Ottoman Turkish Divan

This material is held atBritish Library Asia, Pacific and Africa Collections

  • Reference
    • GB 59 Or 16619
  • Dates of Creation
    • 18th century-19th century
  • Language of Material
    • Turkish
  • Physical Description
    • 1 text 55 ff Material: Good off-white laid paper. Foliation: European, 55 ff (original foliation omits f 55). Dimensions: 215 x 150 mm, text area 153 x 69 mm. Pricking and Ruling: 21 lines in double columns, text frames in black and gold. Script: Nesta'lik. Binding: Reddish brown morocco binding with simple gold ornament; front cover lacking and sewing largely broken.

Scope and Content

This volume contains a Divan by an unidentified Ottoman poet. It appears to be slightly incomplete, breaking off in a tahmis. Several folios contain additional text in the margins. There is a lengthy note on f 1r mentioning the Uşşakiye Sufi Order. There is also a significant amount of marginalia, including: poems by Vehbi/Husami on ff 1v, 6v, 7r, and 47v; by an anonymous poet (potentially Muhyi) on ff 2v-3r and 7v; by an Uşşaki Sufi on ff 3v-4r; verses by (a) Kaygusuz and by Ziver on ff 5v; unattributed kıtalar on f 8v; a Hadith text in Arabic on f 9r; a ghazal by Lamekani on f 9v; verses, consisting mainly of chronograms on f 42v; a poem about the Divine Names on f 46r; various maxims, two prayers attributed to Imam Ali and Imam Zeynü'l-'Abidin, and a beyit by Şita'i(?) on f 50v; a lengthy discussion of a passage in Bab 220 of İbnü'l-'Arabi's Fütuhat on ff 51v-53r; advice attributed to Ca'fer ibn-i Mehmed, concerning Quranic verses to be recited in times of difficulty, on f 53r; a ghazal by Gafuri on f 54v; and Sufi didactic verses by Hakkani and Gafuri on f 55r. Begins:. Huda'ya Hamt ola bi-hadd ü gaye * ki yoktur varlığına hiç nihaye / Yarattı âlemi ketm-i ademden * dahi ervah var etti o demden. Ends (f 54v):. Kıl cihad-i ekberi oldur zülum ile cühul * bir zaman sabr it gönül matluba istersen vusul. The volume features an illuminated headpiece on f 1v. Though undated, this volume is probably from around the 12th-13th century AH/18th-19th century CE.

Access Information

Not Public Record(s)

Unrestricted

Acquisition Information

Acquired via auction at Christie's South Kensington, April 3 2009, Lot 36.