Report
Period: 14 July - 13 August 2004. Country: Tanzania, Turkey
  Purpose of the Visit
  Report of Field Trip to Tanzania and Turkey in July and August 2004
  TONAGA Yasushi  (ASAFAS: Division of Southeast Asian Area Studies)
  Record of Activities
  7/14 (Wed) – 15 (Thu)
  • From Kyoto to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
      7/16 (Fri)
  • Visit to Prof. Sam Maghimbi at Dar es Salaam University and investigation of historical materials at the university library
      7/17 (Sat)
  • Visit to Shadhili Zawiya and mosque (Interview with Shaykh Nur al-Din)
      7/18 (Sun)
  • From Dar es Salaam to Zanzibar. Interview with Dr. Abdul Sherif, Director of Dar al Ajaib Museum
      7/19 (Mon)
  • 1) Investigation of historical materials at Zanzibar Archives, 2) interview with Mr. Muhammad Idris on the present situation of tariqas in Tanzania, and 3) meeting with Mr. Roman Loimeier and Mr. Norbert Oberauer (staff of Bayreuth University)
      7/20 (Tue)
  • 1) Investigation of historical materials at Zanzibar Archives, 2) interview with Mr. Muhammad Idris
      7/21 (Wed)
  • From Zanzibar to Dar es Salaam. Collection of published materials at Tanzania Publishing House., etc.
      7/22 (Thu)
  • 1) Collection of published materials at Dar es Salaam Bookshop, Kayzarus Bookshop etc., 2) visit to Hindu temples at Dar es Salaam, and 3) From Dar es Salaam to Dubai, UAE.
      7/23 (Fri)
  • From Dubai to Istanbul, Turkey
      7/24 (Sat) – 8/1 (Sun)
  • Investigation of historical materials of Sufism during the Ottoman Period at Center for Islamic Research. Meeting with Prof. Resat Ongoren (Associate Professor of Faculty of Theology, Istanbul University) on July 28.
      8/2 (Mon) – 8/5 (Thu)
  • Meeting with Prof. Mehmet Bayrakdar (Professor of Faculty of Theology, Ankara University) and Prof. Mehmet Sait Recber (Assistant Professor of Faculty of Theology, Ankara University) on future academic cooperation
      8/6 (Fri) – 8/10 (Tue)
  • Investigation of historical materials of Sufism during the Ottoman Period at Center for Islamic Research. On-site education to Idiris Danismaz in Istanbul.
      8/11 (Wed)
  • Investigation of historical materials of the school of Ibn Arabi at the German Oriental Institute, Istanbul.
      8/12 (Thu)
  • From Istanbul to Dubai
      8/13 (Fri)
  • From Dubai to Kyoto

     

      Outcome and Progress Report
     
     (1) Field Station
              I had meetings with staff members of Ankara University aimed at launching the West Asian Field Station.
    I also visited Tanzania Field Station to gather information.
     (2) On-Site Education
              I contacted several informants in Tanzania as preparations for the field research of FUJII Chiaki, a first-year student of our graduate school and a specialist on East African Islam, who will visit Tanzania in August 2004.
              I provided on-site education to Idiris DANISMAZ, a second-year student of ASAFAS and a specialist on Sufism during the Ottoman Empire, in Turkey.
     (3) International Exchanges
              I had the chance to discuss international cooperation, including MOUs with Prof. Mehmet Bayrakdar of Ankara Univ. We are also continuing the same kind of talks with Prof. Mahmut Erol Kilic of Marmara Univ., Turkey.
     (4) Individual Research
              The aim of this visit included both philological research and fieldwork. In Turkey I carried out philological research at the Center for Islamic Research and the Oriental Institute. In Tanzania I interviewed the head of the Shadhili Order and carried out philological research in some libraries.

     

      Future Tasks
                We are establishing academic human networks in both the Arab and Turkish world based on the West Asian Field Station. In addition to this, I also visited Tanzania based on the Tanzania Field Station. We should aim for further academic cooperation between the field stations in Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia and West Asia.
              I hope to carry out further investigation comparing Sufism and Tariqas between East Africa and West Asia.

     

     
    Shaykh Nur al-Din of Yashrutiya Shadhiliya in Dar es Salaam:
    The Yashrutiya Order, a branch of Shadhiliya Order, which is one of the oldest Sufi orders, was founded in the late 19th century in Palestine. It is still the largest order in present Jordan. Shaykh Nur al-Din is of Arab origin and at the same time speaks excellent Swahili, which is the official language in Tanzania.
      Library, German Oriental Institute (Die Bibliothek der Abteilung Istanbul des Orient-Institut der Deutschen Morgenlandischen Gesellschaft), Istanbul:
    This institute is located in the Cihangir district of central Istanbul. It was temporarily closed except on Wednesdays during my visit. Its library is not so huge but is one of the most comfortable places to carry out research, as many key reference materials are available.
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