Gül Baba

Gül Baba (died 1541), also known as Jafer, was an Ottoman Bektashi dervish poet and companion of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent who took part in a number of campaigns in Europe from the reign of Mehmed II onwards.

Life

A native of Merzifon (Marsiwān, in the vilāyet of Sivas, Anatolia), he was the son of Kutb’ül Arifin Veli’üddin İbn Yalınkılıç. In Hungary, Gül Baba is known as the "Father of Roses," a literal translation of the meaning of his names in Turkish; he is said to have introduced the flower to the country. However, this is likely a misunderstanding of the metaphorical meaning of the Turkish name, which referred to the dervish's status derived from his deep mystical knowledge of Allah. Roses, wild and domesticated, were already in Hungary by the time of the Ottoman invasion. The name could also be a corruption of Kel Baba, meaning "Bald Father".

Gül Baba is thought to have died in Buda during the first Muslim religious ceremony held after the Ottoman victory of 1541, or alternatively to have been killed during fighting below the walls of the city on August 21, 1541. Suleiman, who was also Caliph, declared him patron saint of the city and is reputed to have been one of the coffin bearers. Gül Baba's descendants are the Marzioglu family, some of whom were the pashas of the Trebizond Vilayet.

Gül Baba (disambiguation)

Gül Baba may refer to:

Gül Baba (operetta)

Gül Baba is an operetta by Jenő Huszka in three acts. It was premiered on 6 December 1905 at Király Színház in Budapest, Hungary. The story is set in the 17th century Turkish invasion of Hungary. The libretto is by Ferenc Martos.

Plot

Act I

Gabor falls in love with a Turkish girl, Leila. With his gypsy friend Mujko they enter a sacred garden in the mosque of Gül Baba. They take a rose for Leila. The guards of the mosque arrest him, because taking the sacred rose is a crime. The pasha Ali, who wants to marry Leila, sentences him to death. Gabor's last wish is to be with Leila in the garden until darkness.

Act II

Gül Baba finds that Gabor is a very good student and wants to save his life. He intervenes on Gabor's behalf with the pasha. The pasha agrees, but only if Leila will be his wife. Leila accepts this because she wants to save Gabor, but Gabor attacks the pasha with a knife. Now everything seems lost! Gül Baba destroys his rose garden and says to the pasha that it was done by Allah, who is angry because of the strict sentence.