Scholarship, teaching & literature

I am a scholar, teacher, translator and writer based in Trøndelag, Norway. My work brings together theology, intellectual history, philosophy, Sufism and literature. Across research, teaching and translation, I explore how ideas develop, how traditions understand one another, and how questions of belief and meaning enter human life.

Education & academic life

I studied theology at Erciyes University, completed my master’s degree at Ankara University, and earned my doctorate at Uludağ University in the history of Islamic religious traditions. My doctoral thesis, Günümüz Umman İbâdiyyesi (2007), examined the Ibadi tradition in contemporary Oman.

My academic experience includes research and teaching at Erciyes, Ankara, Uludağ and Dicle universities. I have also taught Ancient Greek philosophy, Islamic philosophy and Sufism at Sofia Academy in the Netherlands. Teaching, close reading and discussion have remained central to this work.

Research & translation

My research examines Islamic intellectual history through original sources, including the writings of Ibadi scholars and their relationship with other schools of thought. This work addresses broader questions about religious difference, authority, historical interpretation and the ways communities describe one another.

My books and articles include studies of Ibadi–Muʿtazilite interaction, theological debates and the writing of religious history. Through Turkish translations of Arabic texts, I also make historical, theological and literary sources available to readers who cannot consult them in the original language.

Books, translations & articles · Research themes

Literature & cultural life in Norway

Alongside academic writing, I write theatre plays, poetry, essays and song lyrics. My literary work includes Çanakkale’den Haber Var. I am a member of Norsk Forfattersentrum.

In Trondheim, I took part in Sufisme i litteraturen at Litteraturhuset i Trondheim in 2023. In 2025, my activities also included Fortell ditt liv, a writing and storytelling course for seniors with multicultural backgrounds, with Günel Movlud. These activities connect my interests in literature, spiritual thought and the sharing of experience across languages and cultures.

Lectures & cultural activities · Curriculum vitae

Kort om meg

Orhan Ateş er forsker, underviser, oversetter og forfatter bosatt i Trøndelag. Han har doktorgrad fra Uludağ-universitetet og arbeider med teologi, idéhistorie, filosofi, sufisme og litteratur. Han har publisert bøker og artikler og oversatt arabiske tekster til tyrkisk. Han er medlem av Norsk Forfattersentrum og har deltatt i litterære samtaler og fortelleraktiviteter i Trondheim.