Nasreddin Hoca

Who is Nasreddin Hoca?

Nasreddin Hoca is a satirical figure of Anatolian and wider Islamic folklore, remembered as a witty and seemingly foolish yet deeply wise teacher whose short humorous anecdotes carry moral and philosophical lessons. Tradition places his life in 13th-century Anatolia, and his tomb in Aksehir, in present-day Konya Province, is traditionally dated to the late 13th century. In the tales he is portrayed as a village imam and judge who rides a donkey and outwits others, and sometimes himself, through absurd logic that exposes human folly. His anecdotes spread across the Turkic, Persian, Arab and Balkan worlds, where he appears under names such as Mulla Nasreddin and Joha, becoming a shared figure of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean humor. His stories have been retold for centuries in both oral and written collections, and UNESCO designated 1996-1997 as the International Nasreddin Hodja Year in recognition of his enduring cultural importance.

Sources: The Turkish Jester; or, the Pleasantries of Cogia Nasr Eddin Effendi, translated by George Borrow (1884) · UNESCO, International Nasreddin Hodja Year 1996-1997