VASFI: “Gebecizade Mehmed Vasfi”

Mehmed Vasfi was a teacher in the Palace’s school and widely known by the cognomen Gebecizade”. The date of his birth is uncertain, but he is known to have learned the art of calligraphy from Ebubekir Rasid Effendi and to have received his icazet in 1181 H. He was a teacher of calligraphy to Mahmud II.He was a very prolific calligrapher and wrote twenty copies of the Qur’an, a large number of Delails and En’ams, over two hundred Hilyes and a large number of Murak’kas and Kit’as. He had a great many pupils, including a number of outstanding calligraphers such as Ata Effendi, Mustafa Effendi, Vasif Effendi and Eyyubi Mehmed Rasid Effendi.He died in 1231 H. and was buried in the graveyard of the Mercan Mosque.