Роман Тврђава Меше Селимовића и оријенталне књижевности
The Novel The Fortress by Meša Selimović and Oriental Literature

Summary/Abstract: The paper discusses the intertextual connections between Meša Selimović’s novel The Fortress and Oriental literature, as well as the influence of the Oriental culture and the Sufi philosophy on this novel. Starting from Selimović’s metapoetic statements, such as the claim that The Chronicle by Mula Mustafa Bašeskija (1731–1809) is the foundational source for the novel The Fortress, this paper seeks to explain how The Chronicle – which originates in the Oriental-Islamic literature and culture of Bosnia and Herzegovina and which was written in Turkish – communicates with the novel The Fortress. Many names of the characters, as well as their life stories were borrowed from The Chronicle. Based on different sources, Selimović created an artistic fictional text in the spirit of the modern novel, constructing much more complex characterizations than those found in the brief descriptions from The Chronicle. The character of Ahmed Šabo still resembles Bašeskija himself, however, as he was both a scribe and a poet. The text of the novel also communicates with Bašeskija’s love verses published in The Chronicle. The paper then shows how the novel sets up intertextual connections with the Qur’an as the holy book of Islam, as well as with the works by Oriental poets and philosophers. Finally, the paper points out the specific influence of the Sufi philosophy, particularly the Hamzevi order, whose historical and political significance is addressed in various aspects of The Fortress. One of the key ideas of Sufism and the dervish poetry is Love as the absolute, which the novel also communicates, showing that love among the characters is the only reliable fortress. The love between Ahmed Šabo and Tijana resembles in many ways Majnun’s love for Layla, as described by Nizami and other Eastern poets. The multilayered symbolism of the fortress, firstly as a separation and death that isolates people, and then as security and refuge found only in love, can also be related to Eastern mystics, as well as Christian mystics such as Teresa of Avila. The novel The Fortress communicates intertextually with the Oriental literature and the Sufi philosophy in a manner similar to the novel Death and the Dervish. However, while Death and the Dervish primarily engages with the Qur’an, contributing to Ahmed Nurudin’s philosophical contemplation of dogmatism, The Fortress mainly communicates with The Chronicle, supplementing the novel’s historicity and the construction of an authentic Bosnian and Sarajevo culture. Despite this, neither novel is about a specific historical period; both are about contemporary man’s constant conflict with authority, the surrounding world and themself. The Fortress tells a story about a post-war individual who gets a chance for a new life, only to meet a new war in a seemingly peaceful environment. Its connection to the Oriental literature is natural, given the protagonist’s background as a poet and a scribe from the Ottoman Empire. Furthermore, it adds a universal dimension to themes of war, post-war humanity, alienation, faith, and especially the belief in love as the foundation of humanity.

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