Journal of Ottoman Calligraphy

Friday, April 13, 2007

Sami Efendi [b.1838-d.1912]

By Sami Efendi signed and dated framed panel of celi sülüs script in Merkez Efendi Cami (Mosque) Istanbul.

Photograph ©HAT SAN'ATI Tarihçe, Malzeme ve Örnekler, Istanbul. http://ismek.ibb.gov.tr/portal/yayinlarimiz.asp

Sami Efendi [b.1838-d.1912]

Epitaph by Sami Efendi of celi sülüs script at Yeni Cami (Mosque)Istanbul.

Photograph ©HAT SAN'ATI Tarihçe, Malzeme ve Örnekler, Istanbul. http://ismek.ibb.gov.tr/portal/yayinlarimiz.asp

(b Istanbul, 13 March 1838; d Istanbul, 1 July 1912). Ottoman calligrapher. He was the son of Mahmud Efendi, the head of the quilt-makers guild. Sami learnt ta‛līq script from the calligraphers Kibriszade Ismail Hakkı Efendi and Ali Haydar Bey (1802–70) and thuluth script from Boşnak Osman Efendi. He was also inspired by the work of Mustafa Raqim. Sami’s fine inscriptions and calligraphic compositions adorn several mosques and fountains in Istanbul. He trained such calligraphers as Necmeddin Okyay and Ahmed Kamil Akdik (1861–1941) and was buried in the cemetery of the Fatih Mosque, Istanbul.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Ş. Rado: Türk hattatları [Turkish calligraphers] (Istanbul, n.d.), pp. 239–41
U. Derman: Hattat Sami Efendi (1838–1912): Hayatı ve eserleri [The calligrapher Sami Efendi (1838–1912): his life and works] (Istanbul, 1962) By Sami Efendi, dated and signed zerendud sülüs script panel.

Photograph ©HAT SAN'ATI Tarihçe, Malzeme ve Örnekler, Istanbul. http://ismek.ibb.gov.tr/portal/yayinlarimiz.asp Text: http://www.groveart.com.ubproxy.ub.uni-frankfurt.de/

Ayten Tiryaki (b. 1961)

By Ayten Tiryaki, signed and dated, inscription on paper of verses from The Holy Book. (Qur'an 2:255) Ayat al-Kursi (The Throne Verse).

Translation: In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.Allah! There is no God but He,the Living, the Self-subsisting, the Eternal.No slumber can seize Him, nor sleep.All things in heaven and earth are His.Who could intercede in His presence without His permission?He knows what appears in front of and behind His creatures.Nor can they encompass any knowledge of Him except what he wills.His throne extends over the heavens and the earth,and He feels no fatigue in guarding and preserving them,for He is the Highest and Most Exalted.Allah, the Most High, speaks the truth.

Photograph ©http://www.tiryakiart.com/tr_index.asp

Ayten Tiryaki (b. 1961)

(b 1961 in Ordu/Turkey). Calligrapher and active in Istanbul. She graduated from Ankara University,Theologion Faculty with MA degree in 1983. Ayten Tiryaki took calligraphy lessons from calligrapher Hasan ÇELEBİ in 1983. She started to study Tezhip (Turkish-Islamic Decorative Art) in Kubbealtı Academy in 1984, continiued her studies with Prof.Dr.Çiçek DERMAN and İnci Ayan BİROL. She got the certificate of Tezhip from Prof.Dr.Çiçek DERMAN in 1986. She joined mixed exhibitions in Turkey and abroad. She got an encouragement prize of branch of Nasih in the 5 th of International Calligraphy Competition which was organized by İRCİCA, Istanbul. A list of exhibitions can be found on her website. After she worked as a teacher in religious schools which were related to Üsküdar and Ümraniye Department of Religious Affairs in Istanbul, she got retired in 2004. She opened a mixed exhibition with her students in Altunizade Culture Center in 2004 where she is organizing calligraphy and tezhip courses and continiues her art studies with her students. She is married and lives with her 3 children in Istanbul.

Contact:
Namık Kemal Mahallesi Yunus Emre Caddesi Kocatepe Sokak
Doğu Apartmanı No:6/9
Ümraniye/ İstanbul
Tel :+90 (216) 329 52 29
Fax :+90 (216) 329 52 30
GSM :+90 (542) 322 39 48
E-Mail : ayten@tiryakiart.com

Photograph ©http://www.tiryakiart.com/tr_index.asp

Selim Türkoglu (b.1960)

(b 1960, Erzincan, Turkey) Calligrapher and active in Istanbul, Turkey. He took his calligraphy master of Sülüs ve Nesih script from Ali Selcuk Erkurt. In Ta’lik script he was inspired and guided by Prof. Ali Alparslan. He was awarded by Cultural Ministry of Turkey in the branch of art of perfect calligraphy. Selim Türkoglu is continuing his works fastidiously to present. He is the founder of Gallery SER in Istanbul, where he works and teaches calligraphy. His works can be found in various collections both in Turkey and abroad.The artist established many solo exhibitons. He also participated in very many group exhibitions.

Contact:
Galeri SER ÇERÇEVE & SANATEVİ
Divanyolu caddesi Ticarethane sk. 14/4 Cağaloğlu,Istanbul, Tel + 90 21 514 61 25

Text/Photograph ©http://www.hattatselim.com/index.htm

Sultan Abdulhamid II Collection - Photography Archive

The Abdul-Hamid collection photography archive contains over 1,800 photographs from the Ottoman Empire. Dating from approximately 1880 to 1893, the images show scenes within the borders of modern Turkey, as well as Ottoman provinces in Greater Syria, Greece and modern Iraq. The photos in the collection were originally presented to the Library of Congress by Sultan Abdul-Hamid II in 1894.

