Evliya Celebi (nov 13, 1611 – nov 13, 1684)

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Evliya Celebi was born in 1611 in Constantinople. He was brought up at court as his father was the chief court jeweler. He had a typical education of someone of his status. He received his education at a madrasah (Islamic college) and attended Quran school in Constantinople. Notably skilled as a Quran reciter, he caught the attention of Sultan Murad lV, who favored him. Joining the Ottoman palace school, he honed his abilities in Arabic, calligraphy, and music. Under the patronage of the court, he set out with the goal to fully describe and make known what the Ottoman empire was.
He traveled from Belgrade to Baghdad and from Crimea to Cairo, acting as an official representative of the government at times. His travels encompassed 41 years, though he came back to Istanbul in between places. The outcome of his travels was the Seyahatname which consists of his travel notes. He was most frightened in Crimea, was a vassal state of the Ottomans. It was rumored that the Crimean Tatars would usurp the Ottomans. He best liked Persia, which was surprising because the Safavid Shia Muslims were the antipathy of the Sunni Ottoman Muslims. Today, his work is most admired for its unique blend of fact, fiction, fantasy, and humor.

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