Rıfat Ilgaz
Poet, writer and teacher
About
Rıfat Ilgaz was born in Cide on 7 May 1911. He trained at the Kastamonu Teacher Training School and spent years teaching in primary schools across the country. Teaching was not only his profession — it became the source of the book he is best known for.
His first book, Yarenlik, appeared in 1943, followed by the poetry collection Sınıf in 1944. What began as poetry opened out into novels, satire and children's writing, without ever losing its social eye.
He died on 7 July 1993. Each year on the anniversary of his death, Cide holds the Rıfat Ilgaz Sarıyazma Culture and Arts Festival.
The Cide connectionCide's own: the house he was born in is open as a museum, and the district's culture festival carries his name.
- Born
- 7 May 1911, Cide
- Died
- 7 July 1993
- First book
- Yarenlik (1943)
Poetry
- Yarenlik (1943)
- Sınıf (1944)
- Yaşadıkça (1948)
- Devam (1953)
- Üsküdar'da Sabah Oldu (1954)
- Soluk Soluğa (1962)
- Karakılçık (1969)
- Uzak Değil (1971)
- Güvercinim Uyur mu (1974)
- Kulağımız Kirişte (1983)
- Ocak Katın Alagöz (1987)
Novels
- Hababam Sınıfı (1957)
- Karadeniz'in Kıyıcığında (1969)
- Karartma Geceleri (1974)
- Sarı Yazma (1976)
- Yıldız Karayel (1982)
Awards
- Ömer Faruk Toprak Poetry Award — Ocak Katın Alagöz
- 1982 Madaralı Novel Award — Yıldız Karayel
- 1982 Orhan Kemal Novel Award — Yıldız Karayel
- 1993 Writers' Association Award of Honour
Somewhere you can go and see
Museum
Rıfat Ilgaz House Museum
The Cide house where Rıfat Ilgaz, author of Hababam Sınıfı, was born — now open as a museum.
1.4 km · 5 min
Culture and History
Work1957
Hababam Sınıfı
Novel, 1957
The most-read comic novel in Turkish literature, written by Cide-born Rıfat Ilgaz.
Person? – 1964
Rahime Kaptan
The woman skipper who carried ammunition in the War of Independence
The Cide-born woman skipper who carried ammunition from Cide to İnebolu during the War of Independence.
Film2024
Mukadderat
Feature film, 2024
A feature film shot in Cide that took three awards at the Antalya Golden Orange festival.
Start your trip from Cide
Salapurya Hotel is on the Cide seafront, at the gateway to all of this. Call us to check availability.