt initiated by Patrona Halil. The most popular account has him falling to his death from the roof of his home in the Beşiktaş district of Istanbul while attempting to escape from the insurgents. Nedîm is buried in the Üsküdar district of Istanbul. Nedîm is now generally considered, along with Fuzûlî and Bâkî, to be one of the three greatest poets in the Ottoman Divan poetry tradition. He challenged the literary environment of Constantinople, which by then strongly favored the Nâbî school, a school of highly philosophical, almost didactic ghazals. He wrote in a more lively and witty style, using the vernacular language and the forms of popular songs. He also praised the city of Istanbul and its culture in his poems, creating a unique genre of urban poetry. He influenced many later poets, such as Şeyh Galib, and contributed to the development of Turkish literature.