Date:
Location:
The CMES Sohbet-i Osmani Lecture Series presents
Arzu Eylül Yalçınkaya
Lecturer, Institute for Sufi Studies, Üsküdar University, Istanbul
Arzu Eylül Yalçınkaya is a PhD candidate in Divinity at Uludağ University, Turkey and a lecturer at the Research Institute of Sufism at Uskudar University, Turkey. She received her bachelor's degree from Marmara University Faculty of Divinity in 2000. Before starting her academic career, Yalçınkaya worked for ten years as a high school teacher for various private schools in İstanbul. In 2013, she received her master’s degree in Divinity from İstanbul University. The same year, she started a master’s program at the Harvard Extension School, which she aims to complete in near future.
Beside her academic studies, she is an author and an editor. Her first book Listen from the Nay Flute was published in 2008 and her second book Spiritual Discourses, which consists of interviews with the Rifai Sufi Shaykha Cemalnur Sargut was published in 2013. Her latest book, Mathnawi Memoirs of Kenan Rifai, was also published in 2013. She is an active member of TURKKAD (Turkish Women’s Cultural Association) which is a cultural, educational, health and charity association in Turkey. Yalçınkaya has participated in numerous international symposiums on Sufi Studies organized by the same association. She is also a musician and plays classical Turkish instruments such as oud, bendir and classical kemençe.
The talk will be followed by a brief concert featuring Ms. Yalçınkaya playing and singing with members of the Cambridge Society for Classical Turkish Music (Cambridge Musıki Cemiyeti), directed by Feridun Özgören.
Contact: Liz Flanagan