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This study deals with the publication of Seyit Ali Sultan Menakib, which describes the transition of Turks to Rumelia and Balkans. In addition to the effort dedicated for the publication of this study, the lack of attention for the protection of the Seyit Ali Sultan Menakib’s manuscripts is another point to be concentrated. Naturally, this study points not only to the importance of Seyit Ali Sultan and Menakib in the area of Balkan researches, but also to the problem of lack of serious work during the previous publication attempts of the Menakıb. There are many copies of the manuscript of Seyit Ali Sultan Menakıb, telling about the journey of forty “saints” from Gallipoli to Rumelia and Balkans. Among these, the copy which indicates that Seyit Ali Sultan was contemporary with Orhan Gazi was found in the Kaygusuz Sultan Dergâh in Egyptian Cairo. This copy was given by Ahmet Sirri Baba to Salih Niyazi Dedebaba in Tirana, Albania. A long time no trace of this manuscript was found, and many researchers working on this issue struggled to reach this manuscript. As a result, Seyit Ali Sultan and his Menakib should be considered as a main source and thus studied in the Balkan researches, considering the internal meaning of the text, the historical personality of the people whom the text deals with and the tracing the followers of these people until today. In this study, the importance of Seyit Ali Sultan and his Menakib will be emphasized and also some problems arising from one of the previous publication of the manuscript will be pointed out.
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Fetihnâmes, in the form of books, focus on the military expeditions and conquests of the Ottoman Empire. They are considered as individual histories in Ottoman historiography and are counted among literary genres in the tradition of classical Turkish literature. Constituting a significant part of the fetihnâme genre and being concentrated at the 16th century, most of the independent poetic fetihnâmes were written to describe the events in the expeditions in question rather than being pieces of art. However, among them, there are examples of having literary aspects exceeding their narrational values or drawing attention to their literary and historical elements simultaneously. This study aims to reveal the degree of practicality of the poetic fetihnâmes for conveying historical information. For this purpose, it draws attention to some special features of poetic fetihnâmes and aspects contributing to the studies on classical age of Ottoman history. It tries to determine their importance as a historical source by comparing them with historical sources and researches.
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This article examines the biography of Aladro Kastrioti, a nobleman born in the Andalusia region of Spain. Claiming that his great-grandmother married a descendant of Skanderbeg, Aladro asserted that he was an heir of this famous Albanian hero and had a right to the Albanian crown. His life after 1902 was spent in pursuit of this claim and thus almost entirely entangled with the Albanian national movement. By examining Ottoman archival documents, European newspapers, and published memoirs of prominent contemporary Albanians, this study draws attention to how he successfully managed to build a network supporting his claim, especially in northern Albania. His biography offers new perspectives for comprehending the history of the Albanian national movement and contextualising regional developments. This article suggests that the relations he established with key figures of the region provides an opportunity to analyse the social networks of Albanians in the Ottoman Empire. Covering the sixty-nine-year life of Aladro Kastrioti, from his birth as an illegitimate son of a wealthy family in Jerez to his death in Paris as a claimant to the Albanian crown, the study reveals the transformation of a region of the Ottoman Balkans into the Principality of Albania and illustrates the contacts and influences of the Empire in its former territories
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The 3rd International Congress on Ottoman Studies (OSARK) was held on September 7-9, 2022, at the Ziraat Bankası Library of Istanbul Medeniyet University in collaboration between Sakarya University Center for Ottoman Studies (OSAMER) and Istanbul Medeniyet University, Department of History and with the support of various institutions. The Congress featured dozens of presentations in the fields of Ottoman history, history of art and architecture, philology, digital humanities, history of law, philosophy, and science. In addition, thematic panels were organized as part of OSARK‘s aim to be a platform of academic interaction and cooperation. Scholars shared their original research on prominent topics and themes in Ottoman studies with an audience of more than 1500 people. OSARK 2022 aimed to bring together researchers from various parts of the world to create a shared memory and a novel perspective to the field of Ottoman studies.
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Professor Rifa’at Ali Abou-El-Haj, a distinguished scholar of Ottoman studies, passed away on March 13, 2022. Obituaries written by scholars including Blumi, Kopuz, Gutman and Tezcan in various academic journals attest to the profound impact of his scholarly contributions, which have been recognized as seminal texts in the field of Ottoman and Middle Eastern studies during the post-1990 era. May he rest in peace. As much as his written works, he left a fine mark in Ottoman historiography with his effect on professional and student circle.
