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Art Leads Oneto Eternity!

from Editor...THE HANDICRAFT MAGAZINE BY ISMEK, THE ART AND VOCATIONALTRAINING COURSES OF THE ISTANBUL METROPOLITAN MUNICIPALITY / 15OWNERFerrah SARMANHead of Human Resources and EducationDepartments of I.B.B (Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality)MANAGING EDITORMehmet DOGANEducation Director of I.B.BGENERAL COORDINATORGuven CALISKANGeneral Coordinator of ISMEKEDITOR-IN-CHIEFMuhammet ALTINTASDeputy General Coordinator of ISMEKEDITORAli Burhan ERENArt Leads One to Eternity!Our perception is limited by our senses. Just as looking doesnot necessarily mean seeing, hearing does not necessarily meanperceiving either.Salvador DaliPUBLISHING ADVISORY BOARDMetin YUKSEL, H. Salih ZENGIN,Emine UCAK ERDOGANEDITORIAL DEPARTMENTSemra UNLU, Ugur SEZEN,Hafize ERGENE, Aysegul YILMAZPHOTOGRAPHSMucahit PAMUKOGLUTECHNICAL PRODUCTIONPUBLICATION EDITING DEPARTMENT OF ISMEKART DIRECTOROmer VEFAGRAPHIC DESIGNING AND APPLICATIONMurat Gokhan GURELPREPARATION FOR PRINTINGMelih SERGEKTRANSLATION: ISMEK ENGLISH TEACHERSOnder KARAES, Hande KEYKUBATREVISIONGulseren KARADENIZ, Irem GUVENPRINTING FOLLOW-UPAbdurrahman TASKALEPRINTINGNumune Printing HouseORGANISATIONEtkin Education GroupTHE HANDICRAFT MAGAZINE OF ISMEK IS A CULTURAL SERVICEOFFERED BY THE METROPOLITAN MUNICIPALITY OF ISTANBUL AND ISFREE OF CHARGE. IT CAN NOT BE SOLD FOR VALUE.ADDRESS: Vatan Cad. No: 6 Fatih - IstanbulPhone: 0212 531 01 41e-mail: ismek@ismek.org www.ismek.orgThough the most excellent of all the created, human is a creaturewith limitations, and what will determine these limitations isagain the human himself.Limited senses can not open for us the doors of eternity, andone can never excell his limits without removing the curtainsblocking the way to the horizons ahead. It is only by contactingthe eternal one that grasping what is happening on earth andopening the curtain of mists and dreams may become possible.Art first shows us our limits, and then opens the way for eternity.The limits in the visible world disappears when we pass beyondthe visible world. The craftsman who catches the light of thegreatest craftsman travels to new worlds and paves the way foreternity....We keep doing our best to be able to excell limits, reach eternityand and to live our lives with the taste of arts. The 15th editionof our Handicrafts Magazine is again full of interesting articles.It gives us great pleasure to know that we are not walking aloneon this way. We express our gratitude for your great attention,and we remind that our readers who we can not correspond candownload all the editions of our magazine, with their Englishversions, from our web site.With the longings of a life brightened with art, and lived withthe taste of art.Muhammet ALTINTAS

In ThisEdition1506The StringentMaster ofThe AncientMarbling ArtAlparslanBabaoglu14Cicek Derman:The DoyenneFlower ofIllumination22Kundekâri:The TimeDefyingHeritage ofthe Seljukis30WhenDeepWavesWashAshore!by Ugur SEZENby Irem GUVENby Semra CELIKby A. Ulvi AKIN36Van Gogh,The GeniousPainter of Yellow47The ThreadedVersion ofSilver isRevived inISMEK50Sumi-e:The Elegancewhich Comesinto Life withthe Brush of the Spiritby Mukadder Ozdemirby Mutia SOYLUby Semra UNLU58The VoiceThat Doesn’t FitUnder The Welkin;Buhûrîzâde (Itrî)64 66 74AnInterpretationRegarding Itriand TheOttomanCivilisationMiniaturesInterpreterto the History ofFar EastTo The RingCome the Archersby Talip MERTby Prof. Dr.Saadettin OKTENby Mehmet K. SATUKby Hamza ASLAN

788494100104Edirnekâri:The ArtNamed AfterThe City itWas BornMaturityin ArtA Festivityof Colors onThe Ugly Wallsof the CityOn theZoomorphicOriginsof the RumiMotiveThe Haremin the TopkapiPalace,The Sultan’sPalaceby Mehmet KOKREKby Ugur SEZENby Muzaffer S. INANCby Prof. Dr. Selcuk MULAYIMby Sudenaz DOGAN108112118122The Blue Doorsof TunisiaOttoman CultureProducts fromQadi RegistersPieces ofWastepapersTurn IntoJewels inHis HandsSymbolsof theLife ofThoughtby Metin YUKSELby Prof. Dr. H. Orcun BARISTAby Emine DOYDUby Prof. Dr.Ilhan OZKECECIPrincess Nazli:The Patron of Artsand Artistsby Suleyman KIZILTOPRAK148A Bouquet Fromthe Hidden Paradise132138144OurHandwritingBetrays Us!The Dance ofthe Needlewith Ceramic:SigrafittoDilek Hanif:A FashionDesignerWho OwesHer OriginalStyle to theOttomanby Omer Faruk DEREThe Storm of ISMEKBlowing in theInternationalCalligraphy Contest152by Murat Gokhan GURELby Semra CELIKby Hatice URUNby Nermin SULTAN158

Dear Istanbulians,After the industry revolution, all the industrializing societiesbegan to have drastic changes in the social aspect of theirlife. These changes which have affected a wide array ofelements ranging from interpersonal relations to socialstructures have taken affect not by force, but naturally.Certainly, art also has been affected by this drastic change.Due to the striking influence of technology on our lives,people not being as speedy in adapting to this influencehave naturally begun to long for the past. For this reason,the path to the popular arts from the traditional arts havebecome not so attractive anymore.Industrializing has brought along technology, andthus speed. However, the reflection of this speedto consumption has not been so useful in terms ofappreciating the value of the produced. The fact thatthe popular one is consumed very fast and forgottenimmediately without its value being fully appreciated hasmade the value of the traditional one even more apparent.From the Mayor...The interest in the traditional arts has recently increasedin our country as well. Towards this end, we, as theMetropolitan Municipality of Istanbul, keep doing ourbest with our free of charge trainings to introduce ourtraditional arts to as many people as possible, encouragingthem to love and perform these arts so they could becarried to future generations.In addition to the trainings on our traditional arts, anotherservice we provide through ISMEK is the HandicraftMagazine. The magazine which attracts great attentionfrom various art communities has reached its 15theddition thanks to the great support from Istanbulians.There are articles by valuable scholars, artists and writers,interesting news and arguments in this eddition as well.With my most sincere wishes that this eddition of ourmagazine may as well act as a bridge between theIstanbulians and us in sharing the beauties in our heartthat beats for service for Istanbul and its people.The Mayor Of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality

The Stringent Master of theAncient Marbling ArtAlparslan Babaogluby Ugur SEZENThe pioneering names that come to mind as for the art of marbling withinthe last 3 centuries have firstly been Sebek and Hatib Effendis, then thesheikh of the Osbeks Lodge Sadik Efendi and his son Hezarfen EdhemEfendi, Hezarfen Necmettin Okyay and his predecessor and student MustafaDuzgunman. We can even say that these are the only names to mention,since the fate of the marbling art has depended on only a handful of figuresat all times. Another figure who has been playing a role on the fate of thisart in our day is Alparslan Babaoglu. We interviewed with MR. Babaogluwho hosted us in front of his tray, on his teachers, his story of engagementin marbling, and the marbling art in the present day.Permit me, o’God!The history of most of our traditional arts date back to centuriesago. It is thus possible to find manuscripts in libraries,or masterpieces and murakkas in collections, which arerelated to these arts. The written authorisations, series orschools carry these arts such as beautiful calligraphy, illumination,miniature or book binding, to the present day. Theart of marbling, however, has been apart from all these artsin this regard. It has always been a bit more mysterious.Where it began to be performed, the etimology of its name,when and how it came to Anatolia, have always been controversial.Some, for instance, suggest that the word “ebre”in the Cagatay Turkish of the Central Asia became “Ebri” inIran, which means “cloudlike” in Persian, and turned into“ebru” in Anatolia. Yet others claim that the root of the wordis “ab-i rû”, which means “the face of water”, referring tothe dance of colors on water. Mustafa Duzgunman has confirmedboth these hearsays in his “ebruname”, which hewrites as if he is ornamenting water with colorful paints.Ebru means ebir, which means clouds in the sky,Also testify that Ab-i Ru, (the face of water) isone of its meaning.Ebru is also a Persian word which means eyebrows,In short, it can be granted any meaning,which gives it copious amounts of meanings.

One Marbler Has Carried This Colorful Flag in Each Era.The art of marbling has always been somewhat alien. However, ineach era, masters of this art who never compromised the tray have alwaysprotected it. The maturation period of the art speeded up whenthe flag of the art was handed over to Hezarfen Necmettin Okyay ofUskudar. Mustafa Duzgunman writes about these years in anotherstanza of his poem “Ebruname” as follows:When the sun of marbling suddenly set,There were no marbling artists, nor anyone who knew about it,Soon, a decent man of Uskudar came and satisfied art loversHis name is Calligrapher Necmeddin,and he was the only master of that time.Necmettin Okyay has a great reputation in the Turkish marbling art.He is known as the first marbler who did flower marblings. He bothmarbled the flowers such as tulip, hyacint and baby’s breath, andhanded over the art to his sons Sami and Sacit Okyay, and his youngnephew Mustafa Duzgunman before he passed away, preservingthe tradition he took over from his master Sheikh Edhem Efendi. Inthose years, Mustafa Duzgunman had an herb shop in Uskudar, onthe Hakimiyet-i Milliye Avenue no 104. In addition to being a mastermarbling artist, Mr. Duzgunman was also a book binder, a prayerbeeds maker, a photographer and a composer. He was thought tobe a mean old man to prevent these arts from deterioration, but thiswas not the reality. The reality was that it was not the time to meetthe young marblers such as Alparslan Babaoglu yet.The Love of Marbling Which Began with a Hilia SharifaAlparslan Babaoglu finishes highschool in Erzurum and is sent to Englandwith the scholarship of the government. He graduates from theElectrical Engineering department in 1979, does his masters in thesame field, and returns to Turkey in 1980. The young electrical engi-

neer has no interest in our traditional arts. Saying “Thefact that I finished highschool in Erzurum and studiedthe university in England did not grant me the chanceto engage in the traditional arts”, Alparslan Babaoglubegins to work as an engineer in a company. One day,when he is visiting a friend who invited him, Mr. Babaoglusees a Hilia Sharifa by calligrapher Hasan Celebi,hanging on the wall. He can not take his eyes off theharmony of the curls on the letters and the iluminationwhich embroiders the plate, and litterally a new worldopens before him. Realizing his situation, his friend says:“Let’s go to the Topkapi Embroidery House. There youcan attend illumination and miniature courses as well”.He also gifts Mr. Babaoglu 2 marblings.Still under the influence of the hilia sharifa on the wall,Mr. Babaoglu literally surrenders to the marblings giftedto him. He asks his friend who does these marblings.The answer refers to one address only: “There is anherb shop keeper in Uskudar, whose name is MustafaDuzgunman. It is him who does all these. He has agednow, though, and when he passes away by God’s will,there will be no masters performing this art”.Mr. Babaoglu leaves his friend’s place with 2 marblings,and the book called “The Turkish Marbling Art” byUgur Derman under his arm, with the following sentenceechoing in his heart: “When he passes away bythe will of God, there will be no masters performing

this art”. Being single those days and having nothing elseto do, he decides to be the disciple of this art. He opensa tray and tries to do marbling with various paints basedon the descriptions in Ugur Derman’s book. He then takesthese marblings to the Embroidery House in the TopkapiPalace, and shows them to Cahide Keskiner and SemihIrtes. His teachers always encourage him to keep on. But itis later realized that encouragement only does not suffice,but engagement is needed as well.Respect for the Master Leads him to the MasterBeginning to learn marbling in the Embroidery Houseof the Topkapi Palace in 1984, Mr. Babaoglu receives anoffer a year later. After being restored, the SultanahmetCedit Mehmed Efendi Madrassah has become “The Centerof the Istanbulian Arts”. Each cell in the madrasssah isdedicated to a separate art, and one cell is offered to theyoung marbling artist. The young marbler accepts this offer,which will later direct him to another occasion.Mr. Babaoglu who says “I accepted the offer, but theywanted to hang also Mustafa Duzgunman’s marblings onthe walls of the cell, and I rejected it”, does not compromisethe tradition by not allowing Mustafa Duzgunman’smarblings to be hung on the walls on the opening day.Here is how he explains his valid excuse: “In those days, itwas not possible for anyone else to do marbling like MustafaDuzgunman. Thus, I thought that those who wouldwalk past my cell would think that it was me who didthem but Mustafa Duzgunman, and that it would be irrespectfulto the master. That’s why I did not allow them tohang his marblings on the walls of my cell”. Of course, noone can say a word against this noble behaviour, and Mr.Duzgunman’s marblings are sent to another cell. Istanbulis small with less people in those days, and thus, a noblebehaviour shown in Sultanahmet at midday is heard inUskudar before midnight. Mr. Babaoglu’s noble behaviouris reported to Mr.. Duzgunman. “Send that boy to me!”he commands. It would be realized years later that Mr.Duzgunman who was recognized as “a mean old man”by many, found deep meanings in one single sentence utteredby a young apprentice.Another Frequenter to the Herb shopTo respond to this invitation, Mr. Babaoglu goes to Mr.Duzgunman’s shop on a Friday in 1985. The enthusiasticyoung boy meets the peak of this art worldwide at hisplace. With the invitation “I host guests in my workshopat 10 o’clock every Sunday. Come this Sunday, and let’ssee your marblings”, he becomes Mr. Duzgunman’s disciple.While he is telling us how he met his master teacher,Mr. Babaoglu is also marbling a tulip on his tray, and the10

wall opposite to the tray is embroidered fully with an artisticadventure. A taliq stanza by Necmeddin Efendi, aphotograph of Mustafa Duzgunman and a framed coppyof the “Ebruname” next to it. Next to them is hung the“written authorisation” given to Mr. Babaoglu by MustafaDuzgunman, written by Calligrapher Savas Cevik, andmany other works of art.While we were watching the artistic adventure on thewall, Mr. Babaoglu left his tray. “Brother Savas wrote thatwritten authorisation, but there are 2 other which nooneknows.” He said, and took a bag which sat next to the tray,and which had the fragrance of the history when opened.He first took out the coppy of the written authorisationwritten in the Arabic alphabet by Fuat Basar. “This waswritten by Brother Fuat, but when Mustafa Duzgunmansaid that it resembled a calligraphy authorisation, BrotherSavas wrote the one on the wall.” He said. He then continuedto take out one piece of paper after the other. First thewritten authorisation with Mr. Duzgunman’s handwriting,and then Mr. Duzgunman’s marblings.Not Anyone Who Opensa Tray can do Ancient MarblingOne who chats with Master Alparslan listens to what marblingis, rather than how to do it, because though howto do marbling concerns marblers only, what marbling isconcerns all of us, and the 3 written authorisations on thetable confirm this argument.According to Mr. Babaoglu, marbling meant Mr. Duzgunman,Mr. Okyay... Once the sentence “I’ve seen how to dothis art from my master this way, and promised him thatI shall not compromise the traditions.” Comes out of themouth, both a marbling by Duzgunman, and a marblingby Necmeddin Efendi, can come out of the hands. He alsofinishes his tulip marbling he was doing while chatting withus. As he is leaving the wet sheet of paper on bars to dry,he says the following: “This is the style I coppy from mymaster. He also dried the sheets of paper on bars”, showingthat the master should be followed in every single detail.No wonder that they say “Maturation is hidden in details”.Don’t Take the Brush off Anyone’s Hands,and Don’t Take Away the Tray Before ThemEngagement is the main thing needed in our arts, and authorisationis the sign of this engagement. Our arts canbe performed only after the master says “You are nowelligible to do it”. Mr. Babaoglu shares the same opinion,too. “Noone who doesn’t follow Mr. Duzgunman’s waycan do traditional marbling. Noone who doesn’t copy atulip by Duzgunman a thousand times can open an era11

in flower marbling.” He says, and adds: “Of course, though,we can not take the brush off anyone’s hand, and can not takeaway the tray before anyone. Everyone is free to do whateverthey please. But the condition I have just mentionedis the necessary condition for traditional marbling.The other works of art belong tothe contemporary art. This is what Iwant known”.After stowing the bag away on ashelf, he says the following: “Letme play something so you canhear all these from my master.”,playing the recording of a chat hehad with his master in the herb shopyears ago. Late Mr. Duzgunman tellswhat marbling is with a pleasant way ofexpression as follows:“Marbling is a limitless treasure. It reaches maturation inside itself,without corrupting its characteristics. It thus can not acceptanything called modernisation, because we have to keep alivethe history of this art entrusted with us by our ancestors. Whymodernisation? No need for it since this is an endless array ofbright colors. Its beauty is never reaches an end, so why inventnew things? These days we see paintinglike marblings. Just likeoil painting scenes. Nowhere near marbling. Actually, they dotheir works of art out of marbling as well, but the works resembleoil paintings. We thus can not call this art “the Turkishmarbling”. They can call it “Contemporary marbling”. I do acknowledgethat it is artistic, but it is not the traditional Turkishmarbling. Our marbling should not corrupt its characteristics”.Tray Only Tells the How Essence of MarblingWhen Duzgunman’s recording is over, Mr. Babaoglu gives anotherexample from years ago. One day, while his master wasmarbling in his shop, Mr. Babaoglu asks him,with the intention of grasping the basichow to for marbling, how much waterand how many drops of gall toadd in a certain amount of paint atthe bottom of the jar. His master,without even looking away fromhis marbling, answers that thetray only will tell. The young Alparslancan not say a word to hismaster, but when he returns home,he complains to his wife about it. Itis years after this complaint that Mr.Babaoglu comes to grasp this reality, andhe admits this reality with the following words:“I understood many years after I lost the master that he waswrite, and he wasn’t brushing over me when he said this. Trayonly tells the how to of marbling in deed, but it is to learn thelanguage of the tray what matters. It is only the things that happenin the tray that tells everything, and this happens only byspending time in the tray and following the master”.12

