Lifting the Veil of Isis: The Transformation of Ancient Egyptian Mythology into a Modern Urban Narrative in Orhan Duru’s Story “Kargınmış Ozan”

Conference paper > Summary Text · 2026

Authors: Fatıma ERTÜRK

Uluslararası Mitoloji Kongresi-II, Türkiye, Mardin, International, Verbal, Summary Text, 2026-2026, pp 224-224

Summary

<p class="ql-align-justify"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Orhan&nbsp;Duru’s&nbsp;short&nbsp;story&nbsp;“Kargınmış&nbsp;Ozan”&nbsp;reimagines&nbsp;the&nbsp;dynamics&nbsp;of&nbsp;modern&nbsp;cities&nbsp;through&nbsp;the&nbsp;lens&nbsp;of&nbsp;Isis&nbsp;and&nbsp;Amon-Ra,&nbsp;two&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;most&nbsp;powerful&nbsp;figures&nbsp;in&nbsp;Ancient&nbsp;Egyptian&nbsp;mythology.&nbsp;The&nbsp;aim&nbsp;of&nbsp;this&nbsp;study&nbsp;is&nbsp;to&nbsp;examine&nbsp;how&nbsp;the&nbsp;process&nbsp;of&nbsp;destruction,&nbsp;which&nbsp;begins&nbsp;with&nbsp;the&nbsp;protagonist&nbsp;Ozan’s&nbsp;discovery&nbsp;of&nbsp;a&nbsp;secret&nbsp;temple&nbsp;of&nbsp;Isis,&nbsp;is&nbsp;woven&nbsp;together&nbsp;with&nbsp;ancient&nbsp;mythological&nbsp;motifs.&nbsp;In&nbsp;Egyptian&nbsp;belief,&nbsp;Isis,&nbsp;wife&nbsp;of&nbsp;Osiris,&nbsp;god&nbsp;of&nbsp;death&nbsp;and&nbsp;rebirth,&nbsp;and&nbsp;mother&nbsp;of&nbsp;Horus,&nbsp;god&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;sun,&nbsp;is&nbsp;the&nbsp;queen&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;heavens,&nbsp;the&nbsp;sole&nbsp;representative&nbsp;of&nbsp;nature’s&nbsp;mysteries&nbsp;and&nbsp;fertility.&nbsp;As&nbsp;written&nbsp;in&nbsp;her&nbsp;temple&nbsp;in&nbsp;ancient&nbsp;Sais,&nbsp;Isis&nbsp;symbolizes&nbsp;a&nbsp;universal&nbsp;secret&nbsp;that&nbsp;no&nbsp;mortal&nbsp;can&nbsp;unveil.&nbsp;In&nbsp;the&nbsp;story,&nbsp;Ozan’s&nbsp;attempt&nbsp;to&nbsp;find&nbsp;this&nbsp;temple&nbsp;and&nbsp;lift&nbsp;the&nbsp;veil&nbsp;of&nbsp;secrecy&nbsp;that&nbsp;has&nbsp;been&nbsp;closed&nbsp;for&nbsp;centuries&nbsp;is&nbsp;interpreted&nbsp;as&nbsp;an&nbsp;intrusion&nbsp;into&nbsp;the&nbsp;goddess’s&nbsp;sacred&nbsp;space&nbsp;and&nbsp;the&nbsp;relentless&nbsp;destruction&nbsp;that&nbsp;begins&nbsp;around&nbsp;him&nbsp;is&nbsp;reflected&nbsp;in&nbsp;the&nbsp;story&nbsp;as&nbsp;a&nbsp;result&nbsp;of&nbsp;this&nbsp;mythological&nbsp;inviolability.&nbsp;The&nbsp;study&nbsp;examines&nbsp;how&nbsp;this&nbsp;supernatural&nbsp;mystery&nbsp;and&nbsp;curse&nbsp;are&nbsp;deepened&nbsp;through&nbsp;a&nbsp;character&nbsp;who&nbsp;introduces&nbsp;herself&nbsp;as&nbsp;the&nbsp;guardian&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;temple&nbsp;of&nbsp;Isis&nbsp;and&nbsp;a&nbsp;priestess&nbsp;of&nbsp;Amon-Ra.&nbsp;Amon-Ra,&nbsp;the&nbsp;absolute&nbsp;creator&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;universe,&nbsp;the&nbsp;invisible&nbsp;power&nbsp;and&nbsp;provider&nbsp;of&nbsp;state&nbsp;authority,&nbsp;has&nbsp;been&nbsp;transformed&nbsp;in&nbsp;the&nbsp;author’s&nbsp;fiction&nbsp;into&nbsp;a&nbsp;divine&nbsp;will&nbsp;that&nbsp;controls&nbsp;today’s&nbsp;local&nbsp;bureaucracy&nbsp;and&nbsp;machinery&nbsp;like&nbsp;an&nbsp;invisible&nbsp;hand.&nbsp;Amon,&nbsp;who&nbsp;guided&nbsp;pharaohs&nbsp;and&nbsp;armies&nbsp;in&nbsp;ancient&nbsp;times&nbsp;and&nbsp;whose&nbsp;wrath&nbsp;caused&nbsp;universal&nbsp;upheaval,&nbsp;represents&nbsp;the&nbsp;absolute&nbsp;power&nbsp;that&nbsp;directs&nbsp;demolition&nbsp;crews&nbsp;in&nbsp;the&nbsp;modern&nbsp;city&nbsp;according&nbsp;to&nbsp;his&nbsp;own&nbsp;will.&nbsp;The&nbsp;poet,&nbsp;however,&nbsp;discovered&nbsp;this&nbsp;secret&nbsp;temple&nbsp;and&nbsp;by&nbsp;lifting&nbsp;the&nbsp;veil&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;goddess’s&nbsp;secret,&nbsp;violated&nbsp;the&nbsp;sacred,&nbsp;thus&nbsp;becoming&nbsp;a&nbsp;cursed&nbsp;poet&nbsp;bearing&nbsp;the&nbsp;wrath&nbsp;of&nbsp;absolute&nbsp;will.&nbsp;This&nbsp;paper&nbsp;aims&nbsp;to&nbsp;reveal&nbsp;how&nbsp;the&nbsp;universal&nbsp;secret&nbsp;of&nbsp;Isis&nbsp;and&nbsp;the&nbsp;destructive&nbsp;absolute&nbsp;power&nbsp;of&nbsp;Amon-Ra&nbsp;have&nbsp;been&nbsp;transformed&nbsp;into&nbsp;an&nbsp;uncanny&nbsp;narrative&nbsp;of&nbsp;urban&nbsp;destruction&nbsp;in&nbsp;modern&nbsp;literature.&nbsp;</span></p><p></p>

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