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The Ottoman Empire was vast, spreading across Asia Minor, Europe, and Africa – including the Mediterranean and the Black seas, which were world’s most important trading routes at the time. Hence, this lead the Ottomans to establish commercial ties with many a neighbouring nation over the centuries. The first of these was Russia, beginning in the 15th century with Ivan III sending an ambassador to Istanbul so that they would oversee bilateral trade relations. This was known as a period of friendship and solidarity between the two countries; alas, before long, that spoiled, and led to many on and off battles. The main reason being was that both seas laid at the centre of Russia’s enlargement policy. They had expanded their trade network by adding new commercial concessions to agreements signed at the end of each war, thereby enabling them to defeat the Ottomans. That would continue until end of the 18th century – by which point their borders encircled the Ottoman Empire; plus, they had obtained the right to conduct free trade in Ottoman territorial waters as well via both seas. In this study, we shall explore this issue in and commercial (il)relations between the two parties in more depth, with the aid of Ottoman archival documents and research on this topic as primary and secondary sources.
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The Greco-Turkish War of 1897 broke out due to the annexation of Crete by the Greeks to instigate the Megali Idea and attacks carried out on the Ottoman borders. Greek administrators – who thought that they were superior to the Ottomans * were certain about winning the war; however, the war did not go as planned and in no time, the roads to Athens were lying naked in front of the Turkish soldiers. Meanwhile, big states, especially Russia, helped the Greeks, even eventually them to enter truce negotiations between Greece and the Ottoman Empire. The Empire employed volunteer soldiers as well as regular (nizamiye) and reserved (redif) officers alongside home guards (mustahfiz). Both Muslims and non-Muslims alike were drafted as volunteer soldiers. These volunteers ranged in age from children to elderly. Those whose applications were accepted were then sent to the fronts, accompanied off by big ceremonies and crowds – as well as large welcoming parties if they managed to return alive. They were also offered money, food, and clothing by the local authorities and local wealthy patrons. Both they the other soldier branches helped the Ottoman Empire succeed in battle around of its borders. Their loyalty earned them medals of different ranks alongside the special edition “Medal of Greco War.” In this study, we shall delve into the world of the Greco-Turkish War’s volunteers, and how they signed up, were dispatched, and came home.
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Rize, which is a coastal city located on the borders of the Eastern Black Sea Region, is one of the cities that attract attention with its topographic structure, climate, vegetation, as well as historical and cultural heritage. It is thought that the history of the region, with limited information about prehistoric periods, goes back to the Lower Paleolithic period. Rize, which was home to several states and empires in the historical process, was conquered in 1461 and joined the Ottoman lands. The region, which grew and developed under the Ottoman rule, was first made part of the Batumi Sanjak and then the Trabzon Sanjak. With the conquest of Rize by the Ottomans, the Muslim people were settled in this geography and parallel construction activities started. During the period from 1461 to 1923, several structures were built in the region. In addition, educational activities were carried out to train people of the region. In this process, several scholars emerged in Rize as in other cities of Anatolia. After the death of these people, who directed and influenced the public in the region where they lived, their tombs were built by their relatives and the local people. Although the number of tombs in Rize is low, it is noteworthy that there are mausoleums belonging to the three people who are the subject of the research. Another detail is that the mausoleums are built in a plain and simple manner. The evaluation of these mausoleums belonging to Hasan Dede, Süleyman Dede and Süleyman Vehbi Efendi and the information about these historical figures form the basis of this paper.
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Kutadgu Bilig, written by Yusuf Has Hacib and presented to Tabgaç Buğra Han, promising that one of the reasons for writing is to achieve fortune and happiness of the two worlds which means the material and the spiritual existences, by “350. beyit kitab adı urdum ķutađġu bilig/ ķutađsu oķıġlıķa tutsu elig 351. beyit sözüm sözledim men bitidim bitig/ sunup iki ajunnı tutġu elig” couplets, is one of the important works in our cultural history. In this study, it is aimed to make an examination on the four basic characters of Kutadgu Bilig (Kün Togdı, Ay Toldı, Ögdilmis and Odurmış) and the concepts they represent (justice, fortune/joy, reason and fate). The main aim to be achieved with this study is to determine how the four concepts with which the heroes of the work are associated describe "Yusuf Has Hacib's ideal person / perfect person". This is to reveal how the ideal person should achieve the happiness of the two worlds. Each heroe of the text represents one of these concepts of justice, fortune, reason and fate. Main question to be answered in this work is whether there are any other hidden concepts or symbols these characters represent. In order to achieve the aim stated in the study, the hero depictions in the surface structure of the work, the dialogues of the heroes and the event flow in the work will be taken into consideration.