The Master Teaches His Apprenticenot Marbling, but its EthicsEthics is the main element of our traditionalarts, and the master actuallyteaches the ethics while he is teachinghis apprentice an art. Certainly, this iswhat Mr. Duzgunman did while teachingmarbling to Mr. Babaoglu, as he himself wastaught by Necmeddin Efendi. Towards thisend, Mr. Babaoglu says the following: “It is notonly the way to perform the art what the apprenticelearns from his master. The ethics and manners are learntas well. So is the case also for marbling. Obviously, if yousee artists who learnt marbling from Mr. Duzgunman andNecmeddin Efendi, you will see their style and manners”.By the way, according to Mr. Babaoglu, arts in general,and marbling in particular, is an excellent means to trainthe lowerself. “You can do a marbling in a very shortperiod. You have just seen that we have finished a tulipmarbling and left it to dry.” He says, and then adds: “Butif you say “It’s me who did this marbling”, then it meansthat you still can not control your lower self.” From thesewords, we understand that not only Mr. Babaoglu himself,but also Mustafa Duzgunman, Necmeddin Efendi,Edhem Efendi, Sadik Efendi and Hatib Efendi did the marblingas well.Necmeddin Efendi’s Materials areat the Seat of HonorIn deed, Necmeddin Efendi also has a hand on the marblingwhich has just been left on bars to dry. There is ashelf right next to Mr. Babaoglu’s bag full of the fragranceof the history. On the shelf are paint jars, burnishers, marblingcombs etc. Not to use, however, but to preserve,because Necmeddin Efendi used these materials whilemarbling years ago. He even made one of the burnishershimself, and gifted it to his disciple Mustafa Duzgunman,which was later entrusted with Mr. Babaoglu. Now,3 generations are marbling together in a workshop.Alparslan Babaoglu is a figure dedicated to arts, and amarbler who promised his master to keep the art of marblingin line with the traditions. Since he got his authorisationin 1989, for 24 years in other words, he has beenmarbling without going astray from his teacher’s way andraising students for the maturation of this art. He has givenauthorisation to 2 students: Neyzen Sadreddin Ozcimiand Ismail Tirkes. He still teaches maybe hundreds of otherstudents.Certainly, in order to keep his promise he gave to histeacher, Mr. Babaoglu continues to open trays in the Centreof TurkoIslamic Arts of ISMEK, in the Foundation ofClassical Turkish Arts, and just like his teacher, on the firstfloor of his house.FOOTNOTES: 1) The last wish in the prayer of a marbler who opens a tray. 2) For furtherinformation, see An Herb Shop in Uskudar, Mustafa Duzgunman, Kubbealti Press.Necmeddin Okyay's marbling materials13

Cicek Derman: The DoyenneFlower of Illuminationby Irem GUVENCicek Derman, one of the doyennes of illumination, is certainly the living proof of the saying “Losing may at times meanwinning.” Having stayed away from academic environment and work life for a long time after highschool, Mrs. Dermantook the university diploma she was longing for after a 20-year break. The illuminator who made a fast entrance andprogress in her academic life became the first female professor in her field at 57. We interviewed with Cicek Derman onthe art of illumination and on her life interwoven with patience, love, dedication to arts, and most importantly, gratitude.There were tears that day, in those ever shining, deep blueeyes. She was embarrassed, if not shocked, of the failurewhich she was not accustomed to. How come this couldhave happened, especially while her family, friends,relatives, everyone, was expecting her to succeed? Howcome she could not pass the university admission examswhile she passed all her grades as a student of honor? Arose had faded inside of her that day, and Cicek Ayan couldnot manage to digest the failure for several days, withher eyes covered with gray clouds. This mood lasted untilher elder sister, (Dr. Inci A. Birol) introduced her to SuheylUnver, whose classes she was already attending. CicekDerman’s eyes are still shining while she tells us abouther teacher Ord. Prof. Suheyl Unver, who dedicated hislife to keep alive our traditional decorative arts. There is asaying that goes “Losing may at times mean winning.” IlluminatorMrs. Derman is the living example of this sayingsince her failure in the university admission exams changethe entire flow of her life, opening a totally different doorahead of her. If she had passed the university admission14

exams, she would either be a botanist, or a chemist. Shewould probably be known by only few people, and firstof all, she would not be Cicek Derman since she met UgurDerman whose surname she received, and who becamethe father of 3 sons she has.Met Suheyl Unver When She Failed The ExamDuring our interview with Cicek Derman who is one of thedoyennes of illumination, we talked about the art of illuminationto which she dedicated her life, her teachers whoraised her to become an illuminator, her graduation fromuniversity 20 years after finishing highschool and many otherthings. She hosted us in her peaceful house with agarden near Umraniye, and answered our questions in aheart felt manner.Beginning to tell us about herself by stating that she wasborn in 1945, Mrs. Derman continues as follows: “I takeutmost pleasure from years left behind. When I look back,I see a life that is not wasted, and is full of gains, which givesme peace and joy.” Her failure in the university admissionexams after her successful years of primary, secondaryand highschool turns out to be something beautifulas opposed to something wasteful. She meets Ord. Prof.Suheyl Unver, who is the first teacher that comes to mindas far as our traditional decorative arts are concerned.While she attends the classes on our traditional decorativearts in the department of Medical History and Deontology,she is granted the chance to assist Mr. Unver. Statingthat the 22-month period during which she assisted Mr.Unver changed her drastically, Mrs. Derman adds the following:“There I learnt our history, our national values, ourarts, the art of illumination, and many other things. It wasa period which paved the way for a totally new directionin my life.” She also states that her teacher Suheyl Unver,for whom she wishes blessings in one of 2 sentences sheutters, was an extremely meticulous and disciplined man,literally an Istanbulian.Stating that the period during which she assisted Mr. Unverchanged her point of view in life, Mrs. Derman passesthe university exam that year, and is admitted to the Historyof Arts Department at the Literature Faculty of IstanbulUniversity. She asks her teacher to excuse her since sheis admitted to the university, but her teacher is happy towork with her since she is hardworking and eager to learn.She then both studies, and assists her teacher duringthe first grade. She says “The Medical History Institute servedas a laboratory for me since it was related to the departmentI studied.” To tell the advantage of assisting Mr.Unver and studying at the same time.Graduated 20 Years After HighschoolThe master illuminator meets Ugur Derman while assistingMr. Unver in 1964, when she also began studying inthe university, and they marry in 1965. When they havetheir first child the very same year, both her study life andher work life ends up being left half finished since her hus-15

and does not want her to either study or work when shebecomes a mother. Respecting her lifemate’s wish, she consentsto spending her 20 years at home with her children.She explains why she complied with her husband who thought“A woman’s place is her home”, with the following statements:“In our family, we always receive the consent ofeach other. Ugur Derman’s consent is important for me sincethis is the sign of attributing value to your life mate”. Givingbirth to 3 sons during the 20 year period she spent at home,she tells us that she thought “jobs can be left, but childrencan never be.”, and that she herself was interested in theirpreschool education.Stating that she is a Capricorn, Mrs. Derman appears to havethe characteristics of her sign. She is both home loving, andcompletes the work she has started. We had mentioned thatshe spent 20 years at home, but she never threw her educationout of her mind. Not giving up illumination either, she tellsus that she never lost her desire to study. Seeing that she wasstill keeping her student identity cards, and even her librarycards, Mr. Derman one day says: “I see that you do have thedesire to study. You may complete your university education,but I definitely don’t want you to work.” In 1974, a pardonis released for university students, which is a great opportunityfor Mrs. Derman. However, just as she was about to applyfor registration, the Cyprus Conflict breaks out, and her husbandjoins the army again, which would postpone her desireto study until another pardon which was released a few yearslater. She completes her 2nd, 3rd and 4th grades after this pardon,and in the meantime delivers her youngest son. “I graduatedfrom highschool in 1962, and finished university in 1982.My graduation from university is exactly 20 years after my graduationfrom highschool. I was well advanced in years, but I attendedthe courses with the desire to learn, my first purposebeing not receiving grades, which gave me utmost pleasure.”She says, and adds that the study life was not easy at all.I was Born Again at 40We understand from what Mrs. Derman, who was temptedby our traditional arts while wishing to study sciences afterhighschool tells that patience and desire can really changeone’s life. After graduating from university, she does notinsist on working since she has promised her husband thatshe would not. “Keeping promises is the sign of honesty, soI didn’t say a word for 2 years, and sat at home. If Allah wishesyou to do something, however, she grants the opportunitiesfor it as well.” She says, reminding us the Arabic sayingthat goes “Your destiny will come to find you even if it is beneatha mountain.”One day, about 3 years after her graduationfrom university, when she was 40,they receive a phone call. Mr. Dermananswers the phone, and listens to the voiceat the other end of the line for a while.Before he hangs up, he says “Let me tellher first, and she will call you later”. Thecaller is the dean of the Fine Arts Facultyin Marmara University, asking his wife towork as a teacher. To learn Mr. Derman’s16

answer, she asks in a curious and worried manner: “Howdid you answer him, then?” It will not be wrong if we saythat the very moment was a turning point in the life ofMrs. Derman, who spent 20 years at home.Mrs. Derman tells the following regarding the offer shereceived: “I have never asked for an offer. If we still receivean offer, though, we accept it as an offer fromGod, and we don’t decline it. Asking for somethingis the sign of a hidden self inside you. If youaccept the offer as an offer from God and wishto be productive as far as your strength concerns,though, you will get rid of yourself. This wasthe case for me before I resumed tostudy as well. Mr. Ugur said thatI may work as long as Idon’t neglect himself,the houseand the children. Ithus began to work as ateacher. In other words, I wasborn again at 40.”Cicek Derman, who once assisted Ord.Prof. Suheyl Unver, whose name was alwaysmentioned while talking about ourtraditional arts, and received his training,never gives up illumination, evenwhen she was a housewife. She continuouslyimproves herself with privatelessons she receives. For this reason,she receives an offer as a teacher, andbegins to work as a specialist on November14th, 1984. Having approved asthe permanent staff of the faculty, Mrs.Derman proudly adds that she was thefirst regular teacher in the department.With the desire to work which had been burning insideher for long years, Teacher Cicek first completes her PH.D,and then becomes an associated Professor, and a Professorrespectively. It is easier said than done, though. Sheserves as a professsorr for 10 years as of 57. Also becomingthe head of department and the dean of the Departmentof Traditional Turkish Arts at the Fine Arts Facultyin Marmara University, Mrs. Derman states that servingas an administrator is tough, but also pleasant. Wethen learn that Mrs. Derman completed his service as adean on January 7th, 2012.Received Her Authorisation from Rikkat KuntAfter talking a bit about her academic life, we begin totalk about the art of illumination. In addition to Suheyl Unver,Muhsin Demironat and Rikkat Kunt are important duringthe illumination training of the illuminator. “I have 3teachers. Mr. Unver, my first teacher, had lots of contributionsin my life. He is the one who introduced me to thisart and made me love it. He was like a father to me.” Shesays, and wishes blessings for her teacher again. Mrs. Dermanmeets Muhsin Demironat, the master of many illuminators,in 1974. Having received private lessons from himon the top floor of Emin Barin’s workshop in Cagaloglu,Mrs. Derman tells that their courses lasted only a year sincehis health was not in good condition. She continuesas follows: “But we kept on visiting eachother. After his death, his wife gave me all hismolds. I evaluate them by publishing them”.She tells how she met Rikkat Kunt, an importantfigure in illumination, as follows: “In1976, we visited Rikkat Kunt’s house in Beylerbeyito express our condolences upon the deathof our teacher Necmettin Bey. When I sawthe works of illumination hanging on thewalls and told about my interest in illumination,Mrs. Kunt allowed me to resume my illuminationtraining. I would go there at 10:30every Monday morning, and the session wouldlast until the midday prayer. Our one toone sessions lasted like this for 10 days, untilMrs. Kunt’s death.” Also stating that she receivedher authorisation from Rikkat Kunt,Mrs. Derman informs us that these days sheis preparing to write a book about her, andthat the book is currently in press.”An Artist Sells Her Work, But Not Her ArtMrs. Derman’s eyes shine while talking abouther teachers who she remembers with sweetmemories, and they are clouded while mentioningtheir death. “Nowadays the love between thestudent and teacher doesn’t exist.” She says. We ask theilluminator who had her training via a sincere master andapprentice relation with her teachers to evaluate this typeof a relation with regards to our traditional arts. She saysthe following: “In traditional arts, trainings are deliveredfor the sake of Allah with no financial give-and takes. Theteacher who also learnt the art from a teacher teaches theart to her students free of charge. This way, she both paysher debt to her own teacher, and enables her student tolearn and teach the art in the same manner.” She emphasizesthat there will be no love and attachment if moneyinterferes between the relation of the teacher and thestudent, or the master and the apprentice. She also addsthe following: “An artist sells her work, but not her art.”She recalls and quotes what her teacher Suheyl Unver, forwhom she again wishes blessings, would say: “Parentsbring a child down from the heavens, but it is the teacherwho holds her hands and raises her up to the heavensagain.” Those who can deep dive into the spirit of arts alsoknow that an art is a means to embroider one’s own spirit.Defining illumination as a shining and glorious art of books,Mrs. Derman also shares this view. “It’s very easy to illuminateon a sheet of paper, but it is not easy to embroi-17

der the very inside of you.” She also recalls and quotes thesaying “Carry your art on you”, quoted by her teacher RikkatKunt, and adds the following: “When you take part ina gathering, for instance, the way you walk and behaveshould show immediately that you are an artist. A humanbeing can have both bad and good sides, but ornatingoneself with art means being able to turn the bad sidesinto good sides. I think that the most difficult thing is tobe able to embroider the moral sides. Stating that the gleaningof the gold attracted her when she first began doingillumination, Mrs. Derman adds the following: “Of coursethat gleaning is very beautiful, but illumination has ahidden beauty. Prominent beauty is not something good.The purpose is to catch the hidden beauty which not an-18

yone can see. We thus brighten even gold opaquely.” Shethinks that the metal gleaning takes away the main beauty.She also says the following while emphasizing the importanceof color and harmony: “The amount of the goldyou will use should be limited as well as the amount of colorin order to reveal the main beauty. Excessive amountsof both is a minus”.Art: A Means to be A HumanWe ask Mrs. Derman weather she is a traditionalist or amodernist in this art. The master illuminator expresses thatwhile she is not very modernist, she is not very strictly traditionaleither. According to Mrs. Derman who states thata good illuminator should have a strong foundation, theilluminator must definitely receive education to learn thebasic rules of the art. Cicek Derman thinks that the contemporaryartist must create works that are suitable to theera he is in,which reflects his own artistic perception, bypreserving the basic rules of the art. Mrs. Derman says thefollowing while drawing attention to the vague line betweenthe modern and the classical: When you skip the rules,you skip the art itself. To ruin it by neglecting its rulesis not innovation. What is the matter is to be able to preservethe basic and adapt it to the day.”We also ask Mrs. Derman who emphasizes that a good illuminatorshould not satisfy herself with merely the knowledgeon the art of illumination how a good artist shouldbe like. Here is how she answers our question: “Firstly, agood artist should have the manners of his art. Our teeacherMr. Demironat would say “Art is the clearance of themoral values. An artist should clear his manners and moralvalues, purifying it from all the evil. Isn’t our aim alreadythis? Aren’t we trying to be human? Art is a very usefulmeans to be a human.”Emphasizing also that art may have traps, Mrs. Dermanstates that arrogance might occur if the artist considershimself superior and different than others. “I ask Allah tokeep me away from arrogance. I don’t like the word “cre-19

ate” at all. The creator is one, and is the only craftsman.We should use our art as a means to make ourselves human,and shouldn’t be attracted by those traps. Self is somethingterrible. What do we have in this world? Nothing.Our eyes, our hands, and our talents all belong to Allah.Our talents have been granted to us for a limited amountof time, and can be taken back any time. We must thuspreserve this treasure with good manners.” Also statingthat the artist shouldn’t use his art as a means of advertisement,she recalls another phrase uttered by her teacherSuheyl Unver: “Again, have you ever heard a cherrytree calling out to passers by how beautifully its flowershave bloomed, and how delicious its fruits havebecome?An artist should thus deliver his Works silently.Advertising is not our place.”Also emphasizing that consistency is important in arts,Mrs. Derman says the following: “Art must be consistentlyperformed, just like worshipping God. One can be productiveonly if she/he continues to perform the art consistently.Taking breaks is always a drawback.” According toMrs. Derman, illumination should be done just like worshipping.Just like we do preparations like ablution, intendingto pray or turning to kiblah before praying, for instance,same is the case for illumination. When you take thebrush in your hand, you must cut off all your ties with theexternal World. If you focus on that work with all your heart,and begin working with the gratitude that you havebeen assigned for the very work, what emerges will neverbe something bad.”The Derman Collection is at Her DisposalStating that she never ordered outside to do illumination,Mrs. Derman says the following: “My husband had sucha rich calligraphy collection that I only preferred to embroiderhis Works rather than work for outside. How luckyit is for an illuminator to find pieces of calligraphy that areworthy to her labor and effort! I am really lucky in this regard.Also, illumination and calligraphy should suit well together.A badly made illumination can ruin a beautiful calligraphicwork, and vice a versa. Both is wasted labor”.Stating that the ornations she makes usually does not chokethe calligraphic work she Works on, Mrs. Derman tellsthat the ornation should be in the background. She also20