This monumental collection portrays the Ottoman Empire during the reign of one of its last sultans, Abdul-Hamid II. The 1,819 photographs in 51 large-format albums date from about 1880 to 1893. They highlight the modernization of numerous aspects of the Ottoman Empire, featuring images of educational facilities and students; well-equipped army and navy personnel and facilities; technologically advanced lifesaving and fire fighting brigades; factories; mines; harbors; hospitals; and government buildings. Most of the places depicted are within the boundaries of modern-day Turkey, but buildings and sites in Iraq, Lebanon, Greece and other countries are also included.

The images are well displayed on dedicated pages and are available as thumbnails. The main drawback of the website is its organisation as there is no comprehensive index of subjects linked to the home page. However, despite this the collection is still an excellent resource. The photographs give viewers an excellent sense of the Ottoman empire during its final decades.

Photograph © Title: Abdulhamit II, Sultan of the Turks, 1842-1918. Half lgth., standing, right profile. George Grantham Bain Collection (Library of Congress).Library Of Congress. Prints and Photographic Division, http://memory.loc.gov/pp/pphome.html

Thursday, April 12, 2007

Mahmud Celaleddin Efendi [b.?- d.1829]

By Mahmud Celaleddin Efendi, inscription on paper of sülüs script. Hilyah [description of the Prophet (Allah Bless him and grant him peace)].

Top section:
"In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate"

Upper text circular area is surrounded by four small disks containing the names of the first four Caliphs or successors to the Prophet Muhammad, i.e., Abu Bakr (upper right), `Umar (upper left), `Uthman (lower right), and `Ali (lower left). Each disk contains in small letters the blessing, “May God be pleased with him.”

Upper text translation:
Umm Ma`bad, describing the messenger of God (may God bless him and grant him peace), said, "I saw a man, pure and clean, with a handsome face and a fine figure. He was not marred by a skinny body, nor was he overly small in the head and neck. He was graceful and elegant, with intensely black eyes and thick eyelashes. There was a huskiness in his voice, and his neck was long. His beard was thick, and his eyebrows were finely arched and joined together. When silent, he was grave and dignified, and when he spoke, glory rose up and overcame him. He was from afar the most beautiful of men and the most glorious, and close up he was the sweetest and the loveliest. He was sweet of speech and articulate, but not petty or trifling. His speech was a string of cascading pearls, measured so that none despaired of its length.

Middle section:
"We only sent you as a mercy for creation" (Qur'an 21:107). This verse, in which God addresses the Prophet Muhammad, is a fundamental Qur'anic statement about the universal role of the Prophet.

Lower text translation (continues from above):
"and no eye challenged him because of brevity. In company he is like a branch between two other branches, but he is the most flourishing of the three in appearance, and the loveliest in power. He has friends surrounding him, who listen to his words. If he commands, they obey implicitly, with eagerness and haste, without frown or complaint.” May God bless him and grant him peace. God, pray for and grant peace to Muhammad, your servant, your Prophet and your messenger, the illiterate Prophet, and to his family and companions, and grant him peace. Written with the grace of God Most High by Rasheed Butt, may God forgive him.

Text © The Hilya, or the Adornment of the ProphetA Calligraphic Icon Commentary and Translation by Carl W. Ernst,http://www.unc.edu/~cernst/index.html, adapted from Rasheed Butt, http://www.rasheedbutt.com/index.htm
Photograph ©HAT SAN'ATI Tarihçe, Malzeme ve Örnekler, Istanbul. http://ismek.ibb.gov.tr/portal/yayinlarimiz.asp

Mahmud Celaleddin Efendi [b.?- d.1829]

By Mahmud Celaleddin, inscription on paper of sülüs celi script. Transcription: (Abu Bakr, Umar ibn al-Khattab, Uthman ibn Affan, and Ali ibn Abi Talib(names of the four rightly-guided Khalifs).Kaya Ücer Collection.

Photograph ©HAT SAN'ATI Tarihçe, Malzeme ve Örnekler, Istanbul. http://ismek.ibb.gov.tr/portal/yayinlarimiz.asp

Mahmud Celaleddin Efendi [b.?- d.1829]

By Mahmud Celaleddin, inscription on paper of celi sülüs script. Mehmet Cebi Collection.

Photograph ©HAT SAN'ATI Tarihçe, Malzeme ve Örnekler, Istanbul. http://ismek.ibb.gov.tr/portal/yayinlarimiz.asp

Mahmud Celaleddin Efendi [b.?- d.1829]

By Mahmud Celaleddin, dated and signed inscription on paper of celi sülüs script, 11x26 cm. "And surely thou hast sublime morals." (al-Kalam/Vers 4)

Photograph © Portakal Sanat ve Kültür Evi, Istanbul.

Mahmud Celaleddin Efendi [b.?- d.1829]

By Mahmud Celaleddin Efendi, signed inscription on paper of celi sülüs script, dated A.H. 1230/C.E. 1814, 40x65. Transcription: Muhammad RasulAllah. Translation: Muhammad Messenger of Allah. Private Collection.

Photograph © Macka Mezat A.S. Istanbul, www.lebriz.com

The Pera Museum, Istanbul

The Pera Museum, which opened its doors in early June 2005, is the first step of a comprehensive cultural endeavor that the Suna and İnan Kıraç Foundation has launched at this distinguished venue in the city for the purpose of providing cultural service on a variety of levels. An historical structure which was originally constructed in 1893 by the architect Achille Manoussos in Tepebaşı (İstanbul's most prestigious district in those days) and which was, until rather recently, known as the Bristol Hotel, was completely renovated to serve as a museum and cultural center for the project. Transformed into a fully-equipped modern museum, this venerable building is now serving the people of İstanbul once again.

