Professor Dr. Orhan Bilgin, recognized for more than half a century of service in the field of Turkish literary studies, has established himself in the academic world through his scholarly works on classical Turkish literature and the students he has trained. Known for his approach that evaluates Arabic, Persian and Turkish literatures as an integrated whole, Bilgin devoted his life to the study of manuscript works, the meticulous editing of texts, and the transmission of cultural heritage to future generations.

Professor Dr. Orhan Bilgin was born on 28 August 1941 in the village of Büyükköy, in the Çayeli district of Rize. He was the sixth child in a family of four boys and three girls, and twin to Müzeyyen Metinoğlu. His family belonged to the Saloğulları branch of the Delihasan lineage within the Selmanlu tribe of the Oğuz Bayat clan. His father, Mustafa Bey, was a treasury collector, and his mother, Asiye Hanım, was the daughter of Şehit Mehmet from the Soğuksu neighborhood. His grandfather, Arif Onbaşı, died on the battlefield during the Yemen Rebellion, and his maternal grandfather was killed in clashes with the Russians in 1916. Bilgin stated that his grandmother Ayşe Hanım played a major role in shaping his personality during his childhood.

Orhan Bilgin began primary school in 1948 in his birthplace, Büyükköy, and graduated in 1953. He then spent one year receiving religious education under the supervision of İba Hoca in the village mosque, and graduated from Çayeli Middle School in 1957 after enrolling in 1954. He completed his secondary education at Istanbul Beyoğlu Atatürk Boys’ High School and entered higher education in 1961. In the same year, he passed the entrance examination for the Department of Arabic-Persian Philology at Istanbul University Faculty of Letters with top rank and began his studies in Arabic-Persian philology. He also obtained a certificate from the Turkology department and completed his undergraduate education in 1965.

After graduation, Bilgin won a scholarship offered by the Ministry of National Education and went to Iran in 1966. He conducted research on Persian language and literature at Tehran University, deepening his knowledge and literary expertise in Persian. In 1967, he moved to England, completed a nine-month language program in London, and was admitted to the master’s and doctoral programs at Oxford University. He finished his master’s degree between 1968 and 1969 and began his doctoral studies. However, in 1971 he was called up for military service by the Ministry of National Defense and was forced to return to Türkiye, where he fulfilled his military duty as a reserve officer between 1973 and 1974.

In 1978, Bilgin began his doctoral studies at the Department of Persian Language and Literature, Faculty of Letters, Istanbul University, and completed his thesis titled “Nizârî-i Kuhistânî: His Life, Works, and a Critical Edition of the Sefernâme” in 1980, earning his doctorate. In the same year, he married Belma Bahar Hanım; their son Korkutalp was born in 1981 and their daughter Elif in 1985. In 1980, he was appointed as an instructor at the Department of Eastern Languages and Literatures, Faculty of Letters, Erzurum Atatürk University, thus beginning his academic career. In 1983, he transferred to the Department of Turkish Language and Literature at Marmara University Faculty of Science and Letters, where he served for many years.

Orhan Bilgin was promoted to associate professor in 1986 and to full professor in 1992. He served as head of the Department of Turkish Language and Literature at Marmara University from 1994 to 2007. Between 2007 and 2008, he was a visiting professor and head of the Department of Turkish Language and Literature at Kyrgyzstan’s Manas University. Although he retired in 2008 due to age limits, he continued teaching graduate and doctoral courses at the Institute of Turkish Studies at Marmara University. In 2010, he was appointed as a professor at the Department of Turkish Language and Literature, Faculty of Letters, Istanbul 29 Mayıs University, and assumed the position of department head.

Professor Dr. Orhan Bilgin is known as a researcher proficient in Arabic, Persian and English, whose scholarly contributions focus on classical Turkish literature, Iranian literature and manuscripts. His doctoral thesis on “Nizârî-i Kuhistânî” attracted attention in the academic world. He later published works such as “Şeyh Eşref b. Ahmed’s Fütüvvetnâme,” “Two Poets from Merzifon: Eyüp Sabri – Hıfzî,” and “Mustafa Müdâmî: Divançe and Menâkıbnâme-i Emir Sultan.” He also authored more than twenty entries for the İslam Ansiklopedisi and TDV İslam Ansiklopedisi, with particularly significant entries including “Yazma,” “Ferâğ Kaydı,” “Fevâid Kaydı,” “Temellük ve Tesâhüb Kaydı,” “Câm-ı Cem,” and “Fahreddîn-i Irâkî.”

Thanks to his expertise in manuscripts, Bilgin participated in cataloging and carding projects in various libraries across Türkiye and prepared the Turkish section of Al-Furqan Foundation’s international project “World Survey of Islamic Manuscripts.” He also contributed to the manuscript cataloging project of the Yapı Kredi Sermet Çifter Research Library.