adds that it is possible to easily deliver Works of art withoutdepending on anything if the artist Works freely. Expressingthat she likes each style of illumination, she continuesas follows: “Each style is beautiful in and of itself.The Saz Yolu Sokullu style, for example, is really admireable.An extremely good illuminator called Ataullah Efendi livedin the 19th century. Also, Ali Uskudari’s Works are alsoamazingly beautiful. You look at their Works with utmostadmiration, and can not catch up with them even today.”Life is Short, but Art is LongWe then ask Mrs. Derman weather she has reached thepoint she has desired to reach in his art. Having reachedenough maturity to not say that she is done and has reachedthe peak point in her arts in spite of all these years duringwhich she has dedicated to illumination, Mrs Dermanhas always kept her desire to learn alive. So much so, thatif her teachers were alive today, she would lovingly sit beforethem receiving answers to her questions and benefitingfrom their deep wisdom.Mrs. Derman who dedicated her life to the art of ornationsays the following: “Life is short, but art is long. It is reallyendless. I have felt and experienced this throughoutall these years. There are still many things I have yet to do.I have no idea how many of them Allah will give me thechance to do. I want to live the rest of my life usefully andproductively. I wish so much to write books introducingmy teachers, and prepare publications regarding my art.”Also, owing to the sincerity of the artist whose house resemblesto an art gallery with many Works hanging ontheir walls, we can not help but ask her if she has anythingshe regrets having done. She answers our questionin a heart felt manner: “I have done many of the things Ihave wished to do even if a bit later in life, and am gratefulfor that. I don’t regret having done anything, and I feelblessed with lots of grace. My God granted me very valuableteachers. He gave me the chance to be useful. Mywords don’t suffice to express my gratitude for all of these.”Last but not least, we ask Mrs. Derman who has alreadyornated the interview with many insightful adviceswhat else she can advice to young artists. Here is her answer:“Perform your art with your manners, and try to ornateyourselves in stead of ornating the paper only. DeliverWorks of art that are suitable to the current era by preservingthe basic rules”.If one desires to have something in a heart felt manner,keeps alive his/her desire to learn and is sincere, he/she willdefinitely have whatever she/he wants. Thinking based onthe things she told us that she is the living example of thisargument, we leave Mrs. Derman’s place with thanks forhosting us with such a sincere manner.ON CICEK DERMANShe was born in Ankara on January 7th, 1945. Graduating from the Art History Department at the LiteratureFaculty of Istanbul University after finishing highschool in the Istanbul Highschool for Girls, Mrs.Derman served as a lecturer in the Faculty of Fine Arts in Marmara University from 1985 until 2012. Shealso served as the head of department in the department of traditional arts, and the head of the Illuminationand Miniature Branch. She completed her PH.D in the Social Sciences Institute at Marmara Universityin 1987, became an Assist. Assoc. Prof. In 1992, an Assoc. Prof. In 1996, and a Professor in 2002. Beingone of the first who gained this title in this field, Mrs. Derman retired due to advanced age when she wasa Dean. She still delivers Bachelors and Masters courses, and supervises the profeciency theses of manystudents of art. She held her first personal exhibition in Chicago within the context of the Suleyman theMagnificent Exhibition 1987. Other mixed or personal exhibitions she has held are as follows:Bagdad (1988), Islamabad (1994), Istanbul (1991), Frankfurt (1996), Tunisia (1997), Tokio (2003), Sarievo(2005), Algeria (2007) andSophia (2009). She also delivered conferences where she tried to introduceher art with illustrative examples. She also attended conventions, symposiums and panels, and presenteddrafts. She has more than a hundred articles in Turkish or foreign languages, and 2 books, one of thembeing Motifs inTurkish Decorative Arts she prepared with Dr. Inci Birol, and the other being the KadiaskerMustafa Izzet Efendi Hilia she prepared with M. Ugur Derman.Being the member of the Selective Committee of the state Turkish decorative arts gathered by the ministryof Culture as of 1990, Prof. Derman and her husband Ugur Derman was invited to Japan by the East Asia(Toua) University in 2003 which was declared as the Turkish year in Japan.Using this opportunity, theyintroduced their art with exhibitions and conferences. Mrs. Derman who dedicated 48 years of his life tolearning and teaching illumination has 3 sons and 3 grand children.21

Kundekâri:The Time Defying Heritageof the Seljukisby Semra CELIKWood carving has an important status in ourtraditional handicrafts. Used fairly frequently by thepreislamic civilisations which settled in the CentralAsia, wood carving advanced greatly during theSeljuki civilisation, causing the art of kundekâriwhich requires knowledge of geometry, to be born.Kundekâri is an art of wood carving where noattachment elements are used between pieces, andwhere pieces that will eventually form an integrityare designed in a way that they can be attached toone another. Nowadays there are only few masterswho literally remold the wood with their skillfulhands, one of them being Mehmet Ali Tufekci. Wethus visited Master Mehmet Ali in his workshop tointerview with him regarding this art.23

A tiny seed which carries inside it a long life first becomesa very thin young plant, and later turns into a young tree.Over the years, it becomes a strong, huge and a wisetree which shades those who rest under its branches.Later, it slowly gets old, but still does not give up life totallysince another adventure begins for it even if it is cutdown. We always run into it again and again in differentforms, in different fields of life. It sometimes becomes adoor which opens ahead of us, a handrailing we hold on,or an elegant cupboard which hides our belongings. Nomatter which forms it takes in the skillful hands of themasters, though, it certainly makes the environment welive or work lovelier, more friendly and more colorful asopposed to the cold atmosphere concrete causes.Original Works of Art in Kundekâri Comesout of Turkish Masters’ HandsWood carving has an important status in our traditionalhandicrafts. Used fairly frequently by the preislamic civilisationswhich settled in the Central Asia, wood wascarved to produce many things used in the daily life,such as saddles, harnesses and chests. Only few worksof art have survived up to our day from those civilisationsdue to their lack of resistance against time, yetnumerous examples which show us the progress of theart in Anatolia give us detailed information regardingour wood carving history.Wood carved works created during the Seljukis weremostly architectural elements such as mosque doors,alters, or cupboard doors which showed the best examplesof a superior quality workmanship. During theOttoman civilisation where simplicity was more dominant,however, we see that the variety of things producedwith this art increased greatly, and the use ofwood had a wider range. tables, drawers, cupboarddoors, quilted turbans, writing utensils, beams, consoles,column heads, altars and sarcophaguses arethose that firstly come to mind.Wood carving which advanced greatly during the GreatSeljuki civilisation progressed until the art of kundekâri,which requires knowledge on geometry, to be born. Architecturalelements such as mosque doors and altarswhich were produced with the art of kundekâri, whereno elements of attachment such as nails are used, andwhere pieces are designed in a way that they can be fastenedto one another, were also protected by the statein order for them to last longer. Though this art is craftedboth in Iran and in Arabia, it will not be an exaggerationif we say that the most beautiful works of art producedwith this art have always been in our territories.Pearl and Ivory: The Ornament of KundekâriIn kundekâri which is crafted by attaching pieceswhose edges are carved in the negative and positive,or male and female way, cut in polygon or starshapes, and ornamented with Anatolian or palmetstyle relieves, to one another with wooden beams,the decorative composition is based on a geometricscheme. Star which symbolizes eternity is usedalong with many geometric arangements such asoctagon or baklava. The composition is mademore colorful by placing little wooden plates ofdifferent colors or shapes in between. Also,carving, ivory inlaying and baga which areseen in some compositions in addition toespecially pearl and ivory makes the compositiona holistic one.Since pieces are not attached to one anotherwith any elements of attachment such asnail or glue, the wooden surface where theart of kundekâri has been applied remainswhole. In some of the works of art producedwith kundekâri, a wooden skeleton is placedbehind the points of attachment to make thework last longer. Special attention is paid to optfor the tree which best resists against differentseasons and weather conditions.24

Cracks and incisions which could occur on the woodensurface are prevented by leaving blank areas betweenpoints of attachments so that the air can pass through.Wallnut, fig, pear, cherry, and mohagony are used forinterior environments, and these trees are decoratedwith abanoz, yilan agaci, venge, peleseng, mohagony,gild, baga, silver, pearl, ivory, ruby and emrald. In exteriorenvironments, however, trees such as oak, mohagony,ireko, tik and disbudak, which are more resistant todifferent weather conditions.Kundekâri Is Kept Alive with InnovationsNowadays, the masters who craft this art are as fewas the hands of 2 fingers, one of them being MehmetAli Tufekci, who is a master who remold the woodwith his skillful hands. He inherited this art from hisfather who also inherited it from his own father, andtries to keep alive this art which is about to disappearby producing wooden doors, windows, furnitureand ledders. The grandfather began to craft this artby producing mosque doors in Rize in the 1920s. Hisfather followed him as well, and then the flag washanded over to Mr. Tufekci.We visit Master Mehmet Ali Tufekci in his workshop inMaltepe to interview with him on the art of Kundekâri.We begin our interview in the office section of theworkshop. Firstly, he states that the yeast of Kundekâriis patience. “Whatever you are doing, first of all youmust like it. Same is the case for this art as well. If youdon’t like wood, you can never engage yourself in thisart. I would have given it up already if I didn’t like workingwith wood.” He says sincerely. He tells that he sethis heart on wood carving when he was a little primaryschool child. Stating that he ran to his father’s workshopas soon as the last school bell rang, he tells usthat he began to attach his first pieces of kundekâriwhen he was just 8 or 9. Not being so willing to study,he became an apprentice in his father’s workshop afterfinishing primary school. Due to the great patience andpassion he felt for this art, he first became an assistant?And then a master. Crafting this art as a third generation,Mr. Tufekci added lots of innovations to this art.Informing us that his father and grandfather would usea saw to cut the pieces one by one, he emphasizes thathe does use the facilities that technology offers.Mr. Tufekci says that the boats of kundekâri used to beattached directly to frames in the past. Since the frameand the center of a door are worked on separately, theintegrity between the frame and the center is damagedover the time due to the expansion of the frame.Mr. Tufekci found a solution for this problem, though,and the patent of this solution belongs to him. He nowmakes the frame and the center of a door producedwith the art of Kundekâri separately.The master tells the advantages of producing the bothparts separately as follows: “This way, the center andthe frame Work independently, which makes the doorlast longer, and be left undamaged for years. Also,another advantage is the following: Let’s say that thecenter produced with kundekâri was damaged due todecay or an attack. Then you can disassemble that partvery easily and assemble another one without touchingthe frame.” Mr. Tufekci then shows us a door fromthe Seljuki period displayed in the catalogue, and saysthe following: “See, no glue was used while producingthis door. The patent belongs only to us. We have25

marked an era on this matter. You can always disassemblethe door by using their conduits. Also, not on allof our doors do we use hinges. The doors expand andcontract on shafts. They have heels at the bottom, andconnection points of stainless chrome at the top. Wesee that the old doors produced with kundekâri usedto be disassembled from these points. Our doors now,however, do not have such a feature. I made a doorin Rize, my hometown, 40 years ago. If you look at ittoday, you will see that it is still how I made it.”Also, Mr. Tufekci emphasizes that the resistance of thework of art produced with kundekâri varies from treeto tree, and states that different trees should be usedfor interior and exterior environments.Not Any Motif is Applied on Any TreeWe ask Master Tufekci if he uses Kundekâri only on doors.He says that he carves all the wooden architectural elementsin the interior environments of mosques such asaltars, pulpits or stages in addition to doors. Stating thathe creates Works in both the Arabic, and the Seljuki style,Mr. Tufekci emphasizes that they decorate the works ofart produced with the Seljuki style with Anatolian motifs.Explaining that the Arabic style consists of disproportionategeometric shapes, Mr. Tufekci draws theattention to the fact that rectangles in varioussizes are more dominant in the Seljuki style.According to him, the meaning of theserectangular shapes in different sizes hasthe following meaning: “Big or small,everyone walks on the same path, allserving Allah.Apparently, Mr. Tufekci prefers mahogany the most inkundekâri. “Mahogany is a very precious tree. We havea lot of it, but some day they will run out. People cannot appreciate its value. Oak from Yenice and Belgradeis very precious as well. The oak from Yenice is verysuitable for interior use. We never use trees with softtissues.” He says.According to Mr. Tufekci, a good master in Kundekârishould be able to adjust the use of wood well in accordancewith the sectionn of the art work. Weatherthe center will be outwards or inwards should be ableto be understood with hands and eyes. This is not aninborn talent, however. The master acquires this skillover the time.“A good master understands as soon as he steps in theworkshop where to use each type of wood he sees. Heneeds to talk to the wood with the eyes of his heart,just like a sculptor opts for the marble he will use.” SaysMr. Tufekci, and states the fact that a good master’sThe tree carved and the motif appliedshould also have a harmony.“Not any motif is applied on anytree.” says Mr. Tufekci. Stating thatthey mostly use oak and mahogany,Mr. Tufekci says the followingto tell that even different parts ofthe same tree are carved differently:“You can not carve any motiveon any mohagany. Mohagony is agood tree, but it has a first roundwood,which is the part that is closeto the root, and a second roundwoodafter that. If you considerthat they are cut in 3 or 4 meters,you can not carve sensitive motifson the first roundwood. Certainlyyou can carve certain motifs onthis part as well, but not any delicateone. It is used mostly on productswhich carry loads. The secondroundwood, however, is the mostprecious part of the tree.”27

land to understand weather he can plant the crops. Ifwe don’t understand the characteristics of a tree bytouching it, we shouldn’t call ourselves masters.”Certainly, it was not easy for him to reach this maturity.He needed intimacy with wood for long years.He tells that he gained this talent of understandingthe moist in the tree by touching it in his 20s. He alsotells that different trees may be used for the differentparts of a single door, especially on the central part,for the sake of aesthetics, or different roundwoods ofa tree were used on the same part due to their differentshades.The Secret of Kundekâri to Defy the YearsWe know that Works of art produced with kundekâriresist against, actually defy, long long yearss, and weask the secret of this fact to the master of this art nowthat we have had the opportunity to interview with him.Although the work of art produced with kundekâri isvarnished after it is done, the greatest secret of why itresists against years is the fact that it is a tongued work.Mr. Tufekci tells the advantages of the tongued workas follows: “When it is tongued, the wooden work ofart lasts much longer. Water is the greatest enemy ofwood. Rain, for instance, shouldn’t stay on the wood,and should run down. If the water leaks into the worksomehow, it will decay the work from within. I mean,it requires serious maths. One should calculate boththe gap to leave for expansion, and make sure that nowater leaks in. You even have to calculate how muchload will mount on a boat. You have to figure out, forinstance, how long a door will last with the hinges youuse, and how much load each hinge and conduit willshare. If you make a single conduit carry all the load,the door will nnot be functional. A good master has tocalculate all these details.”Long ago, linseed oil used to be applied on the outersurface of the kundekâri. Now, however, Mr. Tufekcisays that they import a special and organic kind of oilfrom abroad, which is more costly. It is 225 lira per KG,and only an area of 25 square meters can be undercoatedwith it, but once the kundekâri has been fullyundercoatedd with that oil, it becomes totally waterproofeven if youu dip it into the water to wash it.hands should be as sensitive as a good thermometeror a hygrometer with the following sentences: “Howwould we find a hygrometer 20 years ago to measurethe moist in the tree? We would understandhow much moist was in a tree, for how long it canwait, and how we can work with it, only by touchingthe tree. Long ago, the farmer would sit on theWe learn another characteristic of the Kundekâridoors Mr. Tufekci produces. Once both the centerand the frame of the door has been completed, a gapopens up on the top of the door. An aluminum ora brass pipe is placed in this gap, and the pedigreeof the door is put inside it. It is written in detail onthis pedigree how the door was made, how it canbe disassembled and reassembled just in case if thedoor somehow needs restoration about 500 or 1000years later. Mr. Tufekci also informs us about a very28

important fact: “the inner and outer part of the centerof the door needs to be replaced once in abouta hundred years. This can be possible since we makethe center and the frame separately. Anyone whowants to do this can look at the pedigree. Also, thedoor comes with a spare lock. It is thus possible tofind the same lock when we need to change it even100 years later.”Raises 4th Generation Masters of KundekâriWe had already mentioned that the star or polygonshaped pieces which are carved in the male and femaleway are attached to one another without glue ornails in kundekâri. Based on this information, we askMr. Tufekci how many pieces a door can have. Mr.Tufekci informs us that a door contains at least 220pieces. Stating that this number can be 300, or even500, Mr. Tufekci reminds that the pulpit he made forthe Theology Mosque in Rize contains 7000 pieces.We also ask him how long it takes to finish a doorwith so many pieces. “In about 2 months, if 2 peopleare working on it.” He says. By the way, we shouldmention that Mr. Tufekci runs his workshop with his2 sons. Actually, one of the sons is a captain, andthe other one Works in the automotive business. Yetthey have not gone against family traditions, bothchoosing the art of the father and the grandfather.Beginning to teach this art to the youth about 5years ago, Mr. Tufekci now transfers all his knowledgeto his sons: “The youth is not patient to learn.They have already left the courses. So, what I do isteach the art to my sons.”In other words, Mr. Tufekci (55) entrusted this artwith his sons so they can keep it alive during the nextgenerations. Wanting to introduce this art to largermasses, Mr. Tufekci sent many petitions to the Ministryof Culture and Tourism for a kundekâri class tobe launched in universities, but he has received nopositive responses so far. Stating that there is moreinterest in Kundekâri abroad, Mr. Tufekci tells thathe took 11 kundekâri doors to a wood expo in Germanyin 1996, and 9 of them were sold on the veryfirst day of the expo. He also made a kundekâri doorfor the Sultan Suleyman Mosque in London. Thedoor has his signiture. Also, Mr. Tufekci and his sonsare making another door for a new mosque that isbeing built in Bursa.Although he says that his art attracts more interestabroad, certainly most of his Works are still inTurkey. Except for the pulpit of the Rize TheologyMosque, the door of the Cyprus Embasy, the doorsof the Maltepe Merkez Mosque, the doors of theEsenyurt and Yavuz Selim Mosques, and the interiorand exterior environments of many other mosquescarry this art to future generations via Mr. Tufekci.He and his sons are also in charge of the maintenanceof each work they produce. Stating that theyfollow up on the work during the first 5 years, Mr.Tufekci says that the maintenance they carry out forthe first 2 years is free of charge.Towards the end of our interview, we express ourwillingness to see the workshop where they producesuch beautiful Works of art. As we are walkingdown the Street, we gladly smell the friendly andwarm smell of wood. We can not help but think thatit should be this warm smell which encouraged Mr.Tufekci to leave his desk at school and sit before theworkbench at a very early age. The father and 2 sonssit again at the work bench to do the last retouches ofa kundekâri door. We thus thank them for the pleasantinterview, and leave the workshop with the reliefthat our traditional art will be kept alive in safe hands.29

