Enderûnlu Fâzıl


Enderûnlu Fâzıl was an Ottoman poet. He is the author of the Zenanname and the Hubanname, the former of which was banned in the Ottoman Empire. He achieved fame through his erotic works.

Life

Fâzıl was born in Acre into an Arab family originally of Medina. He spent his early years in Safed in Ottoman Palestine. His grandfather Zahir al-Umar and father Ali Tâhir were both executed for participating in a rebellion. After his father's death, Fâzıl moved to Istanbul. There, he was admitted to the Enderun palace school, 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