The first and second floors of the Pera Museum house three permanent collections belonging to the Suna and İnan Kıraç Foundation, with the Sevgi and Erdoğan Gönül Gallery on the second floor. The third, fourth, and fifth floors are devoted to multipurpose exhibition spaces. There is an auditorium and lobby in the basement and on the ground floor are the reception desk and Perakende - Artshop and a cafe.

A large part of the first of the two museum floors above the ground floor displays choice examples from the foundation's collection of Anatolian Weights and Measures for the benefit of those who are in love with history and archaeology. Made from many different materials using many different techniques, these objects show the development of the devices used to weigh and measure in Anatolia since the earliest times. In another wing on the same floor is the foundation's collection of Kütahya Tiles and Ceramics, whose strikingly beautiful pieces seek to shed new light on an area of creativity in our cultural history that is not very well known.

The Suna and İnan Kıraç Foundation's collection of Orientalist art consists of more than three hundred paintings. This rich collection brings together important works by European artists inspired by the Ottoman world from the 17th century to the early 19th. This collection, which presents a vast visual panorama of the last two centuries of the Ottoman Empire, includes works by Osman Hamdi, regarded by art historians as the genre's only "native Orientalist" and of course his most famous painting The Tortoise Trainer. Many paintings from the private collections of the late Sevgi and Erdoğan Gönül have also entered the foundation's permanent collection. It is planned to exhibit the collection in the Sevgi and Erdoğan Gönül Gallery dedicated to their name in a series of long-term thematic exhibitions. The first of these, which opened in early June 2005, is called "Portraits from the Empire" and consists of portraits of sultans, princes, and other members of the Ottoman imperial family as well as of foreign ambassadors together with other "portraits" in the general sense, showing people from many different periods and walks of life.

In addition to its function as a private museum in which to display the collection of the family, the Pera Museum is also intended to provide the people of İstanbul with a broad range of cultural services as a modern cultural center located in a vibrant part of the city and equipped with multipurpose exhibition spaces, an auditorium and lobby, and activity spaces for visitors.

Contact Info:

Meşrutiyet Caddesi No.141
34443 Tepebaşı - Beyoğlu - İstanbul
Tel. + 90 212 334 99 00
Fax. + 90 212 245 95 11
info@peramuzesi.org.tr

Visiting Hours:

Tuesday to Saturday 10.00 - 19.00
Sunday 12.00 - 18.00
The museum is closed on Monday.

Text/Photograph © http://www.pm.org.tr/index_en.html

Ali Emiri Efendi (1854-1924)

Ali Emiri Efendi ( 1854 Diyarbakır - 1924 İstanbul)

Ali Emîrî Efendi was born in Diyarbakır, one of the most significant areas among the Ottoman provinces. He was not exposed to a conventional education. Much like all Tanzimat period employees, his life was spent traversing the empire's geography from one end to the other. He collected rare books in the course of his travels. The ones he could not acquire, he copied by hand to save them being forever lost. For Ali Emîrî Efendi, books were not a collection item but rather a tool for discovery through reading. He was not interested in the movements of modernization during the period in which he lived. His greatest passion was to familiarize new generations with the Ottoman-Turkish heritage. To accomplish this, he established the Millet Library and donated his books to his "nation."

Ali Emîrî Efendi was a poet, a historian, a biographer and a publisher. He was particularly recognized as the book connoisseur who rediscovered Dîvânu Lugâti't-Türk. He was never married, never had his photograph taken and never set foot in Beyoğlu. He spent his life reading and writing, in the company of his books and cats.

Ali Emiri Efendi and His World- Exhibition

A Selection from the Millet Manuscript Library. Ali Emiri Efendi and His World.
Fermans, berats, calligraphies, books.

If the cultural inheritance of past, particularly the fragile and perishable pieces of the inheritance - such as books, documents, manuscripts or photographs - miraculously manage to survive until the present day, it is mostly trough the efforts of a number of nameless heroes, who dedicate their entire lives to the collection, preservation and transmission of these objects to future generations. Thanks to these men, who recognize and appreciate their value, many priceless works of the past have withstood wars, destructions or natural disasters, transcending centuries to assume their places in today's contemporary museums and library collections. Ali Emiri Efendi and his world exhibition we are hosting in two sections, in the halss of Pera Museum and Istanbul Research Institute today, sheds light to the unconventional adventure of such a man. Through the imperial edicts, books and calligraphic works he excavated from the debris of a deteriorating empire, and subsequently preserved and donated to the Millet Library he established, as well as a selection of his personel belongings and documents, we encounter the persona of Ali Emiri Efendi as a "culture man" and journey into a world he was passionately connected to.

Hosted by Pera Museum (3rd floor) and Istanbul Research Institute, Ali Emîrî Efendi and his World exhibition is compartmentalized into three major sections. The first section is comprised of 49 fermans and berats, extending over 500 years, from Sultan Süleyman, the Magnificent, to Sultan Reşad. These 49 spectacular works of tuğra (imperial monogram), hat (calligraphy and tezhip (decoration) are being brought to light for the first time. The second section includes 31 kıt'as (rectangular calligraphic works) and levhas (large-scale panels) by the greatest masters of calligraphic art. Penned by Şeyh Hamdullah, Hâfız Osman, Yedikuleli Seyyid Abdullah, Şeyhülislâm Veliyüddin Efendi, İsmail Zühdi, Mahmud Celaleddin and Kadıasker Mustafa İzzet Efendi, these calligraphies reveal the quintessence of Ottoman aesthetics. The third and final section is a selection from the rare and precious books Ali Emîrî Efendi collected in a lifetime. This wide spectrum consists of 69 books, ranging from the Ottoman sultans' collective poetry to medicine, from geography to history and Sufism. Discovered by Ali Emîrî Efendi in 1914, the sole copy of the legendary Dîvânu Lugâti't-Türk, which was written by Mahmud of Kashgar in the 11th century, is revealed to the public for the first time in this exhibition.