When Deep WavesWash Ashore!by A. Ulvi AKINThe question how the new trials in the artof calligraphy in addition to the classicalperception will be named has been ponderedby many for a long time. Descriptions such asmodern, contemporary, classical or up to datehas not sufficed to name the new pattern andcomposition trials in calligraphy. However, theadjective “original”, the definition of whichis “the thing created as a result of a finding,different and superior to its identicals interms of its qualities”,, appears to have beenadopted as a calligraphy term. The exhibitioncalled “the Original Calligraphy” whichcontains the works of art by 23 calligraphersattracted great attention in terms of both thefact that it contained new trials with differentmaterials, different compositions and decorativetechniques, and the fact that the name “original”is a more accurate name for such trials whichreflect a brand new artistic perception.The art of calligraphy, the sun of the Islamic arts, hasbeen making the believers chant the sacred messagefor centuries. The hearts washed with this sun becomea deep sea drop by drop, longing to reach faith.For centuries, calligraphers have been drawing the sunbeams on sized pieces of paper. Over the time, they becomecrystalised in the pure hands of the calligrapher with great patienceand effort. They know that there is no repetition in transfiguration,and they read from the verses they write: “He is alwaysin action”. They always show new things to our eyes which waitwith longing, and although they pass away, the bleezed lines stillcontinue to warm our hearts.'Lafza-i Celâl' by Omer Faruk DereEach artist calls out to the universe from his own era. In order forhis voice to reach beyond centuries and to have a strong echo, hehas to be spacious, and his inner motives have to be interwoven verywell. The means of self expression called art comes in different formsas the reflection of the inner dynamics of an artist. The ability to creategranted to the artist by the creator, the things he has acquired while30

'Kardes Vavlar' (Sister vavs) by Menaf Nammastering the art, and the civilisation perception of thesociety and period he lives in direct his inner dynamics.As a characteristic of his, an artist has deep intuitions, adeep heart, a more sensitive world of emotions than others,and superior talents. In the phase of studenthood, the artistfocuses his eyes and his heart on his belief, his perceptionand his values to gain the skills needed for producing things,reviewing the things produced earlier. In the meantime, thesociety he lives in gives him a form. He reaches a certainlevel of maturation by the help of traditions, accepted behaviorsand a settled life style. After this very period, the artistbegins to hold a mirror before the society he lives in withthe works of art he creates. The art of beautiful calligraphy,which sings the high values, sensitivity and delicacy of ourancient civilization to the world of arts with a strong voice, isan abstract art. So much so that no western art has yet fullyreached the level of abstractness it enjoys.The modernism filosophy brought forth by the westernersby the beginning of the 10th century as an uprising againstthe traditional and classical perceptions, and the modernarts directed by this filosophy has spent great effort to beable to produce works independently of the external worldever since the first representatives of this filosophy emergedon the podium of arts. Even the contemporary artists oftoday continue to spend efforts on it. For this reason, whenwe look at the course of the modern arts, we see that itheads from concrete to abstract. The art of calligraphy,however, presents to the audience a simple and strongOzgun Hat (the Original Calligraphy)31

'Bismillah' by Omer Faruk Deretaste of abstract art independently of the external world,and mostly not needing any colors. Thanks to its aestheticalfeatures that stem from the original characteristics of theArabic alphabet, and which has gained purity over the time,especially in Istanbul, the art of calligraphy has reached verylarge facilities of performing until today. Within this context,it surprises us to see works of art that look alike with calligraphywith the graphical perception which has recently developedin the art of calligraphy. Today, in addition to theirclassical works of art, our calligraphers are also producingnew interpretations in accordance with the perception ofthe people in our era.Efforts to Find Names for New TrialsSince the word “modern”, which means innovation in today’susage of Turkish, connotes to denying the classical, wesee that the world does not fully correspond to the new trialsin calligraphy. Within this context, it is obvious that our art ofcalligraphy does not need modernisation. To the contrary, itis a righter attitude to expect the modern arts to rise to thelevel of our calligraphy art. For this reason, the question ofhow the new trials in calligraphy in addition to the classicalart perception will be named has been pondered by manyfor a long time. Modern, contemporary, decorative, ETC. Anexhibition which was open to the visitors from November24th to December 9th, 2012, where new trials of differentpatterns and composition in the art of calligraphy were exhibited,however, attracted great attention not only with theworks of art exhibited in it, but also with its name: The OriginalCalligraphy Exhibition. In my opinion, other visitors alsothink in the way I do, in that, the name “original” goes verywell with the exhibition. The adjective “original”, the definitionof which is “the thing created as a result of a finding,different and superior to its identicals in terms of its qualities”,,appears to have been adopted as a calligraphy term. Also,with the name given to the exhibition, a sort of classificationhas began to take affect in the art of calligraphy today. Theclassical, and the original calligraphy.32

'The Rahman Surah-24' by Abdurrahman DepelerWorks of art created by 23 calligraphers were exhibited inthe exhibition arranged at the Istanbul Center of Designingin the Bukhara Uzbeks’ Lodge building located in IstanbulSultanahmet. ISMEK’s Calligraphy Head Teachers SavasCevik and Omer Faruk Dere, Master Teachers Menaf Namand Mustafa Cemil Efe attended the exhibitionn with theirworks as well. Other artists of calligraphy who attended theexhibition which was crowned by a beautiful catalogue preparedby the Ensar Waqf, were as follows:Abdurrahman Depeler, Ahmet Bursali, Ahmet Tugac,Ali Toy, Davut Bektas, Efdaluddin Kilic, Fatih Ozkafa,Fatih Yasar, Fatma Dagli, Gulnihal Gul, Gurkan Pehlivan,Husrev Subasi, Levent Karaduman, Mesut Dikel, OrhanDagli, Osman Ozcay, Sami Naddah, Seyit Ahmet Depelerand Turan Sevgili.Assist. Assoc. Savas Cevik, the art councellor and attendantof the exhibition says the following about the exhibition:“Our art of calligraphy, which has a rooted tradition inour country and which attracts more interest every dayhas entered into an important process of advancementwith both its artists and its audience. Our calligrapherswho have lead the Islamic World throughout history stillkeep acting as leaders today. While the classical schoolsof calligraphy still continues to be practiced, new interpretationsof the art are being observed for some time aswell. It is natural that the reflections of the changing eraare observed in every branch of art. The Turkish artistsand artists from other countries thus create other worksin addition to the traditional form of writing. In this exhibition,the results of new interpretations in the art of calligraphywith differences in materials and new decorativeelements are presented to the audience”.This exhibition where the interpretations of today’s artistswhich we may consider as original, modern or out of chartwere presented altogether, is important also in terms of de-33

'The Asr Surah' by Mustafa Cemil Efe.termining the level the art of calligraphy has reached inour day. We see that the calligraphers in the previous centuriesalso tried new interpretations in addition to the classicalcalligraphy as well. The well-known Muselsel Besmeleby Ahmet Karahisari, the calligrapher of the 16th century,for instance, may be considered as the first example, and asource of inspiration of the modern or original calligraphy.The quality boarders of original art in plastic arts varygreatly. Since the limits of these arts which are appliedindependently of classical rules are not certainly determined,,the danger of degeneration always exists. However,during theee emergence processes of new varietiesof art, this sensitive boarderline has always existed. As Mr.Cevik also emphasized, the greatest risk in original worksof art is degeneration, or “kitsch art” in western terms.This danger has little affect, though, on artists with strongbasic knowledge of the art. The exhibition was also importantin terms of showing the fact that our calligrapherscan create works of art without degenerating the art theyare performing.Trying new interpretations in art is the result of courage.History records the courageous as heros, and courage requiresa price to pay. Those who paid this price in the pastalso became pioneers. With the beautifully stylized writingshe designed, which has a high graphical value, AhmedSemseddin Karahisari of the Kanuni Period is the art herobeyond ages, who opened the door to the valley of originalcalligraphy. I wish late Emin Baran, who remembered thatdoor, and showed the courage to enter it during the TurkishRepublic Period had seen this exhibition as well.'Lafza-i Celâl' by Gulnihal Gul'Lafza-i Celâl Kelime-i Tevhid' by Fatma Dagli.34

Set the Pace for Similar Exhibitions in the FutureIn the Original Calligraphy exhibition which contained graphiccompositions and various quadrage and exhibition techniques,there were also the examples of interpretations inspired by ourclassical calligraphy, new designs inspired by the Makilî calligraphy,or new writing styles tried by putting the signs into differentforms. Also, the unprecented brand new designs exhibitedattracted the admiration of the art lovers who visited the exhibition.Beyond doubt, this exhibition will set the pace for futureexhibitions in this field. We know that such new interpretationsare tried also in the other Turkish Islamic arts. We hope thatthey will also come together and hold such exhibitions whichwill contribute greatly to the progress of our arts.Will Original Calligraphy Form Its Own Tradition?In the art of calligraphy which emerged with the desire towrite the Word of Allah and the hadiths by Prophet Muhammed,forms have been developed throughout centuriesby being tried with the hands of the interested, and by undergoingan aesthetical evaluation.The precious hands of calligraphy will continue to producevaluable works of art which will represent the glorious pastof the art, and the traditional structure will be kept alive with'Lafza-i Celâl' by Orhan Dagli.great advancements. We must never forget that most ofthe branches of art which have survived up to the presentday have reached maturation as a result of various changes.Maybe these new interpretations which are gathered underthe title “original calligraphy” will in the future help new andunseen forms to emerge, and these forms will have classicalbasis, forming their own traditions.Savas Cevik, the art councellor of the exhibition, also shares thesame hope. “We believe that the art of calligraphy will keepalive its traditional structure adding on it great developmentswith its glorious past. We must emphasize here once morethat most of the branches of art reached to the present dayemerged by undergoing such changes. It is our hope that thisglorious structure will enrich itself, setting the stage for newartistic interpretations, which is the expection of each era.Forms may change, but the very essence which created theart of calligraphy and formed our civilisation should never getlost. I leave the question about what this essence is to yourperception, and express my happiness to share with you as alover of beautiful calligraphy, that our hope for a more refulgentfuture has increased greatly.35

Van Gogh,The Genious Painter of Yellowby Mukadder Ozdemir*God, who is almighty, can never forsake a sinner. / Vincent Van GoghThe genious painter Vincent Van Gogh was literally in love with the universe. He was in love with everything in theuniverse, ranging from starry nights to the sun and sunflowers, from bridges to poor people, in short, with everythinghe saw. His paintings became the reflections of his love for the universe, leaving the indelible traces of this greatlove in the universe after him. He was so badly lost in this passion that he could not manage to enter the realityzone, which was out of his perception of the world. For this reason, he never had the ability to live, an inborn skillwhich almost everybody has. Thus, the painter who always sought, and eventually found, perfection in his art, alwaysremained naive like a child during all his life full of delusions, which he eventually ended.Auto Portrait36

Artists who are usually few in number but super in quality,with the highest power of influence, have been sought afterand followed with utmost interest in every era. Throughouthistory, those who do not wish to fall behind the erathey are in, as well as the art lovers, have always tried toseek the chance to get to know those super talented figures.Such opportunities, just like today, have always variedin accordance with the facilities that the technology of theera offers us, such as seeing the original work in a museumif possible, or seeing the work on book pages. Nowadays,though, the opportunities have strikingly increased due tothe close cooperation of the accessibility opportunities withdigital facilities, which attracts more and more people toareas where activities are arranged. Although the motionedworks of art by Van Gogh impressed and entertained theaudience by changing greatly in dimension and by losingtheir characteristics of color and form in the exhibition atAntrepo 3 in Istanbul Karakoy, they attracted the attentionof the audience mainly because they looked as if they belongedto the present era.Today’s people of technology who prefers books in steadof diving into book pages knows Van Gogh only as the manwho cut off his ear. We are not certain if the digital motionpictures in the exhibition are able to communicate the messagesVan Gogh who painted his paintings with the hopethat they be watched meticulously wished to convey, butthe audience certainly leaves the exhibition area in a happymood. They also have the chance to have a photographwhile sitting on the stool in Van Gogh’s bedroom. In spiteof everything, though, it is a fact that this exhibition enabledmany people to know Van Gogh and his artistic talents better,encouraging them to get to know even more.The Perfect Example of an UnperceivedArtistic IdentityVincent Van Gogh could neither start a family nor have afriend in his 37-year life. Born into a deprived family with 6children, he grew in poverty, often neglected and deprivedof love. He worked for various workplaces, but was alwaysfired by his employers. He was even kicked out of his favoriteyellow house in Arles by his neighbours who collectedsignatures for it. Throughout his life, he had to cope withdistructive consequences whenever he wanted to havehimself accepted by others, but he rose up again and again.It was never his aim to suffer, but he always suffered. Tryingto cope with the cruel world via his art, he always stoodagainst commonness and monotonicity. He was attachedwith passion to painting, but he still could not bear sufferingso much and committed suicide. When art became unbearablebecause of anxiety in creation as a response to existentialistsufferings, self sacrifice became the sad fate of theartist. His artistic talent was realised after his death. Ignoredwhen alive, he was considered a hero due to the constantchange that happens in the perception of art. He was recognizedas one of the masters of the Avant-garde by settingthe perfect example of an unrealised artistik identity. Thelast decade of his life which he spent painting was a periodof loneliness which he himself chose in a sense, but mostlywas thrown into.The Eldest Son of the FamilyHe was born on March 30. 1853 in a region of the Netherlandsthat is close to Belgium as the son of a protestantreverend. Worrying whether he will live, his family namedhim after his elder brother who was born dead one yearbefore his own birth: Vincent Willem van Gogh. The doubts4 Cut Sunflowers37

and anxieties that surrounded him since his birth causedhim to have a constantly worried and doubtful personality.Vincent took after his father in the sense of his lovefor the humanity, and after his mother in the sense ofhis stubborn and aggressive mood. His agggressive andreserved characteristics always worried his parents.In 1869, when he was 16, his family places him to thecompany called Gopil, which buy and sell artistic works.He worked at the Brussels, the Hague and Londonbranches of the firm until 1865, when he was fired. Hethen studied theology with full concentration, but couldnot manage to keep doing it for a long time. After attendinga 3 month theology course in a religious schoolin Brussels, he tries to teach and preach to very poorpeople in Borinage, the district in Belgium where coalmining is the main livelihood. When he was fired fornot being a good priest, he suffered his first spiritualbreakdown, and began painting. From then onwards,he always depended financially on his 4 years youngerbrother Theo. For this reason, he worried until his deaththat his brother will some day stop supporting him.Theo did not only aid van Gogh financially, but he wasalways a dear friend to him. When he decided to be apainter at 27, the second person who supported himin his decision after his brother was Anton Mauve, apainter and critique. However, he writes to his brotheran argument they had during one of the visits van Goghpaid in order to show his paintings to Anton Mauve.Dear Theo,I met Mauve today, and we had a very fierce argument.We can not make peace any more. ... He eventually said(you have a crappy personality”. Apparently he resentedbecause I said “I’m an artist”.In the letters he often wrote to his brother, we witnessvan Gogh’s doubtful personality and his childish pointof view about life that can not attribute any meaning tothe outer world. His paintings are the bright reflection ofhis own perception about the inner world.Decided to be a Painter and Moved to BrusselsVan Gogh’s decision to be a painter had become absoluteby 1880, and he moved to Brussels. At first he onlydid some drawings, rough coppies and paintings influencedby Jean-Francois Millet’s works. Millet’s light realismin a sense reflected the themes Van Gogh was notvery unfamiliar with such as peasants working in fieldswhich were painted in a pitch dark melancholy. In 1882,he moved to a workshop in the Hague, whose rent wasPotato Eaters38

paid by Theo. He did his first oil painting under Mauve’ssupervision. His first landscape painting “People on theshore” “boat on the sea” reflects impressions from theHague school, of which Mauve was a member as well.A practice of only a year proved that Van Gogh’s masteryin the use of colors would be able to compete withthat of his most successful contemporaries. During thisperiod, he was mostly influenced by Rembrandt andMillet. In later periods, he was also influenced by Rubensand Delacroix. After his disagreement with Mauve onSeptember 1883, he moved to Drenthe on the northeasternpart of the Netherlands, and began to live alone.Mauve’s strict rules reminded him of his Calvinist family’sbigot living style. In order to avoid this feeling, Van Goghhad become as reserved as can be, and the lonelinessinside him was growing all the time. 3 months after hemoved to Drenthe, he turned back to his home in Neunalthough he had problems with his family. His parentshad already rented for their son a workshop close totheir place. Van Gogh painted “the Weaving Loom” inthis workshop at the end of May 1884. The themes hechose for his first paintings were peasants, weavers andminers. Van Gogh painted his first professional painting“Potato Eaters” under the influence of Rembrandt.A Night in Café Térrace