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Many valuable works have been prepared in all branches of book arts. These arts, which are complementary to each other in a sense, have become the carrier elements as part of a whole. In the art of illumination, from the beginning to the present day, in accordance with this task, quite rich studies have been carried out in terms of quantity and quality. In the introduction part of the study, which deals with the diversity of design in the context of the examples selected from the 16th century illumination art of the Ottoman Period, the development process of the book arts in the context of the socio-cultural and political occasions of diversity and its effects on the design diversity are evaluated and brief information is given about the history of the art of illumination and its usage areas. In the following section, the aspect of the aforementioned design diversity in terms of the relationship between the writing and ornamentation of the Qur'an and what the projection of this diversity can correspond to in the mental world of the artist is mentioned. In the section that forms the basis of the study, an answer has been sought to the question of how design diversity was achieved in the 16th century illumination art of the Ottoman Period. The application aspect of obtaining this diversity is classified under four general headings. Each title was tried to be expressed concisely in itself and this expression was supported with sample images selected from the works reflecting the 16th century illumination art of the Ottoman Period. In this study, it is aimed to draw attention to the issues that are applied but overlooked as the basis for the formation of design diversity in the art of illumination and to make a concise study of the ways in which design diversity was achieved in the peak period of illumination art for both the performers of this art and those concerned.
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Review of: BANU MAHİR, OSMANLI RESİM SANATINDA SAZ ÜSLUBU, İSTANBUL: HAYALPEREST YAYINEVİ, 2022. (ISBN: 978-605-9452-97-7, 252 SAYFA)
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The result of our research shows the validity of the applied methodological postulate. Comparing the saved toponymic material in the Upper Podrinje and the recorded material in the early Ottoman registers, that could be related to the mining activity, we confirmed the connection with old mining in this area. The wealthy toponymy of this area undoubtedly indicates the intensive mining activity in the Upper Podrinje, that for the most part refers to the Roman period, and then Saxon mining in the 13th century. It seems that the ores from that area, including noble and non-ferrous metal ores (gold, lead and copper), were early depleted (probably at the end of the 13th century) so that at the time of the establishment of the Ottoman rule, or at the time of compiling the early Ottoman census, only iron mines were exploited in the hills towards Čajniče and around it. Our research also shows that the recorded mining districts in Gornji Podrinje (three of them) belong to a larger district that continued east and south-east to the Pljevlja region and Polimlje, noting that the one recorded on the right bank of the Drina was inseparable, while the remaining two (one in the Zavajt area, the other in Mrežica and Koluna) were probably isolated parts of the same. We also presented the results of our research in a cartographic presentation.
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Despite their close relationship at the beginning, fiqh and aqaid developed separately from each other over time. However, some issues of aqaid continued to be covered in the sirah section of the books of furu' al-fiqh (branches of jurisprudence) and in the issues related to husn and qubh (good and evil) in the usul (source methodology in Islamıc Jurisprudence) books. In addition, since the issues of aqaid continued to be asked in the form of fatwa like other fiqh issues, it continued to take place in fatwa books more or less. In the last period of the Ottoman Empire, when the Teʹlîf-i Mesâil (editorial board) Branch was established in the Fatwa Office to prepare a large Turkish fatwa collection called Muhîtu’l-fatawa, the first book of this collection was devoted to the subjects of aqaid. One hundred and two fatwas in the subject of aqaid of the collection of which only taharah and salah books could be prepared apart from Aqaid, consist of selections from the fatwas of Ottoman sheikh al-Islam and scholars on these issues. Fetâvâ-yı Veliyyüddîn, which mainly includes the fatwas of Ebussuûd Efendi, Ali en-Nisârî's work named al-Fevâid al-aliyye and Osman b. Mehmed Tosyevî’s al-Fetâvâ'l-Osmâniyye and Yenişehirli Abdullah Effendi’s Behcet al-fetava are the most popular fatwa books in the collection appear to be prominent. One of the duties of the board that prepared Muhîtu’l-fatawa is to review the authenticity of the narrations in the works from which the fatwas were taken, to make additions when necessary, and sometimes to introduce completely different narrations. In this respect, the nuqul, which are the evidences of the fatwas in the collection, also provides important data on which works on aqaid were regarded as acceptable in the Ottoman Empire. It is also noteworthy for Muhîtu’l-fatawa that Fatwa Office found the power and responsibility to prepare a great fatwa collection even in the frost period of the Ottoman Empire, and that it started this collection with the Aqaid book and went over the framework of the official akidah/theology thought system in this chapter, perhaps for the last time. For this reason, in this article, it will be tried to determine the nature of aqaid fatwas as a product of fatwa activity within the framework of Muhîtu'l-fatawa and what books are referenced in these fatwas.
