Enderûnlu Fâzıl

Enderûnlu Fâzıl (1757–1810) was an Ottoman poet. He is the author of the Zenanname ("The Book of Women") and the Hubanname ("The book of Beautiful Young Men"), the former of which was banned in the Ottoman Empire.^[1] He achieved fame through his erotic works.

Life

Fâzıl was born in Acre into an Arab family originally of Medina.^[2] He spent his early years in Safed in Ottoman Palestine. His grandfather Zahir al-Umar and father Ali Tâhir were both executed (in 1775 and 1776, respectively) for participating in a rebellion. After his father's death, Fâzıl moved to Istanbul. There, he was admitted to the Enderun palace school (taking the name Enderuni or Enderûnlu), but was expelled in 1783 as a result of his love affairs with other men there.

In 1799 he was exiled to Rhodes because of his satirical writings and was only allowed to return to Istanbul after becoming blind. He spent the rest of his life there, ill and bedridden. He is buried in a tomb in Eyüp.

Works

The first book banned during the Ottoman Empire The Book of Women.

• Divan
• The Book of Love
• The Book of the Beautiful Young Men
• Zenanname, The Book of Women
• The Book of the Dancers