The Dervishes of Turkey

For many years The Dervishes of Turkey, (originally published in 1912, and entitled Mysticism and Magic in Turkey), formed part of the foundation of Western understanding of the East. Its information was widely quoted and copied by others. In his introduction, O. M. Burke explains the problems arising from this: the book’s author spoke no Eastern language, and was treating a very complex subject without any clear understanding of it at all. The Dervishes of Turkey is presented almost as a cautionary tale, one in which the blind guides the blind, where the author’s good intentions channel the reader away from a genuine path of study.