Karataş|87This letter is an invaluable source for understanding the psyche of a Halveti
shaykh who wanted to become a part of the Ottoman world. The gist of the
letter is communicated via the narration of four dreams and two mystical ex-
periences—an unveiling, or revelation, and a good omen from the Prophet Mu-
hammad in the World of the Spirits. In the first dream reported in the letter,
Murad II (r. 1421–1444, 1446–1451), the deceased father of Mehmed II, sits across
from the Prophet Muhammad with Şems-i Tebrizi, Seyyid Buhari (better known
as Emir Sultan (d. 1429), and Hacı Bayram-ı Veli (d. 1429) on his right.
Murad II turns to Seyyid Buhari and asks, “The enemies of my Mehmed Sultan
are plenty. Please ask for a prayer from the Prophet Muhammad.” Seyyid Bu-
hari asks for a prayer and the Prophet prays that he [Mehmed II] be victorious
wherever he goes. And in an auspicious hour, I saw in my dream that a large
sun prostrates before my Sultan and the moon appears above his head. Fol-
lowing that, an elderly person makes my Sultan mount a heavenly steed and
then escorts him to an exalted throne. When asked about his identity and
the meaning of the prostrating sun, the elderly person replies that he is the
prophetic secret of Muhammad, and that the prostration of the sun repre-
sents political fortune granted by God, in addition to conquest of the Arab
lands. And in [another] auspicious moment the Prophet says that there needs
to be an expedition toward Belgrade. My Sultan knows that there is no doubt
about seeing the Prophet in the dream. Our Prophet (peace be upon him) said,
“Whoever saw me in his dream saw the truth because the devil cannot appear
in my guise.” The Prophet said the truth. And in [another] auspicious hour the
Prophet Moses gathers an army in Filibe [modern-day Plovdiv in Bulgaria]
and marches in the direction of Hungary. Suddenly the Prophet Moses disap-
pears, and my Sultan takes his place and marches as far as Frengistan [Western
Europe], following the prominent saints of the time.This letter recounting a dream fits into a genre that is not uncommon in Ottoman
literature. These dreams are usually filled with good omens and signs communi-
cated by the Prophet or major religious figures. However, Karamani’s letter re-
veals more when viewed from the perspective of the Ottomanization of Karamani
and his order. It reflects a specific mind-set, perhaps a particular anxiety on the
part of Karamani, who was eager to expand his order in the Ottoman core lands.
For instance, the religious figures in the first dream narrative, Şems-i Tebrizi,
Seyyid Buhari, and Hacı Bayram-ı Veli, seem to have been carefully picked by
Karamani. These figures were all widely known and venerated by the Ottoman
elite. Karamani, by associating himself with very legitimate and respected Sufi
figures among the Ottomans, tried to familiarize the sultan in Istanbul with his
own Sufi order and hence earn his sympathy.
The second part of the letter is more critical for the purposes of this story.
In this part the content of the letter and its delivery method changes. Here
Karamani’s focus is on internal politics—in other words, on delicate matters,