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Many issues in the Hanafī Madhhab are solved with the method of takhrīj. One of these issues is the subject of si'āya. Si'āya is that a person causes financial and bodily harm to other person by unfairly complaining to a cruel authority. A rich material has emerged overtime on the issue of siāyah, which was determined by using the method of takhrīj by comparing different usūl and furu issues within the madhhab. In the Ottoman period, it is observed that the discussions and fatwās related to delation [si'āya] have increased. The subject of si'āya has been handled under the topics that concern many areas of fiqh, especially the law of obligations, criminal law and trial procedure. The Shaykh al-Islams made the view which muta'akhkhir ulama adopted about the compensation responsibility of delation, as a main principle used in analogy (qiyas) to solve problems in fatwas. Based on the principle, Shaykh alIslams gave fatwās about new issues regarding delation. In this study, considering the mentioned issues, the contribution of Shaykh al-Islams and Hanafī scholars living in Arab lands to the issues related to si'āya will be revealed in the context of compensation responsibility.
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The Austrian Monarchy, and later the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, paid a lot of attention to the economic situation in the European part of the Ottoman Empire, and to that of Macedonia in particular. Reports of diplomatic representatives in Bitola (Monastir) between December 1871 and July 1878 can serve as a confirmation of this interest. The reports by Petar Okuli and Franc von Knapich, its two consuls at the time, are proof of how important the information on the economic life of the city and its immediate surroundings was to the Monarchy. Detailed reports on trade traffic and economic life in Bitola were regularly sent from this consulate, to the higher instances, first to the Austro-Hungarian Consulate in Salonica and later directly to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Austria-Hungary. In this article we rely on archival documents to present an overview of the goods that were imported and exported from the city, and of its economic life.
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The Ottoman-Turkish documents reflect, both in their content and in their form, the class structure of a society. According to the form of a document – the external (the writing materials, the font type, the decoration) and the inner peculiarities (construction, language, style) – determine the class belonging and the hierarchical position of the person to whom the document was addressed. One of the basic elements in the Ottoman documents’ construction was the addressing to the addressee (inscriptio), or the so called elkab. The Elkab is an addressing to the addressee – the recipient of the document – or the person to whom the expressed will in the document was addressed. For each rank, there was a certain formula-adressing that contains a series of magnificent and praiseful epithets – most often expressed with adjectives in excellence – which highlight one or other qualities of the person according to the service he occupied.
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During the 19th century, foreign diplomats working in the Ottoman Empire began to protect not only their citizens but also all the non-Muslim citizens of the Empire. Great Britain, realizing since 1877 that the situation in the Ottoman Empire was going worse, wanted to have the demising of the empire under its control and invaded strategic territories such as Cyprus and Egypt. Military strategists are deployed by the British on Ottoman lands who performed geographical as well as topographical studies. They also established close relations with the Ottoman Armenians and spread separatist ideas among them. The reforms of the Ottoman intellectuals were not supported by the British. The leaders of the Committee of Union and Progress were particularly disappointed with the absence of support to the declaration of the Second Constitutional Period by the British. Great Britain has taken certain measures to prevent the establishment of closer ties between the Ottoman Empire and Russia. However, after the formation of the Russo-British alliance prior to the World War I, the British have given the Russians the freedom to develop their own policies with regard to the Ottoman Armenians. This study asserts that the British in 1878, decided for the demise of the Ottoman Empire and desired to have the demise under its control, and based on its national interests. Based on this, the study discusses the manipulation of the Armenians by the British. To do so, this study utilizes documents from the Ottoman Archives, which is the main primary source of this study, as well as the British archives.
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