He lived during the reform-oriented Tanzimat period of the Ottoman Empire and advocated modernization without breaking ties with the old.

His father Ali Bey was a master saddler by profession, his mother Zehra Fatma Hanım was the daughter of an immigrant family from Varna (now in Bulgaria).

Since there was no opportunity to pursue a regular educational path, he tried to close the gap by taking various courses.

After working on calligraphy and memorizing of the Qur'an, he taught at Varna's Rüştiye (middle school).

In those years, he chose "Naji" (Naci in Turkish) as pen-name, and made some attempts in poetry.

When Mehmed Said Pasha was assigned to Berlin, Naci rejected the offer to go with him and he continued to serve in the Foreign Ministry.

Hamiyet-yahut- Masa Bin Eb'il-Gazan that followed presented the memories of the tragedy of his childhood.

He endeavored to write simple; select and use old words which are placed colloquially to create harmony.