“Shāh Ṭahmāsp Album” is a set of illustrated calligraphic works dating from the mid-14th to the mid-16th centuries compiled from various sources during the reign of the Safavid ruler Shah Tahmasp (r. 1524-1576). It was conveyed to the Ottoman State during the 16th century and preserved in Ottoman palaces until it was placed in the Library of Istanbul University at the beginning of the 20th century. It is commonly believed that the album was among the diplomatic gifts sent by Shah Tahmasp to Sultan Murad III (r. 1574-1595). The texts written in Persian, Arabic or Chagatai Turkish are related to various fields of knowledge. They include poetry, samples of calligraphy, model texts, and continuous works displayed in several folios. The album had drawn specialists’ interest especially for its miniatures, some of which were taken from illustrated copies of well-known texts existing at the time. The present book, authored by Lâle Uluç and Bora Keskiner, focuses essentially on calligraphy which contributes to understanding the purpose and significance of its compilation. Based on comparisons with other calligraphic works from the same centuries located in Istanbul libraries, it examines the scripts, compositions, and provenance of the texts, traces the influences of eminent calligraphers and artistic characteristics of the Safavid period, and in the process, supplies a lot of information to the researchers concerned. The book has been published by IRCICA to disseminate its contribution to studies on the history of manuscripts in the Islamic world to a wide readership.
