Dear Students,
I congratulate you and your families for choosing Afyon Kocatepe University Faculty of Theology as a result of the success you achieved in the university entrance exams.
A brief look at its historical background clearly shows that Afyonkarahisar is a city of learning and wisdom. With the many researchers and scholars it has raised, it holds an important place in our country’s history. Respect for the Holy Qur’an, for Allah’s Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him), and for knowledge in the Ottoman–Islamic civilization also contributed to the emergence of many scholars. In Afyonkarahisar—known in history as the second center of the Mevlevi tradition—our campus also takes its name from Ahmet Şemsettin Karahisarî (1468–1555), a distinguished master calligrapher who was known in the glorious years of the Ottoman/Islamic civilization as “Şemsü’l Hat” (the Sun of Calligraphy) and who founded his own school. His greatest work is the large-format Qur’an he wrote in the name of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent.
Alongside Ahmet Şemsettin Karahisarî, many other distinguished scholars can be mentioned, such as Hitab b. Abi’l-Qasim Karahisarî, one of the important figures of Hanafi jurisprudence; Abdurrahim Mısri Karahisarî; Prof. Kamil Miras, who translated Sahih al-Bukhari into Turkish; Ömer Faruk Atabek, a master of calligraphy, ebru (paper marbling), illumination, and miniature art; and Prof. Dr. Mazhar Pasha, among many others.
At our faculty, there is a five-year education and training program, including a preparatory year in which foreign-national Arabic instructors also teach. With our valued academic staff, our physical facilities, our faculty’s student dormitory, and our libraries at both the university and faculty levels, we strive to provide you with the best possible service.
Our aim is to rank among the top institutions nationally and internationally, to achieve scientific excellence, and to build our future by educating hardworking and selfless individuals who, in addition to professional and academic competence, love their country and are mindful of the hereafter. The most important goal of our faculty is to raise confident, qualified students who know their own sources well, feel secure in them, and place scholarly and moral values first.
During the years you will spend in Afyonkarahisar, you should make good use of your time. The teaching profession is one of the most important professions in determining a nation’s future and its course through history. Our graduates can work as teachers and can also serve within the Presidency of Religious Affairs. Wherever one serves, those who approach life positively and understand their responsibilities will be both happy and successful. Belonging also brings responsibility. Being affiliated with Islam also entails responsibilities. We sincerely believe that you, like the students we have graduated, will represent our faculty with honor. As people who understand and share this responsibility, we are always by your side.
With these thoughts, I wish you success in your education and training journey.
