The Sorrow of Exile: Mehmet Akif’s Eleven Years in Egypt

WISE NEWS PRESS / CAIRO, EGYPT — Dec. 25, 2025

The 11-year exile of Mehmet Âkif Ersoy in Egypt stands not merely as a story of displacement but as a profound testament to a nation's conscience choosing silence over submission during a period of radical political transition.

Marking the 100th anniversary of his departure in 1925, Ersoy—the poet of the Turkish Independence Anthem—moved to Egypt after facing political isolation and police surveillance in the newly established Turkish Republic. This voluntary exile in Helwan became a period of "sorrow and dignity," where he remained devoted to his faith and homeland despite being distanced from the political center he once helped build.

The Hermit of Helwan and the Quran Translation

While living in Egypt, Ersoy resided in a modest cell-like room in Helwan, often supported by the friendship of Abbas Halim Pasha. During these years, he undertook a monumental task: a Turkish translation (meal) of the Quran commissioned by the Turkish Parliament in 1925. Ersoy completed the translation by 1932 but ultimately refused to deliver it to official authorities, fearing it would be used for political projects to replace traditional worship with Turkish translations.

Before his return to Turkey in 1936, Ersoy entrusted the manuscript to İhsan Efendi with a strict instruction to burn the text if Ersoy could not return to claim it. While most manuscripts were burned according to his wishes, various copies and drafts have survived and reached the present day.

Illness and the Journey to Antakya

In the spring of 1935, Ersoy’s health deteriorated significantly due to cirrhosis and malaria. Seeking a cooler climate for treatment, he traveled to Lebanon and later reached Antakya in August 1935. During his time in Antakya, he found comfort in Turkish culture and even penned a poem for the city. However, under the constant surveillance of the French occupation forces in the region, he was forced to return to the intense heat of Egypt by mid-September.

A Silent Farewell at Mısır Apartment

Advanced illness finally brought Ersoy back to Istanbul in 1936. His final residence was a small room in the Mısır (Egypt) Apartment in Beyoğlu. While he was met with silence by state officials, he found immense respect and care from university students who gathered to hear his wisdom. Mehmet Âkif Ersoy passed away on the night of December 27, 1936.

Though no official ceremony was organized by the state, thousands of students carried his coffin on their shoulders from Meşrutiyet Avenue to Edirnekapı. This final march transformed a state-ignored passing into a national legend of loyalty, proving that while Ersoy died in physical isolation, his voice remained the heart of the Turkish people.

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