24 January – 1 July 2007, Pera Museum Istanbul and Istanbul Research Institute.

Contact Info:

Meşrutiyet Caddesi No.141
34443 Tepebaşı - Beyoğlu - İstanbul
Tel. + 90 212 334 99 00
Fax. + 90 212 245 95 11
info@peramuzesi.org.tr

Visiting Hours:

Tuesday to Saturday 10.00 - 19.00
Sunday 12.00 - 18.00
The museum is closed on Monday.

About Ali Emiri Efendi ( 1854 Diyarbakır - 1924 İstanbul)

Ali Emîrî Efendi was born in Diyarbakır, one of the most significant areas among the Ottoman provinces. He was not exposed to a conventional education. Much like all Tanzimat period employees, his life was spent traversing the empire's geography from one end to the other. He collected rare books in the course of his travels. The ones he could not acquire, he copied by hand to save them being forever lost. For Ali Emîrî Efendi, books were not a collection item but rather a tool for discovery through reading. He was not interested in the movements of modernization during the period in which he lived. His greatest passion was to familiarize new generations with the Ottoman-Turkish heritage. To accomplish this, he established the Millet Library and donated his books to his "nation."

Ali Emîrî Efendi was a poet, a historian, a biographer and a publisher. He was particularly recognized as the book connoisseur who rediscovered Dîvânu Lugâti't-Türk. He was never married, never had his photograph taken and never set foot in Beyoğlu. He spent his life reading and writing, in the company of his books and cats.

Text/Photograph © Pera Museum, Istanbul

İlhan Özkececi (b. 1955)

(b Kayseri, Turkey 1955) Turkish calligrapher and illumination decorator. Prof. Özkececi is active in Turkey.

Education:

BA/ Master: Istanbul Academy of Fine Arts, Department of Decorative Arts (1973-1980)
Phil. Doctorate (Qualification in Art): Mimar Sinan University, Fine Arts Faculty,
Traditional Turkish Handicrafts Illumination-Decoration Department (1991)
Studying riq`a script with calligrapher Kemal Batanay, and illumination with Rikkat
Kunt, Muhsin Demironat and Tahsin Aykutalp in 1974 - 1980
Studying calligraphy with Hasan Çelebi (1975-1996), and receiving a calligraphy certificate in the style of thuluth and naskh (1997),

Professional Experience:

Instructor in Erciyes University, Department of Fine Arts (1983 - 1995)
Ass. Assoc. Prof. in Süleyman Demirel University, Faculty of Fine Arts, Department of Traditional Turkish Handicrafts. Continuing his work as the president of the department. (1995-2005)
Ass. Prof. (1996)
Prof. (2003)
Fatih University (2006)

Books
1993 - Turkish Illumination Art and Ornamental Motifs - Minbar - Minarets in Kayseri Mosques
1997 - Historical Kayseri Mosques
2004 - Turkish Art in IX. Century
2006 - Islamic Art from VII. to XII. Centuries

Contact:
İlhan Özkeçeci
www.ilhanozkececi.com
P.K. 38 Fatih 34080 İstanbul
Mobile : +90 532-711 5488

Text/Photograph© İlhan Özkeçeci

Güvenc Güven (b.1958)

(b 1958) Turkish calligrapher. Güvenç Güven was born in 1958. He took part in various restoration projects such as Edirne Selimiye Mosque (1983 - 1985) and Istanbul Sultan Ahmet Mosque (1986 - 1988). He was also an instructor of hand-drawn art. He has been working as a restorer in various projects since 1988. He took calligraphy lessons from Mahmut Öncü who was an instructor in Mimar Sinan University. He was also trained by Tahsin Aykutalp in drawing. He took glazed tile lessons from Faik Kırımlı in 1995. Afterwards, he established his own workshop. His works can be found in various collections, museums etc. both in Turkey and abroad. The artist established many solo exhibitons. He also participated in very many group exhibitions.

Exhibitions

2006 The First International Crafts Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
2006 Ayasofya Museum
2005 Vakıfbank General Management Art Gallery, Istanbul
2004 Milli Piyango Art Gallery, Ankara
2004 Eminönü Municipality Cultur Center
2004 Eyüp Symposium
2003 Mevlana Museum, Konya
2003 Tekel Art Gallery
2002 International Islamic Art Exhibition, Iran, Isfahan
1998 Pencil on Wood and 16th century İznik Tile Exhibition
1990 Antique and Art Fair, Swiss Otel
1990 Press Museum Art Gallery
1988 Beyoğlu Municipality Art Gallery
1991 Konya Dostlar Group Exhibition
1989 YKB Beyoglu Gallery, Istanbul

Contact:
Güvenç Güven
www.guvencguven.com
Defterdar Cad. No:10 Kat:2 Eyüp, İstanbul
Phone : +90 212-612 1615 - Mobile : +90 532-503 4707

Text/Photograph© Güvenc Güven and www.lebriz.com

Davut Bektas (b.1963)

