Born: 1884 (Constantinople, Ottoman Empire)
Biography:
Halide Edib Adıvar (Ottoman Turkish: خالده اديب) was a prominent Turkish novelist, teacher, and feminist intellectual. She was born on June 11, 1884, in Constantinople (Istanbul), Ottoman Empire, into an upper-class family. Her father served as a secretary of the Ottoman sultan Abdul Hamid II.
As a child, Halide Edib received her education at home from private tutors who taught her a wide range of subjects, including European and Ottoman literature, religion, philosophy, sociology, piano playing, English, French, and Arabic. She also learned Greek from her neighbors and briefly attended a Greek school in Constantinople. In 1897, at the age of 13, she translated Jacob Abbott’s book, Mother, and was awarded the Order of Charity (Şefkat Nişanı) by the sultan.
Halide Edib pursued her education further by attending the American College for Girls in Constantinople from 1899 to 1901, where she graduated. Her father’s house was a hub of intellectual activity, and even as a child, she actively participated in the city’s intellectual life.
In 1901, she married Salih Zeki Bey, a mathematician and astronomer, with whom she had two sons. Despite her marriage and family responsibilities, Halide Edib continued to engage in intellectual pursuits. In 1908, she began writing articles on education and the status of women for Tevfik Fikret’s newspaper, Tanin, and the women’s journal, Demet. She published her first novel, Seviye Talip, in 1909. These literary works raised awareness about the low social status of Turkish women and the lack of interest many women had in changing their situation.
Due to her articles on education, the Ministry of Education hired Halide Edib to reform girls’ schools in Constantinople. She collaborated with Nakiye Hanım on curriculum and pedagogy changes and also taught subjects such as pedagogy, ethics, and history. However, she later resigned from her position due to a disagreement with the ministry regarding mosque schools.
In 1910, Halide Edib divorced Salih Zeki Bey, marking the end of their marriage. She established her house as an intellectual salon, where she hosted discussions on new concepts of Turkishness. In 1911, she became involved with the Turkish Hearths (Türk Ocağı) organization and became its first female member in 1912. She was also a founder of the Elevation of Women (Taali-i Nisvan) organization, advocating for women’s rights and empowerment.
During 1913 and 1914, Halide Edib developed a friendship with the Armenian priest and musician Komitas. She invited him to perform at her house multiple times, although she often referred to him and his music as Anatolian rather than Armenian in her writings. This description was symptomatic of her involvement in the forced assimilation of children orphaned in the Armenian genocide, for which she is also remembered.
Halide Edib Adıvar made significant contributions to Turkish literature, especially through her novels. Many of her works focused on social issues and advocated for the rights of women. She was a Pan-Turkist and supported the Turanism movement, which aimed to promote cultural and linguistic unity among Turkic peoples.
Awards:
– Order of Charity (Şefkat Nişanı) for her translation of Jacob Abbott’s Mother (1897)