In his post on his social media account, Minister Ersoy drew attention to the importance of donations in preserving cultural heritage and passing it on to future generations. He stated that the single-copy, rare and author-written works in Erünsal's collection can now be examined from all over the world.
Emphasizing that Şeyh Galib's Divan, which he wrote in his own handwriting when he was 18-19 years old, is also included in the collection, Ersoy thanked Erünsal for his donation with the following words:
“I would like to wholeheartedly thank our esteemed teacher Prof. Dr. İsmail Erünsal, who donated his collection in order to better preserve these works, which he sees as a trust belonging to our nation, to reach future generations and to make them available to more people.”
Ersoy also congratulated the Presidency of the Turkish Manuscripts Association and all his colleagues who contributed to the preservation of the works and their transfer to the digital environment.
A LIFE'S EXPERIENCE IN THE SERVICE OF THE NATION
Known for his work in the field of Ottoman book and library history, Prof. Dr. İsmail Erünsal donated his collection, which he created over the years with his personal means, to the Süleymaniye Manuscript Library on August 6.
Erünsal stated that the recent activities of the Turkish Manuscripts Association were influential in the donation decision. Stating that he sees the works as a trust belonging to the nation, Erünsal stated that he donated his collection and handed over this trust to its original owner, and that it is a great happiness for him that the manuscripts are better protected and more people can benefit from the works.
The Presidency of the Turkish Manuscripts Association completed the maintenance, repair, digitization and cataloging of the works in approximately two months and made the collection ready for access.
SHEIKH GALIB'S YOUTH LINES ARE OPENED TO THE WORLD
One of the most striking works of the collection is the Divan, which was compiled by Şeyh Galib when he was 18-19 years old and written in his own handwriting. The work, which sheds light on the poet's literary production in his youth, is among the 15 author-line copies in the collection.
The oldest of the copies whose date of copying, that is, the date of copying, is determined is Dîvân-ı Emir Şâhî, dated 1523. In addition to this 503-year-old copy, the collection contains many manuscripts reflecting the scientific and literary accumulation of different centuries.
RARE WORKS THAT SHED LIGHT ON THE HISTORY OF LITERATURE
II. The Divan, composed by Cezerî Kasım Pasha, known under the pseudonym Sâfî, one of the poets of the Bayezid period, during his lifetime, is among the prominent works of the collection. This text, whose existence was not known before, is important in terms of researching the poet's literary personality and the poetry world of the period.
The divans of Keşfî and Urfalı Mustafa Hattî are among the texts whose existence is unknown or no other copies have been found. The works of 15th and 16th century literature in the collection allow us to follow the development of divan poetry in terms of language and style.
FROM OTTOMAN PRICE RECORDS TO EMBASSY REPORTS
In addition to literature, the collection also contains important sources regarding the economic and diplomatic past of the Ottoman Empire. The 288-page Price Book, which is valuable in terms of Ottoman price history, serves as a source for research on the economic life of the period.
Seyfullah Agha's Embassy Book and the Tarik Notebook related to the Ottoman ilmiye organization are among the noteworthy works. Abdurrahman el-Askerî's work titled Mirâtü'l-İşk is an important source for the history of Melâmî order in the 16th century.
RARE EXAMPLES OF WRITTEN HERITAGE TOGETHER
The collection, which includes 185 works on Sufism and sects and 153 works on literature, includes a total of 55 divans and 28 icazetnames. 43 volumes bearing illumination and other decorative elements and historical volume samples also increase the value of the collection in terms of art history.