( b Akoluk, Adana 1963) Turkish calligrapher. Davut Bektas attended the elementary school in Akoluk and continued his education at the ‘Imam-Hatip’ high-school of Adana . In 1981, he was accepted to the law-school of Istanbul University and received his law degree in 1992. During high-school he got interested in the art of Islamic calligraphy and decided to take classes. When he arrived in Istanbul towards the end of 1981 to attend law school, he started Islamic calligraphy lessons with the late Hattat (calligrapher) Yusuf Ergün Erzincani. He studied the script Thuluth with this master for a short period of time. Meeting Hattat Hasan Çelebi in 1982, he started lessons with him in the scripts of Thuluth, Naskh and Rik`a. He received his diploma (ijaza) from his teacher in 1994. Examining the works of previous hattats, like Sami Efendi and Hamid Bey, and benefiting from the works of contemporary hattats, Mr. Bektaş has focused on the script of Jali Thuluth. Uğur Derman, an expert in Islamic calligraphy, gave him some copies of Sami Efendi`s Jali Thuluth writings of which the originals are on the water fountain behind ‘Yeni Cami’ (New Mosque) in Istanbul. Mr. Bektaş greatly benefited from these sources as well as from Şevki Efendi`s Thuluth and Naskh works. These valuable sources have played a special role in the development of his art. Mr. Bektaş has also received lessons in the scripts of Taliq and Diwani from the late Prof. Ali Alparslan between 2002 and 2005. Currently Mr. Bektaş is producing pieces of Islamic calligraphy and is teaching calligraphy classes in Istanbul .

EXHIBITIONS

1984 Exhibition of Calligraphy and Illumination by Contemporary Artists, IRCICA, Istanbul
1989 Birlik Foundation, Istanbul
1989 Bize Art Gallery , Istanbul
1990 Yıldız Palace Art Gallery , Istanbul
1994 MÜSİAD Swiss Otel, Istanbul
1994 Elif Exhibition Gallery, Istanbul
1996 International MÜSİAD Fair, World Trade Centre, Istanbul
1998 International MÜSİAD Fair, TUYAP, Istanbul
2001 International Quran Exhibition, Tahran
2003 Turkish traditional handicrafts exhibition, Fatih University , Istanbul
2003 Calligraphy exhibition, Taksim Art Gallery, Istanbul
2003 The 4th International, Cultural and Artistic Festival, Büyükçekmece municipality, Istanbul
2004 Dubai International Exhibition of the Art of Islamic Calligraphy, Shaikh Saeed House, Dubai
2004 From Past to Future, Bridges Established by Reed and Paintbrush, Cairo , Egypt
2004 Selected Works by Hattat Hasan Çelebi and his students, Maksut Varol Art Gallery , Istanbul .
2004 Dubai International Exhibition of the Art of Arabic
Calligraphy Al-Owais Cultural Foundation, Dubai .
2005 The Music of Letters , Kuwait Arts Association, Kuwait (personal exhibition by Davut Bektas)
2005 Turkish Traditional Arts Exhibition, Mehmet Akif Ersoy Art Gallery, Istanbul .
2006 2nd International Biennial for the Art of Arabic calligraphy, Sharjah.
2006 Days of Arabic Calligraphy , Tunisia .
2006 Turkish Traditional Arts Spring Exhibition, Mehmet Akif Ersoy Art Gallery , Istanbul

LIST OF AWARDS

International
In the International Islamic calligraphy competitions organized by IRCICA, Mr. Bektaş received the first prize in Jali Thuluth and honourable mention award in the style of direct imitation in 1986. He was awarded the first prize in Jali Thuluth in 1989 and the first prize in Thuluth in 1993. In 1997 he received the first prize in the Islamic Festival organized in Tahran. In 2006, he won an award at the 2nd International Biennial for the Art of Arabic calligraphy in Sharjah.

National
In 1988, he received the first prize in the Islamic calligraphy competition organized as part of the Gülhane Festival in Istanbul. In 1991 and 1992, he participated in two competitions organized in Urfa and received the first prizes at both organizations.

Gallery Contact:
Konak Mimarlık ve Sanat Hizmetleri
San. Tic. Ltd. Şti
Halıcılar Cad. Kocaoğlu Apt. 38 / 1
Fatih İstanbul
Tel : + 90 212 532 30 39
Faks: + 90 212 532 25 16
konak@konakmimarlik.com

Text/Photograph ©http://www.konakmimarlik.com/konaksanat.com/default.asp

Ismail Zühdi Efendi II. (d.1805)

By Ismail Zühdi Efendi (The Second). Signed, undated inscription on paper.Transcription: Ali al Murtaza (name of ´Prophets´son-in-law and the names of Prophets´grandsons Hassan and Huesseyin. (Peace and blessing upon them). From a Private Collection of a Gentlemen, Istanbul

Photograph ©HAT SAN'ATI Tarihçe, Malzeme ve Örnekler, Istanbul. http://ismek.ibb.gov.tr/portal/yayinlarimiz.asp

Ismail Zühdi Efendi II. (d.1805)

By Ismail Zühdi Efendi II, signed, inscription on paper, text of celi sülüs script, Collection of Türk Petrol Vakfi.

Photograph ©HAT SAN'ATI Tarihçe, Malzeme ve Örnekler, Istanbul. http://ismek.ibb.gov.tr/portal/yayinlarimiz.asp

Sultan Abdülmecid Efendi II. (b. 29. May 1868 in İstanbul; d. 23. August 1944 in Paris)

Work by Abdülmecid Efendi text of celi sülüs script in Fatih Cami (Mosque) Istanbul.

Biography: Abdülmecid II; in Arabic عبد المجيد الثانى ) (lived May 29, 1868 – August 23, 1944; reigned November 19, 1922 – March 3, 1924) was the last Caliph of the Ottoman Dynasty, the 101st Caliph in line from Caliph Abu Bakr and nominally the 37th Head of the Ottoman Imperial House.