Orhan Bilgin is known for his academic rigor, conversational teaching style, and use of the mukabele method. He imparted not only knowledge but also a sense of culture and ethics to his students. Referred to as “the teacher of teachers,” Bilgin trained numerous new researchers in classical Turkish literature through the doctoral theses he supervised at Marmara University. Among his doctoral students are Güler Doğan, Gülşah Taşkın, Arzu Atik, Murat Ali Karavelioğlu, Üzeyir Aslan, Hüseyin Akkaya and Nihat Öztoprak.

In his classes, he emphasized the importance of manuscript works and adopted the mukabele method for textual analysis. He preferred one-on-one work with students and meticulously reviewed texts line by line. His methodology and scholarly discipline established him as a model educator for his students.

Orhan Bilgin argued that classical texts must be re-evaluated in contemporary research and highlighted their place in Turkish cultural history. He emphasized the interdependent nature of Turkish, Arabic and Persian literatures and embraced a comparative literature perspective. In his conversations and lectures, he frequently cited figures such as Ahmed-i Yesevî, Fuzûlî, Mevlânâ, Yahya Kemal and Ali Şir Nevâî.

Colleagues described him as gentle, refined, hospitable and modest. He was known for his generosity, humility, willingness to share his memories with students, and clarity in transmitting knowledge. Bilgin possessed deep knowledge of Turkish culture, history, geography and architecture, which he conveyed both in his academic work and in his teaching.

Professor Dr. Orhan Bilgin’s scholarly legacy has achieved permanence not only through his publications but also through the students he trained. Over a career spanning more than fifty years, he made significant contributions to the fields of classical Turkish literature, manuscript studies and comparative literature.

This scholarly legacy, centered around Atatürk University, Marmara University and 29 Mayıs University, has established his name as a respected scholar in the world of Turkology.

1. Doğan Güler, (2010). Edirneli Nazmî Dîvânı (transcribed text-study), Marmara University.
2. Taşkın Gülşah, (2009). Çorlulu Zarifî Divanı: Study-critical edition, Marmara University.
3. Atik Arzu, (2009). Celilî’s Leyla ve Mecnun and Nizami’s Leyla ve Mecnun: A comparison, Marmara University.
4. Karavelioğlu Murat Ali, (2005). Critical edition and study of the Divan of Prizrenli Şem’i, a 16th-century poet, Marmara University.
5. Aslan Üzeyir, (2005). Nehci Mustafa Dede [1616-1680?], a 17th-century Turkish classical poet: His life, works, literary personality, critical texts: Divan, Tuhfetu’s-Salikin and Hediyyetu’l-Müteressidin, Marmara University.
6. Zülfe Ömer, (2004). Yakînî [d.1568]: Dîvân: Yakînî critical text study and index, Marmara University.
7. Harmancı M. Esat, (2003). Manisalı Cami’i Muhabbet-nâme (Vamık u ’Azra): Study-text-prose translation (2 volumes), Marmara University.
8. Gençtürk Demircioğlu Tülay, (2002). Cemilî Divanı (study-text-glossary) (2 volumes), Marmara University.
9. Seyhan Köksal, (2002). Livâyî Divanı (text-study), Marmara University.
10. Büyükkarcı Yılmaz Fatma, (2001). Za’ifî’s poetic translation of Gülistan: Kitab-ı Nigaristan-ı Şehristan-ı Dırahistan-ı Sebzistan (2 volumes), Marmara University.
11. Seyhan Nezihe, (2000). Mehdî Divanı (study-transcribed text) (2 volumes), Marmara University.
12. Akkaya Hüseyin, (1994). Nevres-i Kadim and his Turkish Divan, Marmara University.
13. Kaçar Burhan, (1994). Textual analysis of Gevherî Divanı, Marmara University.
14. Öztoprak Nihat, (1993). Manzum hundred hadiths in classical Turkish literature, Marmara University.

1. Çimen Sema, (2010). An anonymous 15th-century Mi’rac-nâme (transcribed text), Marmara University.
2. Doğan Ramadan, (2005). Ahmedi-i Amidi’s Yusuf u Züleyha (text and study), Marmara University.
3. Cansever Sıddık, (2005). Egribozlu Mehmed Emin Sırrî: His life, works, critical edition and evaluation of his Divan, Marmara University.
4. Baş Çetinkol Fatma, (2004). Pervane Beg Nazire Mecmuası Mecmuatü’n-Nezair, Marmara University.
5. Başer Tuğba, (2004). Pervane Beg Nazire Mecmuası (557a-580b), Marmara University.
6. Parmaksız Esra Güzide, (2004). Pervâne Beg Nazire Mecmuası (transcribed, critically edited text), Marmara University.
7. Tan Ayşe, (2003). Critical edition and study of Şeyh Eşref bin Ahmed’s Hayret-nâme and Müncat-nâme, Marmara University.
8. Demir Esra, (2003). Şeyh Eşref Bin Ahmed’s mesnevi İbret-nâme (critical edition, study, text), Marmara University.
9. Engin Ahsen, (2002). Critical edition of Mehmet Talib-i Üsküdari’s Divançe, Marmara University.
10. Güneş Özlem, (2001). Ma’zeret-nâme (Şeyh Eşref b. Ahmed), Marmara University.
11. Pehlivan Elif, (2001). Şeyh Eşref b. Ahmed’s Nasihat-nâme, Marmara University.
12. Akaryalı M. Sami, (2000). Şakir Ahmed Paşa (Ravz-ı Verd): Critical edition and translation of the first section into modern Turkish, Marmara University.
13. Yasan Naime, (1998). Risale-i Bedriyye Mazlumizade Mustafa Efendi, Marmara University.
14. Tanrıverdi Fatma, (1998). Elest-nâme, Marmara University.
15. Bıyık Melek, (1996). Abdülbaki Nasır Dede Divanı: Introduction-text-index, Marmara University.
16. Ceyhan Adem, (1990). Enis Receb Dede (?-1733): His life, literary personality and works: Divanı, Marmara University.

