Davud-i Kayseri

Davud-i Kayseri is one of the scholars and saints who flourished during the founding period of the Ottoman State. His real name was Davud ibn Mahmud ibn Muhammad, and his title was Şerefüddin; he became famous under the name Davud-i Kayseri. Although his date of birth is not known with certainty, the sources estimate that he was born in Kayseri between the years 1258 (656 AH) and 1261 (659 AH). After receiving his early education in Kayseri and its surroundings, he went to Cairo, where he stayed three or four years and studied hadith, exegesis (tafsir), and the other sciences. He then went to the city of Sava in Iran, joined the disciples of Kemalüddin Kaşani, and attained high degrees on the path of Sufism. Davud-i Kayseri was appointed as the first professor (müderris) of the Orhaniye Madrasa built by the Ottoman Sultan Orhan Gazi; it is stated that he taught there until his death and trained many scholars. The source text records his views to the effect that all beings in the universe are the manifestation and reflection of the names and attributes of God Almighty; it is conveyed that, stating that everything in nature is composed of atoms and molecules, he is associated with a doctrine that explains the essence of existence through energy and the transformation of energy. It is stated that his death occurred in 1350 (751 AH). Regarding the place of his burial, the sources convey differing information: according to one account he was buried opposite the Çandarlı Halil Pasha Mosque, at the place today called Çınardibi; while some sources have related that he is buried in Kayseri.