Representing Mevlana: An Analysis of Mevlana’s Portrayals in Western Cinema

Authors : Mehmet Işık, Şakir Eşitti

Pages : 1-17

Doi:10.56676/kiad.1770912

View : 108 | Download : 193

Publication Date : 2025-12-31

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :Mevlana Jalal Al-Dîn Rûmî, a 13th-century Turkish mystic, scholar, and poet, embodies not only a theological but also an ethical and philosophical approach through his famous invitation, “Come, come whoever you are”. Rooted in love and tolerance, this approach has gradually taken on a universal character. In today’s world—shaped by deepening political divides, human rights violations, and the spread of radical narratives—interest in Rûmî has been renewed. With the rise of global communication, his ideas and writings have reached an ever-wider audience. This interest in Rûmî has also been reflected in cinema, many films about Rûmî have been produced in the West. However, these productions have not been sufficiently studied in the academic literature. This study analyzes representations of Rûmî in Western cinema within the framework of cultural transmission methods, orientalism, and transnational narratives. Identifying the ways in which Rûmî is represented in Western cinema will significantly contribute to existing literature and offer valuable insights into the cultural dimensions of East-West relations. To this end, this study employed a qualitative methodology, analyzing documentaries and feature films featuring Rûmî in Western cinema using thematic content analysis. The analysis demonstrates that Rûmî is generally framed in Western cinema within fundamental themes such as universality, the Sema aesthetic, the theme of love, the inner journey, and orientalist perspectives. These representations, on the one hand, popularize the universal values of Rûmî’s teachings, while on the other, confine him and his philosophy to a narrow orientalist framework. Furthermore, these films place almost no emphasis on Rûmî’s Turkish and Muslim identity. Instead, he is portrayed as a trans-religious figure, implicitly suggesting that he is distinct from other Eastern or Muslim thinkers and therefore more relatable to Western audiences.
Keywords : Mevlâna Celaleddin-i Rumi, Batı Sineması, Oryantalizm, Kültürel Aktarım, Transnasyonal Anlatı

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