From Historian to Poet: A Checklist of the Persian Poems of Idrīs Bidlīsī (Hašt Bihišt VI, Nuruosmaniye 3209)

Abstract Many articles have been published on the life and career of Idrīs Bidlīsī (1457–1520) and his contribution to the history of Ottoman Empire. There has been much less research, especially in the West, into the influential role that Persian literature, especially Niẓāmī of Ganğa, played in all facets of his works. Consequently, even fewer studies have been done on Idrīs’ own poetry, which was composed mainly either in late fifteenth century, when he was still at the court of Aqquyunlu, or after his residence at the Ottoman court, especially in early sixteenth century. This study is dedicated to making a “voyage of discovery” of his Persian poems as reflected in the Book VI of Hašt Bihišt , an unpublished book of his magnum opus.