Mothers and Holy Ones (Book)

Mothers and Jerusalems is one of the poetry collections by Nuri Pakdil, whose works in Turkish literature are centered on Islamic sensibility. The book is compiled from poems published by the author in the Edebiyat magazine between 1970 and 1984. It was first published in 2014 by Edebiyat Dergisi Yayınları. This work, which has reached the present day through multiple editions, focuses on the symbolic and intellectual significance of Jerusalem in Pakdil’s worldview.

In the texts included in the work, Jerusalem is not treated merely as a city but as a historical, cultural and spiritual center for the Islamic world. The figure of the “mother” is interpreted within the framework of concepts such as fertility, compassion and social continuity. Central themes in the texts include the belief in divine oneness, the consciousness of the ummah, the preservation of Eastern identity against the West, cultural continuity and individual responsibility. Pakdil’s narrative style, characterized by formally striking short, concise and intense sentences, strengthens the literary dimension of the work.

Mothers and Jerusalems was first published in 2014 by Edebiyat Dergisi Yayınları. The book is 140 pages long. Subsequent editions have been released by other publishers, such as Ketebe Yayınları.

The work holds significance as a comprehensive compilation of Nuri Pakdil’s texts centered on Jerusalem. While symbolic and metaphysical associations with Jerusalem appear in Pakdil’s other works, they occupy a central position in this book. Within the context of the renewed interest in Jerusalem in Türkiye during the 2000s, the book has attracted particular attention from young readers and circles aligned with Islamic thought.