Islamic Studies and Quranic Research in the Contemporary World

Islamic Studies and Quranic Research in the Contemporary World

The Poetics of Sacred Spaces in Navai's Poems (A Reading Based on Gaston Bachelard's Theory of Space)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
1 Associate Professor, ,Department of Quranic sciences and Hadith, Faculty of Humanities,Kosar University of Bojnord. Bojnord, Iran.
2 Full Professor, Arabic Language Teaching Department , Gazi University, Ankara, Türkiye.
Abstract
In his book The Poetics of Space, Gaston Bachelard believes that places have not only a physical role, but also profound psychological and emotional effects on humans. From his perspective, place transforms from a purely physical entity into a concept mixed with imagination, feelings, and memories, and as a mirror of the inner world of man, it forms one of the most fertile areas of imagination. Space is the way in which characters appear and manifest in real or imaginary places, which is manifested in poetry under the influence of cultural, social, and epistemological attitudes. Alishir Navai, a prominent poet of the ninth century AH, has effectively used the mediating space that governs his poems in the process of meaning-making. Place in his poems has various dimensions; from simple and tangible natural spaces to sacred and religious spaces that have been used with special poetic nuances and techniques to express mystical, moral, and philosophical concepts. This article, based on Gaston Bachelard’s theory of the poetics of space, examines sacred and religious spaces in Alishir Navai’s poetry. In this regard, while examining and analyzing the spaces depicted in his poems, the epistemological foundations of these spaces and their semantic patterns are considered. The poetics of space in Navai’s poetry, especially in describing religious places, reflects the depth of his mystical and spiritual outlook. This research shows how sacred spaces in Navai’s poetry serve as symbols reflecting the poet’s inner and spiritual experiences.
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Subjects

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  • Receive Date 21 February 2025
  • Revise Date 20 May 2025
  • Accept Date 07 July 2025
  • First Publish Date 07 July 2025
  • Publish Date 23 August 2025