Ottoman society was patriarchal. It was exceptional for women to go to school and become literate. The only exception to the norm was the daughters of the elite who could have the chance of home schooling. İhsan Raif Hanım flourished as a poet in such an atmosphere. She was the daughter of an Ottoman Minister and grew up in his father’s Mansion in Şişli. She had many privileges such as learning French and taking music and poetry classes. She started writing poetry in her early teens.
But she could not escape the destiny of Ottoman women of her era and was forced to marry when she was thirteen. Many of her poems are still with us today and one of the most of popular of her poems were written when she was thirteen expressing her extreme grief due to her forced marriage. She composed some of her poems whereas some of her poems were composed by other musicians.
She is known as the first Turkish poet to use the syllabic verse in her poems.
She has been extremely active during the war of Indepence and gave many speeches in İstanbul to the masses. She passed away in 1926 only three years after the establishment of the Turkish Republic which she was proud to see.
This is her Mansion in Nişantaşı and you probably have passed by her Mansion without realising it time and again if you have been to the neighbourhood.
Have a look at the details of this elegant 19th century Ottoman Mansion which has been beautifully restored.
We owe this beautiful Turkish song to poet İhsan Raif Hanım. The lyrics that still touch us deeply are taken from her poem of grief when she was forced into marriage in 1900 only at the age of 13. The song was composed by Kemani Serkis Efendi (1885-1944). Let’s lend an ear to the grief of this Ottoman female poet who deserves to be remembered!