The most prominent features which would set the stage forlater works by Van Gogh are reflected on these paintings.His successful use of lighting on the painting caused thework an important work of art created during that period.Van Gogh says the following for this painting: “While drawingthe people who stretch their hands and eat potatoes, Iwanted to emphasize that those hands were also the handsthat cultivated the soil where the potatoes grew”.The fact that the 5 figures in the painting look irrelevantto each other, and that their looks do not meet, is considereda lacking in the composition. However, this featureadds a special kind of calm and a silent melancholy tothe painting. For Van Gogh, painting was a special environmentof expression, and notions such as beauty andugliness were not the segments of a general perception,but an artist’s personal criteria. Rappard, who criticisedthe painting saying “Certainly, you will agree as well thatsuch a work will never be taken seriously. Thanks to God,though, that you do have the talent to do much better”,put an end to their friendship. After his father’s death onMarch 26, 1885, the socieal problems that concerned himwere replaced by mere artistic worries, and the theme forhis works changed greatly.Improved His Skills in the ArtisticallyRich Environment of ParisWhen van Gogh arrived at the Anvers Harbour at the endof November 1885, “The Potato Eaters” was in his bag. Hestayed there for a short while before he moved to Paris,renting a small attic, again by the help of Theo. He boughtat the antique dealers at the harbour the wooden Japaneseimprints which would influence his later works of art aswell, at an inexpensive prise. In those years, the Japanesepavillions had triggered a great wave of excitement in theParisian art environment. It is also known that van Goghcoppied a lot from those Japanese imprints. (the bloomedplum tree” is one of the paintings he drew under the Japaneseinfluence. He later quite frequently used the woodenJapanese imprints in his room as backgrounds for his portraits.In the meantime, he also saw the paintings by Rubens,a great master of the Baroque art, and influenced byhim, began to use lighter colors in his own paintings.After his brother Theo came to Paris at the beginning ofMarch 1886, they lived in the same flat for 2 years. Duringthis period, he painted in Louvr and in Fernand Cormon’sworkshop at the Fine Arts Academy. After getting to knowToulouse Loutrec, Bernand, Gauguin, C.Pisarro, Signac, hewas influenced by them, and began to paint outdoors,stopping to work in workshops. In a short while, Vincentbecame close friends with these painters, and began tospend a certain amount of his time in the small cafes andcheap restaurants in Montmartre. Their aim was to form ahuge commune of artists where everybody could work insolidarity. Using brighter and purer colors in Paris comparedto his older paintings, Van Gogh applied these colors on thecanvas with broken strokes which look like curled stripes.An All Night Long Open Cafe40

These are the impressionist? Paintings of Van Gogh. However,he is an expressionist while painting pictures where hewanted to paint the things he himself perceived contrary towhat the eyes perceive. For this reason, impressionists havedenied his paintings.No painters who lived during this period could ignore theimpressionist movement, and thus, what Van Gogh andrebellious painters like him still insisted on was brightness,the use of pure white, giving importance to details and theperception of an unharmonious emptiness. Van Gogh’spictures excell even those by the impressionists. His methodswhich paved the way for fovizm and expressionismcontributed greatly to the contemporary arts. “The 4 cutsunflowers” he painted during this period proves that hekeeps a large variety of techniques under his brush. Vangogh could manage to add symbolic meanings even to anordinary motive. One can sense a kind of sorrow in thispainting which is totally irrelevant to the sensitivity of theimpressionists. It requires a first sight intimacy and longlasting concentration on a bunch of emotion provokingsunflowers. This effect stems from the contrast betweenthe glary blue color on the background and the complementarydirty yellow colors. Van Gogh worked on Delacroix’suse of colors for a long time. Towards the end ofhis stay in Paris, he painted 3 portraits of Julien Tanguy,who painters called Father Tanguy and at whose place theybought their painting tools at a very inexpensive price. TheFather Tanguy portrait may be considered as the summaryof his stay in Paris, just like the Potato Eaters is consideredas the summary of his stay in the Netherlands.Zuhaf Milliet while sitting (the Sitting Infantryman)Van Gogh wanted to learn everything in one go duringhis stay in Paris. What he experienced for 2 years were thethings he learnt via his endless discussions with his friends.His years in Paris may be considered as the toughest trainingperiod with regards to his art. Like Cezanne, he too decidedto head towards the south, where the colors are brighter,and the light is stronger. He was full of hope when he goton the train to Arles on February 20, 1888, but all his hopesran out in 2 years, causing him eventually to commit suicide.Hard Work and Loneliness in ArlesIn Arles, Van Gogh rented a room on the top of a restaurant,which was beyond his budget, paying 5 franks aday.Since this room was too small to work on a model and sincehe did not know anyone in Arles, his main themes were themountains, bridges and fishing cottages in Arles. A shortwhile later, he rents his favorite yellow flat, located on thetop floor of a cafe, this time for a cheaper price. Actually,he painted it yellow after a little while since this color had asymbolic meaning for him. He was not able to furnish theflat for a long time, because he did not have money to dothis. It was only after Theo sent him 300 franks that he wasable to buy some stuff.The colors he used due to the self confidence and the senseof freedom he gained in Paris, were quite irrelevant to thefacts. The graceful yellows and firy reds thus became moreimportant than merely the description of the sceene. Thesefeatures in his paintings were the expression of his own perceptionrather than his imagination. The joy he felt whenhe looked at the scenes was fully reflected in his paintings.Father TanguyIt took him at least 6 months to get to know, and spendtime, with people whose portraits he wanted to paint andwho he wanted to become friends with. In a sense, those41

Starry Night Over the Rhonehe opted for as the themes for his paintings were losers likehimself. The interesting fact is that he never painted theportrait of his brother Theo, even during the period wherethey lived together in Paris. During this period, he paints 3portraits of Zuhaf Milliet, an infantryman in the troop thatthe French Army established out of Algerians. “The SittingInfantryman”.He never gave up painting portraits, but actually, Van Goghdealt with a matter which had been wondered by the paintersfor centuries: How to reflect darkness on the canvas witha color while describing a night view? How to use the colorcomponents that are revived with light so darkness couldbe pictured? Those who work on plastic arts know that asculpture can be formed without light, only by touching, aswell. A picture painted on a surface, however, can neitherbe perceived nor be described without light. Since there isno light in the darkness, it seems impossible to describe theinvisible. Although was not quite conscious, he used the misticalaspect of the religion training he received while creating“the Bright Nights”. No painter in the world have painted thenight so impressively, with the stars in the sky and the lightsreflected on rivers.Headed Towards Darkness with Brave StepsIn order to get used to artificial lighting, Van Gogh paintedthe “Cafe open all night long” going to a dreary gamblingden at nights and sleeping during daytime. A short while later,he took a courageous and a decisive step towards darknesswith his painting “A night at Cafe Terrace”. The terracewhere redlike yellow colors complement the dark blue ofthe dusk, looks glary under the starry sky. The slanting parallelstripes in front of the door, and the stripes on the arbour infront form a center of attraction to the darkness at the hinderparts of the painting. This darkness, no matter how gloomyit is, uncovers the attractive brightness of the cafe. The whitespots on the stars in the sky contribute to the complementarycontrast that is normally difficult to create in little lighting.Painting outside of workshops was a phase reached especiallyby impressionist in the 19th century. Painting withartificial light was preferred especially during the Baroqueperiod. The idea of painting at nights under artificial lightbelongs entirely to Van Gogh. He thus contrasted the impressionistswho described the scenes washed by the lightby turning the picture into light. Van Gogh says the followingwith all his enthusiasm: “The colors of the night are brighterand richer than the colors of the day”. The objects of thesepaintings are usually somewhere between imagination andreality. The most important painting of this period is “theStarry Night”. Van Gogh applied the technique he used forhis night themed paintings continuously during the rest ofhis life, creating an impressive form in all his paintings. Theway of using the paint turned the pattern reflected on thesurface into a means of self expression. Even the ordinaryobjects were now reflecting Van Gogh’s enthusiastic identity.The ebrious motion of the plants on the painting called“The rosebay branches on an Italian style Pot” gives us anidea about how he seeks the world beyond the invisible. VanGogh’s art was the expression of a will which would latercause his spiritual balance to be disturbed, and a flood ofstrong emotions.42

The intensity of the colors, his bravity in using colors andthe fierceness in the colors seen in the painting called “TheFarmer”, of which he painted 2 different interpretations,are unprecented examples no one dared up to that day.The thick, huge circle which describes the Sun fills the backgroundof the painting with yellow by covering the sky entirely.The land in front of the painting is covered with fuzzyblues and shivery purples. Contradicting to the reality, thesky which should have been blue is yellow, and the fieldswhich should have been yellow are blue. Still, the paintingsare attached to the reality. What makes them distant withthe reality, though, is the set of colors used by the artist, andhis way of using those colors as an expressionist method.This is the artistic reality which replaces, and eliminates, theactual reality.Cut Off His Ear Because of HallucinationsDue to his carelessness towards himself and his art, and thelack of positive stimulants in Arles, the beautiful local landscapesand people to paint portraits ran over very quickly.The free and self sufficient artists’ commune which wasthe main theme dominant in the letters he wrote and wassomething that Gauguin and himself dreamed of for a longtime, brought Gauguin close to him again. But this eventfulrelation which would later be the theme of movies aswell, badly affected the artist. The Arles tragedy which wasthe beginning of the ending began when Gauguin cameto Arles. Gauguin considered himself as an unrealised genious,and had never thought Van Gogh as the memberof the commune of artists. Van Gogh hung the painting“A Couple in the Park and the Blue Pine Tree” in the roomhe prepared for Gauguin. Although he accepted to playthe student with pleasure, their perception was irrelevantto each other and they would be unable to work togetherfor a long time. Their arguments which were firstly at theartistic level then turned into a battle of pride and honour.Van Gogh’s euthopia was soon shuttered and torn down.Gauguin had arrived in Arles on October 23, 1888, and thesituation had already terribly worsened on the 23rd of December.Gauguin spent that night in a hotel in stead of theyellow flat in order to avoid the tension. When he turnedhome in the morning, all Arles was talking about how VanGogh cut off his ear with a razor because of hallucinationshe had during the night. He had then rushed to the whorehouse in the town and given his ear wrapped in a handkerchiefto one of the prostitutes, without even stoppingthe bleeding, and gone back home to sleep as if nothinghad happened. After that, Gauguin left the town secretly.After staying in the hospital for 14 days, he painted his ownportrait with a wrapped ear. The large wrapping which fullycovers the right side of his face adds a kind of seriousnessto the strict meaning on the painter’s face. It seems as ifhe wants to protect himself from the cruel world that surroundshim with a huge, heavy cloak he is wearing. OnButters43

the left side of his face is a colorful Japanese imprint whichcompletely contrasts to the white color of the wrappings onthe right side of his face. He uses the wooden imprints onthe background as if he used them in the “Father Tanguy”portrait, but there is no sign of uncontrolled way of workingin this portrait. His experiences with Gauguin helped him beaware of his own limits.Half Prisoned and Half Treated, in a Mental HospitalVan Gogh had to turn back to the hospital a month afterbeing discharged since the attacks considered to be symptomsfor insanity had become more frequent. At times, doctorsclaim that he had epilepsy attacks and that they wererelated to his schizophrenic mood. The later theses arguethat his disease was not epilepsy, but a very painful inner eardisease. The fact that artists can not create anything duringthe most intense processes of a mental disease support thisargument, but Van Gogh who writes every single thing toTheo in his letters had never written to him anything abouthis ear hurting. In this case, one can easily claim that VanGogh is the only genious who has created during the processof his mental disease. He stayed in a mental hospitalnear Provence which is 25 kilometres away from Arles ashalf a patient and half a convict. Getting used very quicklyto his situation in the hospital, he painted the tableauxes ofthe hospital yard which is seen through the walls that surroundthe hospital, bars, and poplar trees. The tableauxesalso described the daily life in the hospital. Over the time,he was allowed to go to the woods in order to paint, accompaniedby staff. Although Theo objected to the idea ofhim staying in the hospital, Van Gogh writes to him saying“I wish to stay here both for my own internal peace, and thepeace of others”.An Autoportrait with Wrapped EarsVan Gogh spent about a year in the hospital. The monotonousdaily life boardered with strict rules helped him regainhis self esteem. He seemed as if he admitted his mentaldisease with an incredibly objective point of view, learningto live with the inevitable. “It makes me feel more at ease tothink that my insanity has no difference than any other disease,admitting that it is a part of my life”. He often avoidedwriting to his brother about the difficulties of living withspiritually diseased people. He had opted for colors and thelife hidden inside them as the means of self expression. Thecolors litterally gained a soul of sorts and became the meansto express spiritual situations. He always did his best to beattached to the reality while doing all these, though. VanGogh’s reality could not be reached by merely coppying it.What concerned him was beyond the visible. He concludedthat all realities are also symbols, and saw everything thatsurrounded him with a religious point of view, which is quiteabsolute in his paintings. Van Gogh admitted the reality asit is, and reflected it with the point of view of a sincere,loving person. Van Gogh had found the powers adoptedby existentialists since the middle ages, and the natural mistismthat stemmed from them was reflected in his paintings.The intensity of colors in the paintings he created inArles had now been transferred to the motion of the formswhile he was painting in the mental hospital. Cypress treeswere more dominant in most of the themes of the paintingshe did during this period. He also turned back to thenight views which occupied his mind during his Paris andArles years, this time with a more different approach. Hepainted “the starry night”, one of the most important andextraordinary paintings of him, during this period. This isone of his paintings which did not stem from the idea ofdescribing the nature. Van Gogh received inspiration fromhis imagination to create the atmosphere. A very dramaticaland universal event is happening in the sky. 2 huge cloudliketrees are rising up to the sky, intertwined like a spiral.11 bright stars tear apart the night with the moon, and themoon is cuddled with the sun much more than it actuallycan, its color being orange. In spite of all these, though, thepainting is strictly attached to the reality that surrounds it.The things that happen in the world have been handledon the foreground to increase the effect, and the town describedwith short and broken brush strokes contrasts withthe sky described with round stripes. The pointed top of thechurch tower scrapes the horizon line like cypresses that riseup to the sky in flames. This painting may be considered asthe struggle of the human beings against the heavenly anduniversal powers.Since he was unable to go outside by the end of 1889, heeither completing his missing paintings, or coppying thetableauxes he had painted. Most of the coppies were thecoppies of his bedroom, where he painted many times inArles. In addition, he painted 23 small scale pictures inspiredby Millet’s stone imprints during the winter months. We seein the painting “Midday break” the effect of the color onpaintings and van Gogh’s strong talent in using them.44

Trivial Anxieties Destroy His HealthThe birth of Vincent in around January-February of 1890,who was named after his uncle, excited him. In additionto this event, he experienced other exciting events as well.A positive and intensive article about him was published,for instance, in an art magazine, or some exhibitions inParis exhibited some of his works as well. Another eventis that his “vineyard” was sold for 400 franks. This workis one of the few works he could sell during his lifetimeeand was praised by people, though not the only one. Allthese pleasant events excited him and caused his healthto be destroyed again. He could not come to his sensesfor 2 months. It was only 3 weeks after he regainedhis health, though not fully, that he could write again toTheo. He had decided to leave the mental hospital. Hemoved to Auvers near Paris in May, beginning to paintagain, more excitedly and hastily than ever. “The BulrushRoofed Cottage” reflects this period. His worrying excitementand energy becomes even more obvious in thepaintings called “Road walkers”, “The Horse Carriage”,“The Cypress”, “The Star”, and “The Crescent”. VanGogh’s distinctive brush strokes come off the hinges andspread like a hurricane all over the place on the surface ofthe canvas. The color dominance in the paintings createdin Arles was now being accompanied by the motions ofthe brush. These lines and motions look like power centersloaded with energy. In a 70-day period, he paintedmore than 80 tableauxes, among which is “The Churchin Auvers”, which is one of his masterpieces.Vincent’s happiness, however, did not last long. Theo, ofwhom he was always in need, was having a tough timeduring those days. In a letter he wrote to Theo fromAuvers, he says the following: “I’m very sorry. The badluck you are having these days makes me feel sorrowfulas well... I no longer take my steps in a certain manner...Unfortunately I’ve been a burden on your back since I’msubsiding on your financial support”. It was his paintingswhich kept him up on his feet. He worked until he gotexhausted every day, painting 1 or 2 tableauxes daily. Amonth before his death, he painted “Crows on the CornField”, which reflects his spiritual situation. It seems likehe is expressing his sorrow and excessive loneliness inthis painting. The blue sky and yellow fields are pushingeach other with full strength, and the limits of the paintingis not very certain. On the foreground is a groupof crows flying all along, screaming as if they have justsmelled death.Compared to the previous paintings, the emptiness inthis painting offers an extremely simple width. The horizonline has been determined according to the spiritualsituation of the painter, independently of the canvas. Thepainting lacks two main items. The parts and the distancein the painting are not certainly apart from each other. Althoughthe professionalism in the painting caused manypeople to think that it was Van Gogh’s last painting, thisThe Road, Walkers, Horse Carriage, Cypress, Star, and Crescentis a fallacy since he painted at least a dozen more. Hehas never achieved the same effect in the later paintings,though. The uncompleted last letter he wrote on July 27,1890 is like a farewell letter: “I’ve jeopardized all my life,eventually going insane. I’m telling you once more thatI have always believed that you are beyond an ordinaryart work dealer.” If it weren’t for Theo who always supportedhim, Van Gogh would never be able to find thestrength to paint. Now, the one who always supportedhim was in a difficult situation as well, and accordingly, hisfuture, too, was uncertain. All types of relations aroundhim were worsening, leaving him without enough hopefor working. What also increased his despair was his attacksthat were getting even more frequent.In the dusk on July 27, 1890, he went out to the woodsand shot himself on the chest. He then managed tocrawl to the hostel he was staying. 2 days later, he diedin his brother Theo’s arms. He had made his art a shelteragainst the world which he always loved, but did not lovehim back. He suffered a lot, and eventually collapsed. Hehad taken a giant leap in the artistic world with the paintingshe created by adopting a new approach where hetransferred everything he knew.FOOTNOTES * Artistic Education Specialist, Retired Teaching Staff 1) Lionel Richard,The Art Encyclopedia of Expressionism, Translated by B. Madra, S. Gursoy,I. Usmanbas, 2nd Eddition, Istanbul, 1991, p.26 2) Z. Inankur, Eczacibasi Art Encyclopedia,Istanbul 1997 Vol. 2 p.686 3) Vincent Van Gogh, Letters to Theo, (Translatedby Pinar Kur) Yapi Kredi Press. Istanbul 2011 p.66 4) Ingo F. Walter. PioneeringPainters Van Gogh (Translated by Ahu Antman) ABC Press. Ist. 1997 p.125) Art in Turkey by Hasan Kiran The Genious Slave of the Passion September-October 2000 p.32 6) Turkiye’de Sanat Hasan Kiran Tutkunun Tutsagindaki DahiEylul-Ekim 2000 s.32 7) Ingo F. Walter. Pioneering Painters Van Gogh (Translatedby Ahu Antman) ABC Press. Ist. 1997 p.1245

