A book launch for IRCICA’s new publication titled Shāh Tahmāsp Album from the Royal Ottoman Treasury was held in the Centre’s conference hall on 24 September 2024, in the presence of the authors, Lâle Uluç and Bora Keskiner. A large audience interested in Islamic arts of the book and members of the cultural media participated in the meeting.
IRCICA Director General Prof. Mahmud Erol Kılıç recalled, in his speech, that extensive cultural transmissions had taken place between Iran and the Ottoman state which resulted in a close relationship between the arts of the two milieus. One of the two main artistic influences into Anatolia came from Iran and the other from Central Asia. Exchanges of gifts between states was a tradition. The Iranian delegation sent to Istanbul to congratulate Sultan Murad III after his accession to the Ottoman throne carried gifts loaded on seven camels, among them the album which had been prepared under the Safavid ruler Shah Tahmasp (r. 1524-1576). The album contains excerpts from the Shahname, verses from the Qur’an, hadith, poetry, samples of calligraphy and miniature painting. These are compiled without any thematic or chronological arrangement, thus forming an “album”. Prof. Kılıç added that the benefit of such a compilation was that its contents could serve as examples to calligraphers, illuminators and miniature painters. Sample pages were shown on screen by Prof. Lâle Uluç, who explained that albums such as this one assembled in palace libraries during the 15th and 16th centuries were formed by cutting pieces from valuable works and sticking them on pages. The contents are not continuous works each, but selections, used as examples or imitated at their times. We find in them dates, names of calligraphers, dedications, and other historical information.
Mr. Bora Keskiner, specialist of the history of Islamic arts, pointed out that the album, now preserved in the Library of Istanbul University, contains famous samples of miniatures and calligraphy artworks compiled under the rule of Shah Tahmasp in the 16th century. There are similar other, extremely valuable works from the Akkoyunlu and Timurid periods, located mainly in the Topkapı Palace Museum, reflecting the arts of the book in the Islamic world. Mr. Keskiner said that these works produced by master artisans, calligraphers and illuminators are records of the history of book arts. With this publication, these fragments and miniatures are introduced to the world of learning, expressing the hope that the other albums will likewise be published and brought to general knowledge. The meeting ended with brief questions and answers.
