A Story of Exile: A Bosnian Franciscan Friar’s Journey From Sarajevo To Istanbul
This study examines the travel memoirs of Ivan Franjo Jukić (1818-1857), a Bosnian intellectual and cultural figure who was arrested in 1852 for his alleged involvement in a pan-Slavic conspiracy and exiled from Sarajevo to Istanbul, published under the title Journey from Sarajevo to Istanbul, May 1...
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| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Istanbul University Press
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Türkiyat Mecmuası |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://cdn.istanbul.edu.tr/file/JTA6CLJ8T5/4F10867F1BD94B31B6E466AD31F13EC3 |
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| Summary: | This study examines the travel memoirs of Ivan Franjo Jukić (1818-1857), a Bosnian intellectual and cultural figure who was arrested in 1852 for his alleged involvement in a pan-Slavic conspiracy and exiled from Sarajevo to Istanbul, published under the title Journey from Sarajevo to Istanbul, May 1852. The article aims to evaluate the text in its historical context by discussing Jukić’s literary and cultural activities, the political atmosphere of the period, and the effects of the Tanzimat reforms in the region. Although this travelogue—considered the beginning of modern Bosnian-Herzegovinian literature—is essentially a travel story from the Balkans to the Ottoman capital, the author’s multifaceted and in-depth historical and cultural knowledge makes it an intellectually rich text. Jukić’s exile, passing through important cities such as Sarajevo, Pristina, Skopje, and Thessaloniki, provides significant testimony, shedding light on the social, economic, and administrative conditions of the imperial territories during the mid-19th century. Throughout his journey, the author offers detailed observations on the various ethnic and religious groups, local administrations, military structures, and daily life practices he encounters, as well as valuable insights into transportation options, prison conditions, and judicial practices during the period. This work, which belongs to a group of sources rarely utilized in Turkish historiography because of language barriers, offers a valuable perspective on the history of the Tanzimat-era Balkans, while containing first-hand information on a region outside the empire’s center. In the second part of the article, the original text is translated from Bosnian to Turkish for the first time, making it accessible to Turkish readers. We hope that this translation will enhance the recognition of both the author and the travelogue in academic circles, offering a fresh resource for Turkish researchers studying the 19th-century Balkans. |
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| ISSN: | 2651-3188 |