The Threaded Version of Silver isRevived in ISMEKby Mutia SOYLUSilver becomes its most delicate with the love of arts in its master’s heart. Very thin silver threads turn into veryelegant motives when they are handled like needleworks or laceworks with utmost patience and talent. Sometimesthey become a dazzling jewellery, sometimes a cup holder, a cigarette mouthpiece, or a tobacco box. The first thingthat catches our eyes on a product handled with filigraphy is delicacy. Although the first city that comes to mind whenwe talk about the filigraphy technique which dates back to 3000s BC is Midyat, Mardin; Ankara Beypazari and Trabzonare also other main cities where the technique is mastered. Having an important status among our traditional arts,filigraphy is still being kept alive by masters who put their hearts in this art.Spending great effort to give a meaning to life since the first momenthe existed, man has discovered arts as the best means for it, and toperform the arts he has discovered, he has used a great variety ofmaterials. To express himself, he may use a pencil and a piece of paperonly, or invaluably precious stones. Sometimes a piece of woodfrom a tree, sometimes glass, or minerals such as gold, silveror copper is treated patiently in talented hands to becomebeautiful works of art.Likewise, the art of filigraphy turns very thin silver threadsinto dazzling works of art thanks to the skill in thehands of their masters. As the art of silver threadhandling, the history of filigraphy dates back tovery ancient periods. According to findings obtainedfrom archeological excavations, the filigraphytechnique was first used in Mesopotamia in3000s BC. The first examples of filigraphy which isperformed by joining very thin silver threads together, onthe other hand, date back to 2500s BC.The center of filigraphy in Anatolia is Mardin,a city which has hosted various civilisations,ethnicities, religions and sects throughouthistory. Who knows how many masters offiligraphy have lived and died in the land offellowship and tolerance. Nowadays, though,just like the other traditional arts of ours, the artof filigraphy as well, through which very thinsilver threads are woven knot by knot, is strugglingto stay alive, not being defeated by thechanging conditions of our time. The mastersof filigraphy the status of which is beginning tobecome lower due to advancements in technologyhave managed to carry this technique to the presentday. The only wish of today’s masters, on the other hand, isto transfer it to next generations by keeping it alive.46

In addition to Mardin Midyat, AnkaraBeypazari and Trabzon are also considered asmain cities where the art is performed. Butthe meaning of filigraphy, a traditional art ofours, is unique in Mardin Midyat. Filigraphy is consideredas the prioritised branch of arts in this region.It is mostly known as the art of Syrian masterssince the most talented masters of filigraphy havemostly been Syrian. The source of knowledge forthe masters of this art is Mesopotamia, and thesource of patterns are past civilisations.Laceworks Made of Silver Overwhelm Their AudienceFiligraphy, which is totally based on hand made work,may also be called lacework made of silver. Very thin silverthreads, almost as thin as a hair, are woven together toform very elegant motives. Filigraphy is also called “the vavwork” since the letter vav in the Arabic alphabet is very frequentlyused as a motive in this art. Very thin silver threadswhich are shaped in the hands of their masters turn intodelicate and dazzling jewelleries.Certainly, jewellery production is not the only field wherethe filigraphy technique is applied. It is possibleto produce with this technique various objectsranging from cigarette mouthpiecesto tobacco boxes, frombelts to cup holders, and fromtrays to mirrors. The productson which the filigraphytechnique is applied overwhelmtheir audience withutmost admiration. It is notpossible, though, to see thesignature of the master whohas produced a work of artwhich looks like a laceworkalso by adding the beauty ofhis/her own spirit since filigraphydoes not contain flat areas. However,although the master of filigraphy cannot sign his/her products which he/shehas produced with utmost talent and labor,the works of art produced with this art reflectthe skill and experience they have received fromtheir masters’ spirit just like mirrors. The masterdesigns his/her work of art sometimes withthe inspiration they receive from traditionalOttoman motives, and sometimes from modernpatterns used worldwide.Each motive used has a name which reflects theworkmanship on it. Flower, plant, star or braid motivesare those used mostly in jewelleries.Requires both Patience and StrengthMasters of filigraphy also produce their own materials. Thematerial production consists of the thread pulling, modelpreparing, heat treating, cutting, shaping, weaving, weldingand whitening phases. The first one is the thread pullingphase. Silver threads that are as thin as a hair are created inworkshops with utmost patience by the masters of this art.The first phase to produce these threads, though,is melting the material (silver or gold) whichwill be treated, in a pot with high temperature.The molten obtained ispoured into molds so they can beseparated into rods.Next, the rods produced arepassed through a steal toolwith large holes called thedrawplate. During this operation,the drawplate should befixed on a solid ground. Therod passed through the largehole on the drawplate is taken47

out from a narrower hole. Theseoperations help harden the material.The hardened mineral iskept in the fire until it becomesember, andd is dippedinto wax to take itout of the drawplatemore easily.Special pliers areused in order todraw the rod outof the drawplate.If the materialcan not be drawnwith pliers, the masterof filigraphy wearshis belt of buffalo leatherwith iron rings. He then tiesone end of the material takenout of the drawplate, and usesphysical strength to draw the restof the material from the drawplate.The metal rods which were about 0,5CM thick before these operations have now become1 mm thin threads. This is not all, though. After thethreads have been prepared, the mainframework of filigraphy is formed.Then comes various motives placedto form the framework. The threadsused on the framework shouldbe twice as thick as the onesused in weaving the motives.The framework is formedon a piece of flat woodof wallnut tree. Later,it is kept under heavyiron plates until threadsbecome ready to betreated.A product producedwith the filigraphy techniqueis produced entirelywith threads. So, it ismade by weaving and twistingthousands of pieces together.Since solder will cause silver to decay,threads are welded in stead. For this reason,welding is an important phase in filigraphy.Not easy, though. An amalgamation of silverand brass is used as the welding material.When an entirely finished product takes its lastform, it is in a black, dirty and oxidised situationdue to all the heating and welding operations it underwent.So, a whitening process is applied in orderfor the product to regain its natural, bright color.In this phase, all the products are put into a copperpot, and water with nitricacid is added into the pot aswell. The water is boiled for a few minutes until theproducts regain their original color. They are thenrinsed with a lot of water, and are dried. Lastly,the whitened products are washed againwith detergent water (with soapwort before),and brushed with thin brushes.The Residue of welding and other dirtis wiped off, and the surface of theproducts are brightened with a flatpiece of steal.Has a Different Type in Every RegionHaving various types of motives, filigraphyalso has 3 types called the wickerworktype, cage type and inlaid type. Thewickerwork type is also known as the wovenfiligraphy or the Trabzon work. In this technique,all the threads are woven one by one. Applied mostlyin Trabzon, golden and silver threadss up to 8 CMare woven and separated into bands. They are thencrushed under sylinders and become entirely wovenbands. These bands are cut in certain lengthss,and necklaces or bracelets are made out of them.

In inlaid filigraphy, on the other hand,threads are placed into hollowed surfacesof semiprecious or preciousstones, metal or wooden surfaces.The shape drawn on the surfacewhere the inlaying technique willbe applied is hollowed by engravingor acid. Mostly edged piecesof thread placed into this shapeis embedded into the surface bybeating and crushing with a hammer.The parts that are surpluss areremoved, filed, whitened and brightened.Handgrips, knife, umbrella, cane and spoonhandles, envelope openers, writing utensils,prayer beeds, mouthpieces, clogs and candle holdersare decorated with this technique.In the cage technique, after the threads are shaped, theyare joined together and welded on a framework. Theframework is filled with thinner threads, and the weldingoperation is repeated. If necessary, the product is decoratedwith tiny circles. Ashtrays, lighter cases, cigarette and jewelleryboxes, candle holders, trays, sugar bowls, mouthpieces,waterpipe mouthpieces, flowers, vases, tobacco boxes, cup,glass or jug holders, lampshades, various plates, buttons,cufflinks, ear rings, huts, necklaces, brooches, bracelets,belts and rings are usually produced with this technique.The Filigraphy Training in ISMEKFiligraphy, which has an important placeamong our traditional arts is also within thetraining range of ISMEK, which aims toconvey our traditional values to next generations.Fatma Fisunoglu, the headteacher of the Jewellery designingSilver Filigraphy and Silver Weavingteam, states that the filigraphytraining in ISMEK is twice aweek, consisting of 120 sessionsin total. Adding that female studentsare more interested in thetrainings, Mrs. Fisunoglu also statesthat some male students have showninterest in the trainings recently as well.As far as what we learn from Mrs. Fisunoglu, those whograduate from the Jewellery Technology departmentsalso receive training to improve themselves. We ask Mrs.Fisunoglu how long it takes to be a good master of filigraphy.Stating that hand skill and talent is important infiligraphy as in all our traditional arts, Mrs. Fisunoglu saysthat at least a 2-year period training is required in orderfor the trainee to have some knowledge on the art.Within the training curriculum of the filigraphy trainingin ISMEK given in 4 different course centres in the Anatolianand the European sides are amalgamation metalsand chemicals, semiprocessed products, welding in jewellery,filigraphy, ordering forms in jewellery, and deliveryof jewelleries to customers.

Sumi-e: The Elegance which Comesinto Life with the Brush of the Spiritby Semra UNLUKnown as the art of ink, Sumi-e is almost like the mirror reflecting the cultural life of the Japanese who are strictlytied to their traditions. Rituals are very important in sumi-e, which was brought to Japan from its homelandChina, via Zen priests. Sumi-e, the art of far far away lands, the basic philosophy of which is to train the spirit, thebreathing habits, and the body, is also performed by a group of Turkish artists, among whom is Senur Bicer. One ofthe things that some sumi-e artists have in common is the fact that they are trainees who have received trainingin ISMEK. We interviewed with them to get to know this art more closely.The first things we remember when wehear the expression “Martial arts”are the arts performed within thecountries in the east of Asia,namely China, Japan, and Korea.As in every geography inthe world, the works of artcreated in these countries aswell reflect the way of life,the believes, and the values, inshort, the culture of the peoplewho reside in the lands the artoriginates.In Japan and China, believes have hadgreat influence on arts, and the Zen Boudhismhas introduced nature to arts. According to the Zen belief,a spirit may have the peace it needs only when it is inthe nature. For this reason, the motives which have beenfrequently used in the Chinese paintings are gloriousmountains, rivers which shine in the dusk, and forests.No kotucul themes such as war, violence and death areseen in the typical examples of Chinese painting sincethe Zen Boudhism is a religion which becomes a wholewith the nature in the search of peace and harmony.The expectation of a painter who draws with fast brushstrokes a landscape or a gemmate sprig is thus this sprigblooming flowers in the mental eyes of the watcher.The strong rooted past and the arts in China has influencedmost of the countries around it, and help culturalconnections be established among them. Though theyare not neighbouring countries, we can say that there hasbeen an artistic interaction between China and Japan aswell. Especially the Japanese art has been influenced bythe Chinese art greatly. The influence of the Zen priestson Japanese paintings is especially noteworthy, becauseChina is the first far eastern country which had an artisticrevolution as a result of the Zen Boudhism.Senur BicerRituals are Important in Sumi-eOne of the painting arts which wasbrought from China to Japan is Sumie.Having first emerged in China inthe 7th century, sumi-e, also calledthe art of suibokuga, was broughtto Japan by Zen priests in the 14thcentury. Known as an art of ink, theword “Sumi-e” consists of Sumi,which means ink, and e, whichmeans picture.Sumi-e, the art of far far away lands,has performers in Turkey as well. There iseven a group gathered by the few representativesof this art in Turkey called “the Sumi-e Group”.We interviewed with Senur Bicer, one of the members ofthe group which carries out activities under the leadershipof Aynur Kucukyalcin, on Sumi-e, an art which is knownonly very little in Turkey. Senur Bicer, who travels a lot onbusiness, gets to know Sumi-e, an art everyone who isinterested in Martial arts definitely runs into, during a visitshe pays to Japan.Wishing to perform this art which she had the chanceto learn during other travels to far eastern countries inTurkey, Senur Bicer attends courses delivered by AynurKucukyalcin and Kiyoe Kurogawa. Having been attendingthe courses for 2 years, Mrs. Bicer comes to the realisationthat her sole aim to learn Sumi-e is not only drawing byusing ink. To her, it has become just as important to learnto have the necessary spiritual mood and discipline in orderto develop the aesthetical perception in painting, andto create beautiful works of art.Stating that the mood of the artist is directly reflected inthe work of art, Mrs. Bicer continues as follows: “Mostpeople try to create the work of art that is consideredsuperior to others with an ambitious or an angry mood.50

However, especially in an art like Sumi-e, where all your brushstrokes are distinct, your mood will be directly reflected on thepaper. If you begin painting with an anxious mood, you willnot be able to adjust the amount of water or ink, and yourwork of art will be as gloomy as your mood”. According toMrs. Bicer, the basic mood while performing Sumi-e should bea balanced and careful mood, expressed by the Japanese withthe term “ii kanji”.In order for the spirit to reach the peace mentioned by SenurBicer, some rituals should be observed before beginning topaint. When considered that Japanese people observe somerituals in every aspect of their life, it is inevitable that this characteristicwill be applied while performing the art of Sumi-e aswell. Even if you will use indian ink for the sake of convenience,you must still observe the ritual of crushing compressed ink.The first and foremost ritual is crushing a bar of compressedink which resembles to the tip of a big, rectangular pencil. Inorder to get some ink out of this bar of ink, you have to drawat least 400 circles with it. Telling that crushing the bar of inkis the sine qua non of the task, Senur Bicer states that the reasonof drawing at least 400 circles with this bar is not only toacquire the chemical mixture to paint, but also to concentrate.A Patience Tour of 400 CirclesMrs. Bicer who received marbling trainings from Hikmet Barutcugilin Yildiz Sale for 2 years says that she spent 3 monthscrushing ink. Telling that she first did not give any meaning tothis, she then adds that she learnt to respect the work she wasdoing, to take the work seriously, and she also learntpatience, which is a must for all the arts.She, for this reason, says “The 400circle system adopted by the Japanesedid not sound very illogical to me”.Stating that there is differencebetween paintingsdrawn with ready madeliquid ink and the ink thatis crushed, Mrs. Bicer remindsthat it is an abuse fora Japanese teacher to comebefore him with a readymade ink. As far aswhat we learnfrom SenurBicer, the Japanesewho areknown with their fidelityto their51

traditions, perform this art seated on the floor. There isalso a logical grounds for performing Sumi-ewhile sitting on the floor in additionto the traditionality. Moreconcentration can be gained onthe composition pictured whileyou are seated on the floor. Also,sitting on the floor makes it moreconvenient to work especially if the artist isworking on a large scale painting.We learn from Senur Bicer that the mood of thepainter is directly reflected on the tip of the brush.She says the following: “While painting, the sheetof paper in front of you is like your life, and yourbrush is like the word you utter, or like your swordmove. What is done can not be undone since the workof art does not allow retouching due to the characteristicsof the paper and the paint. If you are angry, so will yourlines be. If you are careless, you will be unable to adjustthe right amount of water and paint.”52

We notice that unlike calligraphers or artists of illumination,Mrs. Bicer holds the brush on the top of the handlerather than somewhere closer to the tip, and ask herwhether it is difficult to control the brush like this. She answersour question as follows: “You can reflect your spiritualmood only by holding the brush like this. You mustbe able to move the brush as you feel. If you hold it likeyou are holding a pen, you will work in a more cautiousmanner, paying more attention to details. Whereas if youhold it on the top, your strokes will be freer, and braver.”Dexterity and Peace TogetherBased on the fact that the art of Sumi-e came to Japan byZen priests, we wonder whether the interpretation of theart differs by any chance in Japan and China. Senur Bicer,who is one of the few artists of Sumi-e in Turkey, statesthat the greatest difference between the Chinese andJapanese who are performing the art is the composition.She tells that although there is a common point of viewthat the Japanese like simplicity, they actually like glossinessvery much. A painting painted by a Japanese artistshould thus be rich and graceful. For this reason, althoughthe raw material of the Sumi-e papers produced in Japanis brass, they also add gold or silver into the ingredients ofthe paper. The source of the gleaming on the paper is thereflection of the Japanese’s love for glory.A Chinese Sumi-e artist, on the other hand, prefers towork more freely unlike a Japanese artist who spendsquite a lot of effort on details. While Japanese artists aremore normative on composition, a chinese artist, to thecontrary, never depends his work of art on rules and strictcompositions.In order for us to understand the difference, she showsus 2 works, one of which was painted by a Japanese artists,and the other by a Chinese artist. We can not helpbut appreciate that she is right. We understand that thefirst painting was painted by a Japanese artist due to thesilvery gleaming on the paper, and the meticulosity of theartist on the composition. In the second painting, however,we realise the existence of a free spirit, and tell immediatelythat it was painted by a chinese artist.There still are so many things we need to learn fromSenur Bicer regarding the art of Sumi-e. We haveso many questions crossing our mind regardinghow materials are acquired, how theright density of paint is adjusted with the400 circle movement done with the coalink, which is the basic material of the art,how come very thin sheets of brass paperare not torn apart while drawing, etc. Mrs.Bicer tells us that she buys the materials inChina, Japan and Taiwan, andthe brushes are made of wolfand squirrel hair.She also talks abouthow to adjust theright density of paint,and tells us that shetests the density on thepaper before deciding thatit is the right density. Theartist says that she first prepares3 shades for black:the main tone, the lightest tone, and thedarkest tone. She then adds 3 more tonesinto the tones of the color black. Stating thatsome types of ink allow up to 12 tones, the artistadds that the variety in tones depend on the qualityof the ink and the amount of water you add into it.Senur Bicer touches another important point. The paintprepared by adding water into the coal ink should be con-53

sumed in half an hour after it is prepared. You must drawthe picture in half an hour. Mrs. Bicer says “Actually, theconcentration is disturbed after half an hour. In short, thisart requires both dexterity, and a spiritual peace together”.We ask Senur Bicer whether different colors were used inthe art of Sumi-e in the early ages as well. She tells thatblack and white was dominant in Sumi-e at first. Later,parallel to the development of the decorative arts, othercolors are added into paintings as well. Natural paints areused both in China, and in Japan. There are both powderpaints produced from flower juices and tree peels, andcompressed paints.Signs her Works as “the Fair Fairy”Although new generation artists of Sumi-e paint in amore figurative manner, the natural motives are dominantin the traditional art of Sumi-e. Some flower motives, forinstance, have special meanings. In order someone whohas been working on Sumi-e to be considered an artist,he/she has to be able to draw the following 4 flowers verywell: Bamboo, orchids, chrysanthemum and cherry blossom.You are considered an artist of Sumi-e only if you areable to draw and reinterpret the aforementioned flowers.Just like the authorisation a master gives his students whohave proven eligible in our traditional arts, a master ofSumi-e also prepares a ceal for his/her student. This cealwhich has been prepared by writing the name the mastergives to the student in a calligraphic format is the signitureof the artist, and the artist signs all his/her workswith this ceal. Senur Bicer also has 2 ceals she uses to signher works. One of the ceals was given to Mrs. Bicer by achinese master who knows her for 15 years, and means“the fair fairy”. And the other ceal she has means “thestrong woman”.We can not help but wonder after which phases a workof art she will eventually ceal comes into being. SenurBicer tells us that she first draws the composition in herimagination roughly on sketch papers so that the relationbetween the composition in the imagination and the oneon the paper can be preserved. We feel surprised whenshe tells us she draws the preliminary composition withwater. Considering that a sumi-e painting is painted withwatered coal ink, we ask whether drawing the preliminarycomposition with water damages the paper. Also whenwe consider that water will dry soon, this sounds to uslike a very tough task. Stating that the main features ofthe picture drawn with water keeps being visible for 10minutes, the artist states that she has to finish completingthe painting in 10 minutes after determining the mainfeatures.She also draws our attention to the fact that althoughthe brass sheets of paper look very delicate and thin, theyare quite resistent to water. She gives another surprisinginformation. We learnt that once the paint prepared bywatering the coal ink has dried, it never splinters althoughyou pour water on it later. She helps us experience this bypouring water on the sheet of paper at her desk, wherethe pattern she has just painted has dried.54