On May 29, 1868 he was born at Dolmabahçe Palace of Istanbul (formerly Constantinople) to then Sultan Abdülaziz. He was educated privately. On July 4, 1918 his first cousin Mehmed VI became Sultan and Abdul Mejid was named Crown Prince. Following the deposition of his cousin on November 1, 1922 the Sultanate was abolished. But on November 19, 1922 the Crown Prince was elected Caliph by the Turkish National Assembly at Ankara. He established himself in Istanbul, on November 24, 1922. On March 3, 1924 he was deposed and expelled from the shores of Turkey with the rest of his family. He was given the title of General of Ottoman Army and served as Chairman of the Ottoman Artist's Society. A painter and a calligrapher himself, his paintings of the Harem, showing a modern musical gathering, and of a woman reading Goethe's Faust were displayed at an exhibition of Ottoman paintings in Vienna in 1918. His personal self-portrait can be seen at Istanbul Modern. On August 23, 1944 Abdulmecid Efendi II died at his house in the Boulevard Suchet, Paris XVIe, France. He was buried at Haram-i-Sharif, Medina, Saudi Arabia.

Photograph ©HAT SAN'ATI Tarihçe, Malzeme ve Örnekler, Istanbul. http://ismek.ibb.gov.tr/portal/yayinlarimiz.asp

Konya Museum of Historical Works, Turkey

Mevlana Dergahi (Dervish Lodge) which is presently used as a museum formerly the Rose Garden of the Seljuks Palace it was given as a gift to Mevlana's father Sultanü'l-Ulema Bahaaeddin Veled by Sultan Alaeddin Keykubad

When Sultanü'l-Ulema died on 12 January 1231, he was buried in the present grave which is in the mausoleum. This was the first burial ever to take place in the Rose Garden.

After the death of Sultanü'l-Ulema, his friends and disciples approached Mevlana and expressed their wish to build a maussoleum over his grave. Mevlana refused this request remarking "How could there be a better mausoleum than the sky itself?).However when he died on 17 December 1273, his son Sultan Veled accepted the request of those who wanted to build a maussoleum over Mevlana's grave.The mausoleum called "Kubbe-i Hadra" (Green mausoleum) was built by the architect Bedrettin from Tebriz for 130.000 Seljuk dirhem (currency) on four elephant feet (thick columns). After this date, the construction activities never ceased and continued in stages up to the end of the 19th century.

Mevlevi Derhgahi (Dervish Lodge) and the mausoleum started to function as a museum in 1926 under the name of Konya Museum of Historical Works. In 1954 the display pattern of the museum was once more taken up and it was renamed as the Mevlevi Museum.

While the Museum originally covered an area of 6.500m² together with its garden, with the section expropriated later and designed as a rose garden, it has today reached a size of 18.000m²

The courtyard of the museum is entered from "Dervisan Kapisi" (The gate of the Dervishes). There are dervish cells along the north and west sides of the courtyard. The south side, after Matbah and Hürrem Pasha Mausoleums, terminates with the gate of Hamusan (Sealed Lips) which opens to Üçler cemetrey. On the eastern side of the courtyard there are mausoleums of Sinan Pasha, Fatma Hatun and Hasan Pasha, the Samahane (Ritual Prayer Hall) next to them and the small mosque (mesjidt) section and the main building where the graves of Mevlana and his family members are also housed.

The courtyard is given a special flavor with the roofed washing fountain (sadirvan) built by Sultan Yavuz Sultan Selim in 1512 and the "Seb-i Arus" (means nuptial night or the night Mevlana passed away) pool and the fountain which is located in the northern part of the court and called Selsebil.

"Tilavet" Chamber (Quran Reading And Chanting)

"Tilavet" is an Arabic word which means reading the quran with a beautiful voice and the correct rhythm. The room takes its name from its function in the past. At present it is used as the Calligraphy Department.

The calligraphy section contains the framed works of famous calliagraphs of their time such as Mahmud Celaleddin, Mustafa Rakim, Hulusi, Yesarizade as well as a gilt relief frame done by Sultan Mahmut II. The couplet in Farsi engraved on the silver door with the calligraphy of Yesarizade Mustafa Izzet Efendi says:

Kabetü'l-ussâk bâsed in mekam
Her ki nakis amed incâ sod temam

(Let this be the Kaaba of the minstrels. Who ever enters here in half, finds himself whole)

Huzur-i Pir (Mausoleum)

The hall of the mausoleum is entered from a silver door which was donated in 1599 by Hasan Pasha, who is the son of Sokollu Mehmet Pasha. Here, the oldest copies of the famous works of Mevlana the "Mesnevi" and "Divan-i Kebir" are displayed in two glass fronted cabinets. The mausoleum hall is roofed with three small domes The third dome which is also called the skin dome joins, the green dome in the north.

The hall is bordered with a platform on its east, south and north sides. In the north where there is a two level platform, the sarcophagi of 6 Sacred horasan men are placed. Right at the feet of these, the Target Stone, made for Ilhanli King Ebu said Bahadir Khan.

There are also two framed inscriptions which are important as they reflect the thoughts and philosophy of Mevlana. The first frame is in Turkish and says:
"Either seem as you are

Or be as you seem"

Hz. Mevlâna

Second frame is a quatrain of Mevlana in Persian. In translation it reads:
"Come, Come who or whatever you are
Should you be an unbeliever, a Magian or a pagan still come
Our lodge is not a lodge of despair
With hundred repentions unheeded you may be,still, come"

Hz. Mevlana

On the high platform bordering the mausoleum hall on the east and south there are 55 graves, ten of which belong to ladies and the whole group belongs to the family members of Mevlana, and his father. There are ten other graves which belong to people such as Hüsameddin Çelebi, Selahaddin Zerkubi and Sheyh Kerimüddin who had reached high ranks in the sect of Mevlevi.