1. Bilgin Orhan (1993). New information on Şeyhî. MÜFEF Türklük Araştırmaları Dergisi (7), 123–129.
2. Bilgin Orhan (1990). Aşkî Mustafa Efendi and Aşk-nâmesi. MÜFEF Türklük Araştırmaları Dergisi (5), 221–222.

1. Bilgin Orhan. Ahmed-i Yesevî’s conception of the state. International Symposium on Hoca Ahmet Yesevî, 45–47.
2. Bilgin Orhan. Ahmed-i Yesevî as a statesman. Ahmed Yesevî Symposium.

1. Bilgin Orhan. Reasons for Fuzûlî’s preference for Persian. Fuzûlî Symposium on the 500th Anniversary.
2. Bilgin Orhan. Mevlânâ’s view of humanity. Mevlânâ Symposium.
3. Bilgin Orhan. Rahşiyeler in Turkish literature. Symposium on the Horse in Turkish Culture and Contemporary Equestrianism.
4. Bilgin Orhan. Fuzûlî’s mastery of Persian. Fuzûlî Symposium.
5. Bilgin Orhan. Reflections on Yahya Kemal’s interest in Iranian literature. Yahya Kemal Beyatlı on the 100th Anniversary of His Birth.

1. World Survey of Islamic Manuscripts — Chapter: Islamic Manuscripts in Turkey (1992). Bilgin Orhan. Editor: Roper, Geoffrey.

1. Nihad M. Çetin’e Armağan. Chapter: Aşkî Mustafa Efendi and Mi’râc-nâmesi (1999). Bilgin Orhan. Istanbul University Faculty of Letters.
2. Müdâmî, Divançe and Menâkıbnâme-i Emir Sultan (1995). Bilgin Orhan. In Turkish.
3. Şeyh Ahmed b. Eşref: Fütüvvetnâme (1992). Bilgin Orhan. In Turkish.
4. Two Poets from Merzifon: Eyüp Sabrî–Hıfzî (1992). Bilgin Orhan. Enderun Kitabevi.
5. Merzifonlu Dedezâde Hilmî, Külliyat (1984). Bilgin Orhan. In Turkish.

1. Yazma. TDV İslam Ansiklopedisi c.43 (2013).
2. Matlau’s-Sa‘deyn. TDV İslam Ansiklopedisi c.28 (2003).
3. Kesrevî Seyyid Ahmed. TDV İslam Ansiklopedisi c.25 (2002).
4. Gerdizî. TDV İslam Ansiklopedisi c.4 (1996).
5. Fevâid Kaydı. TDV İslam Ansiklopedisi c.11 (1995).
6. Fahreddin-i Irâkî. TDV İslam Ansiklopedisi c.11 (1995).
7. Ferâğ Kaydı. TDV İslam Ansiklopedisi c.11 (1995).
8. Ebü’l-Müeyyed-i Belhî. TDV İslam Ansiklopedisi c.10 (1994).
9. Esedî-i Tûsî. TDV İslam Ansiklopedisi c.11 (1994).
10. Cüneyd-i Şîrâzî. TDV İslam Ansiklopedisi c.8 (1993).
11. Cüveynî Ata Melik. TDV İslam Ansiklopedisi c.8 (1993).
12. Câm-ı Cem. TDV İslam Ansiklopedisi c.7 (1993).
13. Boyle, John A. TDV İslam Ansiklopedisi c.6 (1992).
14. Bediüzzaman Fürûzanfer. TDV İslam Ansiklopedisi c.5 (1992).
15. Ayın-nâme. TDV İslam Ansiklopedisi c.4 (1991).
16. Assâr-ı Tebrizî. TDV İslam Ansiklopedisi c.3 (1991).
17. Ali İbrahim Han. TDV İslam Ansiklopedisi c.2 (1989).
18. Ahlak-ı Mansurî. TDV İslam Ansiklopedisi c.2 (1989).
19. Aga Büzürg-i Tahranî. TDV İslam Ansiklopedisi c.1 (1988).
20. Abdurrezzak es-Semerkandî. TDV İslam Ansiklopedisi c.1 (1988).
21. Yağmâ-yı Candâkî. İslam Ansiklopedisi (MEB) c.XV (1984).
22. Zurhâne. İslam Ansiklopedisi (MEB) c.XV (1983).