The Common MeetingPoint of the SumieArtists is ISMEKIn order to be able to make agood single line in one go, youmust have done the same movefor thousands of times. Statingthat this basic philosophy in Sumi-eis about training the spirit, the bodyand the breathing habits, Mrs. Biceradds that he applies this training inillumination, and in scientific plantdrawings. “I got to know Sumi-e inthe lands I have travelled, but I amstill in favor of our own traditionalarts.” She says, and she tells usthat she has already rolled up hersleaves to receive academic trainingin scientific plant drawing. Attendingthe courses that Hulya Korkmaz,the first name that comes tomind on this matter, delivers in IS-MEK, Mrs. Bicer also continues her2-year education in London.Some of the Sumi-e group membershave somehow met in ISMEK overthe time. Yesim Celik, who has longbeen interested in miniature and tile,attended the Sumi-e courses deliveredby Aynur Kucukyalcin, the leader of thegroup, for 2 years. Stating that she wishesto continue her Works by blending Sumieand our traditional arts, Yesim Celik alsocontinues to attend the scientific plant drawingcourses delivered in the Baglarbasi Center ofExpertise in ISMEK.Also, Banu Bahcivancioglu, who graduated from theWall Decoration Arts Department at the High VocationalSchool of the Trakya University in Edirne, received a 2-yearminiature training from Taner Alakus, the miniature head teach-55

er in ISMEK, after her illumination training in the Topkapi Palace.Later attending miniature courses in ISMEK’s center in Baglarbasi,began to attend the scientific plant drawing courses this year. Mrs.Bahcivancioglu, whose friendship with Aynur Kucukyalcin datesback to her highschool years, tells her interest in the art of Sumi-eas follows: “The Works of art created by Aynur Kucukyalcin attractedmy attention. I was fascinated by the energy it spread evenwhile watching how the art was being performed. What impressme most in the art of Sumi-e are simplicity, the feelings objectshave aroused in me, and to be able to reflect the beauty in thebest way.” The artist aims to blend Sumi-e and miniature together.Semin Mirgun, another member of the Sumi-e group, was introducedto the art in the Association for the Friendship and the Cultureof Turkish and Japanese Women at the end of her vocationallife. Beginning to attend the courses delivered by Kiyoe KurokawaSensei 2 years ago, also kept working with Aynur Kucukyalcinoutside of the association. Stating that what makes Sumi-e feelspecial to her is the depth beneath a simple look, Mrs. Mirgunsays the following: “Art is endless, and I will continue to walk onthis path as long as it makes me feel happy.”Ceyhan Tanyeli, another member of the group, met this art whenhe attended a seminar by Erdal Kucukyalcin on the Japanesehistory. Attending the courses of Mr. Kucukyalcin’s wife AynurKucukyalcin, Ceyhan Tanyeli has been working on this art for 2years. Ceyhan Tanyeli expresses the meaning the group has forhim as follows: “I’m with wonderful people. I spend really pleasanttime with them since they are full of love. I’m grateful to ourteachers Mrs. Kucukyalcin, and Kurokawasan for their support.”He aims to attend Sumi-e courses in Kyoto, Japan, and arrangeexhibitions in various places worldwide along with his teammates.The group which Senur Bicer is a member of has arranged 2 exhibitionsso far. “We have rolled up our sleaves to help the Turkishpainting arts gain new points of view. We still have a long wayto go, but I believe that we have already raised the bar at least alittle.” She says, and adds that the first exhibition was held in theNavy Museum in Besiktas, while the second one was arranged inthe Japanese Consulate building in Gumussuyu. Also, in additionto the exhibitions arranged with the group, Mrs. Bicer arrangedanother exhibition in her house in Buyukada.When we ask at the end of the interview what the peak pointshe wishes to reach, Mrs. Bicer answers our question as follows:“I think that I will reach my red apple when I picture the beautyin the swamp. I will consider myself at my peak point only when Iam able to draw the things that belong to our territories with thebrush I use in Sumi-e.”57

The VoiceThat Doesn’t Fit Under The Welkin;Buhûrîzâde (Itrî)by Talip MERT*Buhûrîzâde Mustafa Celebi, in an other name Itrî that called “our pure music’s master” in the poem of Yahya Kemal, wascommemorated from concerts to symposiums, from conferences to many other activities and his life, shadows and composernessbrought up in 2012 on the occasion of his death’s 300th year through Turkey’s offer and in moderation of UNESCO. He hasknown as a composer that composed over 1000 shadows, but 40 of them extant at present. 30-40 years ago an offer aboutan Itrî concert was a “rebellion to the establishment” so today his commemoration on the official footing and wide range canknown as a return ascendance to its owner. This study that is prepared through surveys of many documents in archives ofOttoman, is written to intend to bring to light the unknown or less widely-known things and to engross a compete biographyabout the huge composer of tekbir and salat-i ummiye Buhûrîzâde Mustafa Celebi- Itrî whose complete life is unknown.58

59Illustration: Hatice Ozturk

twilight, the world of sound and accordance’s hiddentreasure will come into being. That’s the main goal ofthis research.Buhurizade is mostly called ‘hanende’ or ‘serhanende’in these archive documents. By the way there aresome the master’s colleagues, Santurî Mustafa Celebiand Muezzin and Neyzen Mustafa Celebi.In none of the papers about Buhûrîzâde, there areno word like the master (efendi, ustad) that we oftenuse.With this name and apellation Buhûrîzâde MustafaCelebi signed his name as the third person to the17th century with his coevals Katip Celebi and EvliyaCelebi.A calligraphy with the sign of ‘I’m Mustafa Buhûrîzâde showing the Master was a good calligrapher.Buhûrîzâde Mustafa Celebi’s life who was the mostbright voice of Ottoman music came up for a researchlike this in his death’s 300th year. The master who oneof the best musicians of Ottoman culture and communitywas generally called and known Itrî in musicsources. Although this name was used as an appellationin his poems by him it wasn’t coincided in anyarchives yet. In archives he called Buhûrîzâde MustafaCelebi mostly.Lots of new information and documents were achivedin the archive (documentary of purse). But unfortunatelyat first because of the short time, more importantlybecause of there is no time to analyse thesedocuments the target was fallen short. So unfortunatelya satisfying biography about the master didn’tcome to light. That also became a gain. It’s doubtlessthat this study or another studies make Itrî come tolight one day absolutely.During this researh numbers of documents related toItrî in person are coterminous so there is no strikinginformation. Again there are some documents whichrelated to Itrî probably. And there are some documentswhich doesn’t become definite yet so theyaren’t used in this article.Even if 2-3 of the possible documents will becomedefinite, they make the master’s life come to light. 300year old curtain that has hidden him will be openedpart way, at least the area around him will becomeThe document that bearing date of 22nd June 1675related Buhûrîzâde’s closed colleagues and exceptCogurcu Daniyel the others are written mostly in thelater documents. These four people called for the feesin the below chart. The written names and the dailyfees that paid:Duty Name FeeSanturcu [Mustafa Celebi] 70 silver coinsKanuncu Mustafa 40 silver coinsCogurcu Daniyel 50 silver coins[Tanburî] Celebiko Yahudi 1 40 silver coinsUpper left-hand corner on this document there’s acommand with divani writing: “Esteemed ChamberlainPasha, it is commended that you elicit clothe feeto said people.” 22th.06.1675 (28.R.1086) 2 . Contiguousdocument belongs to Buhûrîzâde: SerhanendeMustafa Buhûrîzâde of Ottoman hist’s daily needs:meat, rice, butter, coffee, candle, wood, barley, straw,home rate (to be given these items) recorded in protocolbook. 120 silver coins for each day. 12th Oct1675 (22 B 1086). 3In Ottoman Documentary of Purse the first document’sdate about Buhûrîzâde Mustafa Celebi is 09thApr 1666 (04 L 1076) and the last document’s date is16th June 1685 (04 B 1096).The document that bearing date of 1666 is a cahierabout requisition of captures chamberlain forBuhûrîzâde’s self. But the date 1666 is a wrong date,it would be 1676. Because the answer of this cahier’sdate and the duty of chamberlain’s directing date is27th Jan 1676. 4 Moreover the document that bearingdate of 22th and 23th January 1667 Mehmed Bey b.Enbiya is the captures chamberlain. So in that date60

there was a captures chamberlain. 5 This cahier -whichis written by Buhûrîzâde’s self dainty handwritingupperchapter was damaged so it couldn’t be read.But I don’t think there is a difference between thisand the second document (2/232). Thankfully thechapter that is written by the master’s handwritinghasn’t been damaged. It was found and smiles tous after 336 years. And it’s like the following in thewords of that age:“I wish Allah Subhânehu ve Tealâ make my grace andgallant sultan’s competence flawless and make yourregency permanent and constant, amin.It is my request from the Palace that the 10 silvercoins that I had been receiving from the customs andthat has been cut off be granted to this servant ofyours by the chief stewardhood of slave traders. ServantMustafa. 6Another document about Buhûrîzâde Itrî is a grandvizier’s command about his assignation of IstanbulCaptures Chamberlain. This command is also an answerto the below cahier, and in this answer :Istanbul Captures Chamberlain"Since Mustafa (mayAllah make his value higher) taught music to thecaregiver in the Harem and had beneficial services tothe Palace, the chief stewardhood he asked for shallbe given to him as of March 15, 1676, and the titleshall be taken away from him if he is discovered tohave any wrong doings. January 27, 1676. 7By this command he was assigned as captures chamberlainbut it couldn’t be ascertained that if he maintainedthis duty until his death or not. According toSalim Efendi Itrî maintained this duty until his death.Because of this duty is an official and certificatedduty, I hope an absolute document about when theduty finished will come to light. If Buhûrîzâde did thisduty until his death a document about it will bringup his passing date. In the documents which werebrought up after this date there aren’t any recordsabout his chamberlain duty. This is the first thing ofthe case.The second thing is to be assigned this duty it is neededthat the master’s father must be capture craft or acraft must die escheatly. Another possibility is a craftgives up his job of his own accord. Because in the OttomanEmpire the number of freelancers was certainand this procedure continued for centuries on endvery seriously. This procedure called “gedik usulu”(notch procedure) in Ottoman. According to this explanationthat chamberlain was notch at that time.In according to the word of ‘buhûrî’ Itrî’s family occupationis about smoke, in other words, the craft thatproduces or sells incense or both produces and sellsit. Consequently it’s hard to think there was a linkingwith capture crafting. And the other two incensersare as follows:1.Foundation attendant that elicits cleaning and nicesmelling of mosques, graves or dervish lodges. 2.Inthe palace between the artists there are incensers. 8head of them is called ‘buhurdan agasi’. According tothis item Mustafa Celebi’s father is probably from thisartists class.The document that bearing date 1677 aboutBuhûrîzâde was written by the master’s own handwriting.In this cahier Buhûrîzâde Mustafa Celebi requestedhis salary that he couldn’t take yet. The masterBuhûrîzâde’s short cahier is as follows:I express my gratitude to my holy and generous Sultan.The trimonthly paid salary I deserve is being paidto me regularly thanks to the order of my gloriousSultan. Servant Mustafa Buhurizade 9This document displays that Buhûrîzâde was a remarkablecalligrapher in Arabic script. Even according tothis and other sample writings calligrapher Buhûrîzâdebrought up rather than composer Buhûrîzâde.In 26th June 1677 Itrî’s coeval and colleague (Âbirîzade,Comlekci-zade) Receb Celebi (?-1701) gave anoffer about his hard cost of living and requested ex-The document which the Master’s friends’ names were mentioned.61

Buhûrîzâde Mustafa Celebi’s FriendsDuring this research five years of Buhûrîzâde’s lifewere analysed. This analyse couldn’t bring him tolight. But about that term, at least valuable informationabout that term’s saz players (sazende) andproffessional singers of Ottoman music (hanende)came to light. Here’s the one of these documents:Duty Name Fee[Hanende] Buhûrîzâde 60 silver coins[Hanende] Receb Celebi 60 silver coinsSanturcu Mustafa 70 silver coinsCogurcu Osman 50 silver coinsNeyzen Mehmed Celebi 50 silver coinsMusikarî Ibrahim Celebi 40 silver coinsKemanî Hasan Celebi 50 silver coinsLu’be-bâzân Kul Ahmed ve 6 talebesi 620 silver coinsAforesaids’ disciples went with the Sultan.Kemanî Ahmed 70 silver coinsHanende Ibrahim Celebi 40 silver coinsKanuncu Ahmed 40 silver coinsTanburi Angeli 30 silver coinsHokkabaz Yahudi [Yasef] 40 silver coinsTanburî Celebiko Yahudi 40 silver coinsAforesaids still are at palace’s disposal. The firman ismy holiness Sultan’s. 29th.09.1677 ( 04.Za.1088). 12The cahier which was given by Buhûrîzâde and his five friends.tention to his salary. Recep Celebi’s this request wascorresponded by deduction from Buhûrîzâde MustafaCelebi’s salary. Here’s the Recep Celebi’s request:“May Allah who is almighty and compassionate helpour majestic Sultan to have a fair reign and may heprotect the Sultanate forever, Amin."It is via the order of my merciful Sultan that I be givenenough salary to lead a life which is exempt from povertyand difficulties. Servant Hanende Receb.There are two other documents at closed dates followingthis document and they were written by MustafaCelebi’s own handwriting. Here’s the bearingthe date of 26th Oct 1677 (11 S 1088): "I expressmy gratitude to my holy and generous Sultan. Thetrimonthly paid salary I deserve is being paid to meregularly thanks to the order of my glorious Sultan.Servant Mustafa Buhurizade 10According to the document below Buhûrîzâde waspaid 6780 silver coins for his 59 days performance. 54days of this payment are for 120 silver coins, 5 daysare for 60 silver coins each, in total he accured 6780silver coins. 11Buhûrîzâde Mustafa Celebi was dressed a sable furin the presence of Sultan according to a commontradition of that time in 08th Oct 1679 (03.N.1090).In this document the Master’s title is “MustafaAga, the leader of singers”. During that ceremonyBuhûrîzâde granted also five other mullet feraces. 13The last document related to Buhûrîzâde MustafaCelebi wasn’t about his salary but about food aid.While we compare this document with others wesee Itrî had 1260 silver coins food aid monthly asidefrom his salary, 1800 silver coins. This document’sdate is 1685 and this request wasn’t written by themaster’s self. It was written by any clerk. Here’s itscontents:“I express my gratitude to my glorious and holy Sultan.It is the desire of this servant that my share fromthe amount of cash given to soldiers paid to me asobligated. Servant Mustafa Buhurizade. 14General View of the age of Buhûrîzâde ItrîIt’s needed to attract attention to this subject aboutthe age of Buhûrîzâde Mustafa Celebi. This subjectwas a valid and firm information for eitherBuhûrîzâde or his friends or even previous or latermusicians. This information is one of our music’s62