Right under the Green Dome there are the graves of Mevlana and his son Sultan Veled. The double hunched marble sarcophagus over the graves was donated in 1565 by Süleyman the Magnificent.The quilt embrodieried with gold thread placed over the sarcophagus is a Seljuk masterpiece and was made for Mevlana in 1274. When Süleyman the Magnificent had a new marble sarcophagus made over the graves of Mevlana and son, the original wood one was removed and put over the grave of Mevlana's father.

Semâ-Hâne (Ritual Hall)

The Semahane section together with the small mosque was built by Süleyman the Magnificent in the XVIth century. Semah ceromonies were continued at this ritual hall until 1926, when the Dergah (Dervish lodge) was converted to a museum. The Naat Pew in the Hall, the place where the musicians set (Mutrib cells) and the sections for men and women are preserved in their original state, while metal and glass objects and musical instruments of the Mevlevi are displayed in glassed cabinets and rugs of historical value are hung on appropriate walls of the Semahane.

Mosque

The small mosque or the mesjidt is entered from the Çerag (apprentice) Gate. There are additional small entrances from the Semahane and the Huzur - Pir, the cemetrey. The place for the müezzin and the Mesnevihan Pew are kept in their original state.
Extremely valuable rug and wooden door samples are displayed on the south wall of the mosque and in 10 glassed cabinets put around this space, significant examples of binding, calligrapy and gilding are exhibited.

Rug And Fabric Section - Dervish Cells

There are 17 small cells, each with a small dome and chimney around the west and north sides of the front court of the Mevlana Lodge. These cells were built in 1584 by Sultan Murat III to house the dervishes.

Four cells to the right of the entrance gate are at present used as a ticket window and administration offices . The first two of the 13 cells to the left of the gate used as "Postnisin" and "Mesnevi-han" cells are kept in their origanal form and presented to the public.
The last two cells at the end are allocated to the very valuable book collections donated by Abdülbaki Gölpinarli and Dr. Mehmed Önder, and they are used as a library.
The partition walls of the remaining 9 cells were removed providing two interconnected large corridors. In one of these corridors old rugs of historical value from regions famous for their rugs such as Kula, Gördes, Usak and Kirsehir are displayed while the other has old rugs from districts of Konya such as Ladik, Karaman, Karapinar and Sille which are centres of rug weaving. Display windows built in the window and door sills of these cells display artefacts of Mevlevi ethnography such as "Pazarci masasi", "Mütteka", "Nefir" which were transferred to the museum from the Lodge, and the extremely valuable Bursa fabrics from the museum collection

Matbah (Kitchen) Section

The kitchen is on the south west corner of the museum. It was built by Sultan Murat II in 1548. Until the lodge was converted to a museum in 1926 the meals were being provided from here.

This section was restored in 1990 and the display was rearranged with mannequins. Cooking, the basic function of the kitchen and the "somat" the special table routine is demonstrated with mannequins. Another such illustration was attempted, to show the other function of the kitchen which is related to the initiations of the novice, called "Nev-ni-yaz", and involves practice of Semah.

https://www.kultur.gov.tr/EN/BelgeGoster.aspx?17A16AE30572D3137EE1F1486EE5030E7697F507FF48CA85

Photograph ©Selcuk Edik, M. Berk Torun, Gökmen Sözen, Voyager, Fatih Basbug,

Saturday, April 07, 2007

Semseddin Ahmet Karahisari (1468-1556)

A calligraphic exercise on paper by Karahisari. (attributed)

Photograph ©HAT SAN'ATI Tarihçe, Malzeme ve Örnekler, Istanbul. http://ismek.ibb.gov.tr/portal/yayinlarimiz.asp

Semseddin Ahmet Karahisari (1468-1556)

A Qur´an folio by Karahisari on paper with text of muhakkak ve reyhani script.

Photograph ©HAT SAN'ATI Tarihçe, Malzeme ve Örnekler, Istanbul. http://ismek.ibb.gov.tr/portal/yayinlarimiz.asp

Friday, April 06, 2007

Mimar Sinan University of Fine Arts

Mimar Sinan University of Fine Arts (Turkish: Mimar Sinan Güzel Sanatlar Üniversitesi) is a Turkish state university dedicated to the higher education of fine arts. It is located in the Fındıklı neighborhood of İstanbul, Turkey. It was founded on January 1, 1882 as the "School of Fine Arts" ("Mekteb-i Sanayi-i Nefise-i Şâhâne" or simply "Sanayi-i Nefise Mektebi") by the renowned Turkish painter Osman Hamdi Bey, who was also an art historian, archeologist and museum curator. The institution, being the first of its kind in Turkey, took up education in fine arts and architecture on March 2, 1883 with 8 instructors and 20 students.

In 1914, the school became co-educational. The school was converted in 1928 to an academy, the first academy in Turkey, and its name was changed to "Academy of Fine Arts" (Güzel Sanatlar Akademisi). In 1969, it was renamed to "Istanbul State Academy of Fine Arts" (İstanbul Devlet Güzel Sanatlar Akademisi). On July 20, 1982, its status was changed, and the academy became a university named "Mimar Sinan University" (Mimar Sinan Üniversitesi) after the great Ottoman architect Sinan. Finally, in December 2003, the administration of the university changed its name to "Mimar Sinan University of Fine Arts".

Academic units

Faculty of natural sciences and literature (archeology, paedagogy, physics, statistics, mathematics, history of art, sociology, history, Turkish philology and literature)

Faculty of fine arts (photography, traditional Turkish handicrafts, graphic design, sculpture, painting, stage design and stage clothes, ceramics art and glass art, cinema and TV, textile design and fashion design, bookbinding, tilework restoration, calligraphy, rug and old textile design)

Faculty of architecture (industrial design, interior decoration, architecture, urban planning and regional planning)

State conservatory (music, musicology, performing arts)

Vocational school (textile design, building restoration)

Institute of natural sciences

Institute of social sciences

School of informatics

Contact: Mimar Sinan Üniversitesi Meclis-i Mebusan Cad. 80040 Fındıklı - İstanbul

Text adapted from Wikipedia. © http://www.msu.edu.tr/

Abdülfettah Efendi (1815-1896)

Epitaph by Abdülfettah Efendi, signed (lower left) and dated (lower right), Tughra of Sultan Abülaziz on the mainentrance of Aksaray Valide Sultan Cami (Mosque) Istanbul.

Photograph ©HAT SAN'ATI Tarihçe, Malzeme ve Örnekler, Istanbul. http://ismek.ibb.gov.tr/portal/yayinlarimiz.asp

Hattat Abdülfettah Efendi (1815-1896)

By Abdülfettah Efendi, dated lower mid, signed, celi sülüs müsenna script framed inscription in Ulucami (Great Mosque)Bursa/Turkey.

Photograph ©HAT SAN'ATI Tarihçe, Malzeme ve Örnekler, Istanbul. http://ismek.ibb.gov.tr/portal/yayinlarimiz.asp

Yeserizade Mustafa Izzet Efendi (? - 1849)

By Yeserizade Mustafa Efendi, signed and dated lower left, zerendud panel, 28x31 cm. Transcription: Ya Hadrath Sad Ibn Abi Waqqas (Name of a companion of the Prophet Muhammad [pbuh]).

Photograph © www.antikalar.com, Antik A.S., Istanbul

Mehmed Emin Sirri (c.1773)

By Mehmed Emin Sirri, signed and dated 1773. Inscription of Divine Names "Hayyum and Kayyum" Translation: The everliving One and the Self-Existing One.

Photograph ©www.turk.ch

Mehmed Hafiz el Kirmani (c.1775)

By Mehmed Hafiz el Kirmani, dated 1775, on wood panel, inscription of the Prophet Muhammads name "Muhammad" (Peace and blessing upon him). Translation: The most praised one.

Photograph © www.turk.ch

Anonymous

Anonymous, a mevlavi crown inscription on wood panel.

Sultan Ahmed III (December 30, 1673—July 1, 1736)

Calligraphy by Sultan Ahmed III on wood panel, transcription: 'In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful'.

Ahmed III (Ottoman Turkish: Aḥmed-i sālis) (December 30, 1673—July 1, 1736) was Sultan of the Ottoman Empire and a son of Sultan Mehmed IV (1648–87). He succeeded to the throne in 1703 on the abdication of his brother Mustafa II (1695–1703). Nevşehirli Damat İbrahim Pasha and his daughter, Princess Hatice (Wife of the former) directed the government from 1718 to 1730, a period referred to as the Tulip Era. Sultan Ahmed III was a pupil of Hafiz Osman Efendi (1642-1698).

Photograph © http://turk.ch

Ahmet Demir (b 6 November 1964)

(b Kagithane,Istanbul, 6 November 1964). Turkish calligrapher, active in Turkey. He attended Sarıyer İmam Hatip Lisesi (College), in Istanbul; where he graduated in 1981. Ahmet Demir also attended lectures in calligraphy.He was a pupil of calligrapher Yusuf Sezer. In 1996 he entered Yusuf Sezer´s studio, where he studied with much success and where he graduated 2002. Since 2002 he teaches calligraphy in Istanbul.

Work in celi sülüs script. Transcription: Subhana'Allah.

Photograph © http://www.hattatahmetdemir.com/

THE ART OF CALLIGRAPHY IN ISLAMIC HERITAGE

THE ART OF CALLIGRAPHY IN ISLAMIC HERITAGE

prepared by Uğur Derman,
edited with foreword by Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu,
historical overview with the contributions of Nihat M. Çetin,
translated into Arabic by Salih Sadawi Salih translated into English by Mohamed Zakariya, Mohamed Asfour.

This album gives the history of the Islamic art of calligraphy starting from the development of the Arabic script through the last great artists of the Ottoman school of calligraphy. It is printed on high quality paper and contains 192 colour plates of calligraphy by Muslim artists from the first century Hijra to the present time with annotations about the style of writing and other characteristics of the work and the biography of each calligrapher.

Arabic Edition: FANN AL-KHATT, Istanbul, 1990
236 pages, 192 colour plates, 41x32 cm
Price: US$ 150 including post
ISBN 92-9063-520-7

Turkish Edition: HAT SANATI, Istanbul, 1992
244 pages, 192 colour plates, 41x32 cm
Price: US$ 150, including post
ISBN 92-9063-521-5

English Edition: THE ART OF CALLIGRAPHY IN THE ISLAMIC HERITAGE, Istanbul, 1998
192 colour plates, 41 x32 cm
Price: US$ 195, including post
ISBN 92-9063-074-4

Japanese Edition, Published by Heibonsha Limited

Malay Edition: SENI KHAT, Translated by Romzi Omar and Fauzi Mustafa. Published by Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka and IRCICA, Kuala Lumpur, 2000, Malaysia

© http://www3.ircica.org/kategoriler.php?grup=PUBLICATIONS