lack sides. As far as I can see delegates who cameto Istanbul or gone from Istanbul to other foreigncountries had taken a group of singers and saz playerswith them and had listened (fasil) them there. Itsfirst sample with a document was Ibrahim Pasa whowent to Vienna and the delegate of Austria GroffOettingen who came to Istanbul in 1700.Oettingen came to Istanbul with forty people includingAustrian and German aristocrats. Grandviziercousin Huseyin Pasa gave two feasts in his watersidehouse in bosphorus which is still trying to stand andin Kara Mustafa Pasa waterside house in Kagithane.In these feasts Ottoman musicians did music and themusicians came with the delegate did Austrian music.This event is documented but there is no informationabout what songs were played or sung. 15At the same days Ibrahim Pasa went to Austria with10 saz players. Also in this committee there were OttomanPalace Mehteran including 12 people and hisown Mehteran-i Tabl u Alem including 30 people. 16In history books there is an event about Ibrahim Pasa’sthis Mehter group: At the same day which wouldIbrahim Pasa entered Vienna, Empress of Austriawas in bad because of her postpartum period. Shewished to see the Mehter while they entering thecity so she was adjourned their arrival. During thattime Ottoman committee was hosted in Yanikkale.When they heard about Embress’ wellness IbrahimPasa moved to Vienna again. 17These mutual fasils and concerts probably had donefor Iran delegate Haci Han 18 who came to Istanbul in1730 and for Russian delegate who came to Istanbulin 1755 and these fasils entered the records of documentsof purse. 19Thanksfully it was vouchsafed to know somethingabout the master Buhûrîzâde through this article 300years after his death. Excellency became a torch afterthree centuries like Ashab-i Kehf to our black worldabout him. Allah willing these searches enlarges withnew information and excellency will be with us moreand treats us with favour. Even and even God willingdeallocate and arrive us some of his “over a thousandcompositions which envied and hidden by destiny.”Because “It’s not a fairness to not know each otherwho cognoscente of language.”The Itrî’s imaginary picture on the banknote of 100TL which was set in circulation in 2005 is a resultof appropriate and marvelous comprehension. I appreciatewhoever conduced to it. In 1971 giving anBuhûrîzâde Mustafa Celebi’s last cahier.Itrî concert, remembering Itrî was a ‘rebellion’ to thepolitical system, threatening letters was written to thePrime Minister and Minister of Culture because of it.But today it’s very meaningful that his picture is onthe government’s money. It’s not a rebellion but a givingrelieve to its owner, it’s water’s finding its route tosum up it’s giving back his ascendance. And it’s a reallyappropriate decision. Let’s hope for the best.FOOTNOTES: *Lecturer of Marmara Uni. FEF Department of Informationand Document Management. 1) This name that came up during this researchabout Buhûrîzâde Mustafa Celebi was written in various spelling.In the last document it’s read openly as Celebiko. Mr. Cemil whose informationI applied for expressed the appendix ‘ko’ at the end of the nameis a diminutive. Thaks to Mr. Cemil for this information. 2) BOA, Book ofBâb, document of Senior Accountancy (B. SAC) /file 494, document 86(494/86). 3) (B.SAC) 499/57. 5) Istanbul Ser’i Records Archive (SRA), Courtof Bâb Records b.3, p.68 b, 69 b. 6) Premiership Ottoman Archieve (POA),the classification of ibnulemin, granting (I.E.) 5/535 7) I.E. Granting 2/232.8) POA the classification of Kamil Kepeci (KK:b) book no: 7517 p:20 b.9) B.SAC 532/47 10) B.SAC 532/47 11) It’s hard to say the amount thismoney according to today’s money, but we can compare them accordingto this example: At that time a lamb’s price was 80 silver coins (B.SAC592/48). So You would buy 85 lambs with this money at that time. You cancount its cost generally. 12) B.SAC538/50. 13) B.SAC 579/51. 14) the classificationof Ali Emirî 4th Mehmed document (AE. SMMD IV) 14/1516. 15)Bâb-I Âsafi Protocol documents (D. PRT) 1/79. 16) B. SAC 1295/115, KamilKepeci (KK) 0686/135 a. 17) Yilmaz Oztuna Buyuk Turkiye Tarihi c.VI, p.216.Otuken publishing house, Istanbul 1983. 18)C.HR 1/520. 19) A.PRT 11/65.63

An Interpretation Regarding Itriand The Ottoman Civilisationin the 300. Year of Itri’s Deathby Prof. Dr. Sadettin OKTEN*Architecture, poetry, calligraphy and music… Sinan in architecture, Fuzuli in poetry, Karahisari in calligraphy, andItri in music. If we interpret all these with a civilizational point of view, we can easily notice that they all are cornerstones. They take the ancient thing, and express it with a new style. This is what they do. We see this clearly inarchitecture. As a result of this, a pool of values and emotions come into being in the description of civilizations.I myself am not a musicologist. I do have the passion andcuriosity for music, but with a wider point of view, I am aseeker of civilisations. For this reason, my words are notscientific. They are emotional, subjective, and they belongto me. So, I will express my opinions about Itri, the placehe lived, the universal and local dimensions of that place,and Itri’s contributions to the place, or the contributions ofthat place to Itri ETC, on a different ground.Itri was born in Istanbul in around 1640. I’m trying todescribe the Istanbul of 1640. When the sky was filledwith blue clouds, a person was born into the world in acertain location. He certainly had inborn talents. But ofcourse, the influence of the location is very important aswell. Even beyond the location, he was deeply influencedby the city he is brought up in. If we need to find a placefor the Istanbul of 1640 both within the framework ofthe Ottoman Empire, and among the other cities in theworld at that time, I think that Istanbul was then the centerof the world. In my opinion, the world had notknown such a city yet. Like the Bagdad, the ancientAthens, or the Istanbul of a certain time.In the modern time, we can see differentcenters in the World. Everyone has a differenttaste, and noone can replaceLondon with Paris, or Paris with NewYork. Everyone can choose the tastethey like. Istanbul, though, was thecenter of trade, agriculture, crafts,arts, manners and law, and especiallyscience and thought, and Itri wasraised in this city, namely in the historicalpeninsula.How was he raised? He received trainingwithin the framework of his talents. Inthose times, children used to have trainingin accordance with their talents. Itrireceives special education as well. Youcan find the details in books. I, however,want to say something different in this article. I’ve preparedmy article according to the knowledge I have acquired,and written it down. Of course, if musicologists,sociologists and historians of music find different results,my assumptions will no longer be valid. But for the timebeing, I am trying to express my opinions in accordancewith the knowledge I have.The old classical Ottoman education was one to one education.There was a student and a master. After the lessonwas passed, an authorisation would be given, which is animportant point. Also, the education was not limited toone single field. Students used to be educated in the popularlypreferred fields of that time. The talented student,though, would specialise in one of them. As a generalrule, Itri’s education continued with private masters. In addition,however, there is a special occasion. Itri also attendsa Mevlevi Lodge. Here we see another aspect. Mevlevism,Mevlevi lodges, Great Mevlana, and the sect founded byhis successors. The Influence of this sect in the culturalWorld of the Ottoman Empire, its fields ofinfluence, and the influences it received.Mevlevism is an Anatolian sect. Its foundationis already known, it is a sect developedparalel to a political adventure. Great Mevlanadied in 1273. The Anatolian Seljukiscollapsed after this date. So, we can saythat this sect was very engaged in thepolitical situation of the Empire. The Ottomanterritories of that time was thecenter of the ancient World. There thesects developped a Sufi understandingand application.Today, for instance, the Sufi perceptionstill exists, but the application does not.Today, Turks have a capitalist mindset,but there still are some who feel spirituallymistical. This was not the case at theaforementioned time.Itrî's illustration placed behind 100 TL64

One of the founders of the civilisational interpretation ofthe Ottoman Empire is this Sufi perception. So, we cansay that, within a civilisational point of view, Itri was alsoinfluenced by this perception since he received his educationfrom a Mevlevi Lodge. If we think about Istanbul withinthe conjuncture of the World at that time, and if we takeinto consideration the status of Mevlevi Lodges within thecultural World of the Ottoman Empire, we see more differentviews than what we see today. Both Istanbul, andthe Mevlevi Lodge are important factors that influenced Itri.Because they are actors that regulate life, form the basis forcivilisation, and have their say in the application. The thirdphase within a civilisational point of view is the support andencouragement given to Itri by the Ottoman Palace. Thepalace is a political institution, but also a cultural one. In ourcourse curriculums, the Palace is always reflected as a politicalinstitution only. Recently, we have also begun to associateit with the intriques played in it. The palace, though, isa serious cultural institution. The Ottoman Empire was a hierarchicalsociety. So, everyone looked up to the palace. Pashas,Beys, and the people took the Palace as an example.The Palace is an institution which was open to the society,and it also educated people.Mehmet the 4th, who we also know as the Hunter Mehmet,patronaged Itri. Itri spent a long time in the Palace foreducational duties, but the Palace encouraged and honoredhim greatly. It was only due to this encouragementand support that the works of art which belonged to himcame into being.Mehmet the 4th was removed from the throne after theunsuccessful 2nd Vienna Besiege, and dies after a while. Hewas then succeeded by Selim Giray Han, the Han of Krimia.I do not know whether Itri left Istanbul after that, but whatwe know is the fact that he was patronaged by this Han.Here we see that there was a serious political conflict betweenthe Ottoman Empire and Krimia during the 2nd ViennaBesiege. Our history books write that it is due to thisconflict that we were defeated in Vienna. But this conflictdid not cause a genious musician like Itri to be neglected.The reason for this is the concept of “civilisational families”in the perception of civilisations. So, although there werepolitical, financial or boarder conflicts, this did not requirethe most important values of civilisation to be ignored,denied, or declined. They thus embraced each other. Thatis why Selim Giray Han the 1st patronaged Itri as soon asMehmet the 4th died. This behaviour raises an importantmatter. The description of a civilization should not be loadedon the shoulders of a single society. The description of acivilisation can develop only if it is carried on the shoulder ofa civilisation family which is the member of different societies.It is thus a heavy load for a single society.Nevakâr is another example for this case. They discuss if itbelongs to Itri or not. It was written by Hafiz-i Sirazi. Actually,there are poets who wrote very beautifully at that time.Fuzulî, for instance. So, a beautiful ghazal from Fuzulî couldhave been opted for as well. So, this also shows that thedescription of civilisation comes into being as the productof different families and different societies.Maybe, the great flaws which occured during the last periodof the Ottoman Empire occured due to the fact thatthe modern interpretation of the Islamic Civilisation descriptionwas loaded on the back of the Ottoman Empire only.When we look at the 17th century, we see that the OttomanEmpire was at the center of the old World. It had dominatedimportant trading roots, and fertile agricultural fieldswere in its territories which it managed in a secure and fairway. This situation was called “the Ottoman Peace” or “PaxOttomana”. This situation had a drastic change, though, atthe end of the 1600s and the beginning of the 1700s. Thestates that were neighbours to oceans explored the oceans.They were then stayed at the perifery since the OttomanEmpire was the center. New trading roots began to be usedwithin a century, and this disturbed the Ottoman Empirewith small movements. Also, a new technology, anotherview of nature, and signs of an industry revolution began tobe adopted. In the meantime, the Ottoman Empire whichgrew, became widespread and felt more relaxed had atough defeat in Vienna.However, if we look at life in 1600s, and especially thesecond half of the 1700s, we see that a single type of humancame to the scene, which is an important issue sincea civilisation can live only with its sui generis type of humans.Also, we see that a version of the same languagehad emerged. Some considered the Ottoman language asa new language, and some as another version of Turkish.Thirdly, we see that a set of manners and law had beenformed. A Sufi life and a common platform of thoughtshad emerged. These alla re the sine qua non subelementsof a civilisation.Architecture, poetry, calligraphy and music… Sinan in architecture,Fuzuli in poetry, Karahisari in calligraphy, and Itriin music. If we interpret all these with a civilizational pointof view, we can easily notice that they all are corner stones.They take the ancient thing, and express it with a new style.This is what they do. We see this clearly in architecture. Asa result of this, a pool of values and emotions come intobeing in the description of civilizations. The Sultan in theTopkapi Palace and the Castellan on the top of the castlethink in the same way. The commonality of thoughts andactions although the communication facilities of that timewere very limited show that the description of civilisationsstill remains and continues to keep a society lively.The following is the contribution of the Itri style music to theexistence of the description of civilisations: The descriptionof civilisations spread through values and the reflection ofthese values in life. Namely, with a poem, an architecturalwork or calligraphy. The difference of music, though, is thefact that it can be transferred very easily although it is veryabstract. It can be transferred from ear to ear, from tongueto tongue, and from heart to heart. It thus provides a commonalityof emotions not only among different individualsin a country, but also among different societies as well.In my opinion, Itri is still great and monumental even if hecomposed 2 works only, and his contribution to the descriptionof civilisations is unique.Member of the Board of Trustees in the Fatih Sultan Mehmed Waqf University65

Miniatures Interpreterto the History of Far Eastby Mehmet K. SATUKManifestations of the art of miniature in the Far East civilizations, which have 5-thousand-year historysince Ancient Egypt, unfortunately haven’t had the deserved interest and concern in our country.Whereas these miniatures ,which are important because they shelter a lot of data about religious,social, cultural and art history of these civilizations, sometimes became an interpreter for the discomfortabout westernization and sometimes formed a basis for magnificent depictions of the cities. This text,which expresses an overview of the Far East miniatures, intents to directing attention to these works.66

The miniature by Ochiai Yoshiiku dated 1861 (Chadbourne Collection)Tailand and Pecadores Islans created by Li Liankun(American Library of Congress)67

The art of miniature underpins the canvas paintingwhich became important in Europe with the Renaissanceera. Many claims were put forward about when miniaturewas first used and these claims still don’t haveany answers. The general belief is that the art of miniaturewere first applied on parchments approximatelybetween 2 or 3 thousand in the Ancient Egyptian Unionera which was built based in Thebes. Unlike the contemporaryminiatures, these miniatures were used ascommunication tool. They changed in time and ,especiallyduring the reign of the Eastern Roman Empire, gainedits current function. The manifestations of the artof miniature that reached its peak in 16th century in ourcountry in Far East civilizations are very attractive. Unfortunately,these miniature patterns, which enlightensthe history of Far East civilizations, couldn’t have the deservedinterest and concern in our country. Our aim forwriting this text, which is a summary about Far East miniatures,is to draw attention of the contemporary andeven future follower to this subject and to give someimportant information about this subject.Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam!(For the splendor and divinity of God)This motto which was used in Jesuit community in historyand is used in Chicago University today is actuallya common motto for the earlier periods of all arts. Thereligious motifs ,which were commonly used in earlierFar East miniatures, should be thought in this connection.Although religious motifs were commonly usedin earlier periods as we shortly mentioned above, afterthe Far East Renaissance that started with Japan inthe first quarter of 17th century and finally as a resultof modernization facilities at the end of 18th century,instead of religious motifs, topics like everyday life,portrait, topographic maps etc were commonly used.The most attractive miniatures of this period were theworks which depicted the European human types.The number 23 miniature in a work named GaikokuJinbutsu and dated 1861 that belongs to YoshikazuUtagava who was one of the students of UtagawaKuniyoshi is a good example for this type of miniatures.It draws attention that the surface where thefigures stand isn’t pointed out in the miniature thataims to show changing social structure and differentclothing styles after the trade agreements held by theJapanese government with many European countries,especially with France, and this application can beseen in the overwhelming majority of the Japan miniatures.At the top of the work, what is meant in theplace that was portrayed with the shades of blue is insuspense. It can be sky. Compared to other Japaneseminiatures it has a very realistic touch. Rather thanstagnation, there is mobility of European Renaissancein the picture.68

Miniatures are in the Irony of WesternizationImportant DocumentsIn another work dated 1861 that was signalized by publishingover and over again on Nichi-Nichi, the first dailynewspaper of Japan, it is seen that the cloth thatFrench soldiers wear in the work of Yoshikazu Utagavais worn by a Japanese person. In this work, which iscreated by Ochiai Yoshiku to show the degeneration inJapanese culture, another attractive subject is the gobletin the hands of the sitting European man. The gobletthat is in the hand of French man, which can be understoodfrom his beard and cloth, is filled with an alcoholicbeverage named L’Absinthe ,an integral part ofFrench culture. Even today, this beverage is consumedby the French all the time like tea in our culture becauseof the minimum alcohol content. This beverage in thegoblet is one of the biggest indicators that French cultureoverpowered the Japanese culture. After this date,the general use of L’Absinthe in the works of Japanesemuralists shows the prevalence of this beverage and accordinglythe effectiveness of French culture.In a miniature which is contained in the album namedBankoku Jinbutsu No Uchi created by Utagawa Kuniyoshithere isn’t any Japanese person unlike others. Likethe other examples we gave, on the upper side of thisminiature ,dated 1861, there are two figures turned outto be French on horses. Although the proportion in theanatomical structures of horses are close to perfection,it refers to the degeneration as we mentioned abovebecause the horses are obviously brought from France.The depiction of Czar 2 Nicholas in the album namedNihon Bonzai Hyakusen Hyakusho created by KobayashiKyochika is very important because it was instrumentalin the recognition of Japanese Miniature Art to Europe.The Czar, who is portrayed as a commander marchingon the enemy with his hugeness, has tsarist crownon his head with a gun in one of his hands and a swordin the other hand. It is just one of the miniatures that iscreated to humiliate Czar who is portrayed on a ropethat streched between the ship about to sink and weaponsplanted on land and these works shows explicitlythe Japanese hostility to Russian. In this work that iscreated to make propaganda for Japanese-Russian Warin 1904-1905 western painting techniques were used.This work was used several times in Illustrated LondonNews, which stil exist today, in 1904. It is importantto know the relation between the mentioned newspaperand Kobayashi Kiyochica to understand the subjectbetter. An English journalist named Charles Wirgman,he was working for Illustrated London News at that times,had developed a passion to Japanese arts whenhe was in Japan and by going to Kobayashi Kiyochika’sworkshop he met the artist. This mutual acquaintan-Chinese miniature belons to 16th century(National Diet Library)69

ce lasted approximately 2-3 years and in this period oftime Charles Wirgman sent an essay to the mentionednewspaper about the Japanese arts and wrote aboutKobayashi Kiyochika extendedly.In the absence of visual material for the Russian Japanesewar that appears after the death of Wirgman,the newspaper referred to Kobayashi Kiyochika initiallyand in this way Japanese artists had a chance to introducethemselves to Europeans. In his album named Nihonbonzai Hyakusen Hyakusho, there are the depictionsof various Russian generals, doctors, nurses andsoldiers who were present at the 1904-1905 JapaneseRussian war such as Russian general Aleksei NikolaevichKuropatkin, doctor Vassily Dimitra. It is obviousthat some of the works depicting Europeans should beindicated for the researchers who will research aboutthe subject in the future and the followers of this subject.To the ones who wants to see the other examplesabout European figures, the works of Utagawa Hiroshige,Utagawa Kuniyoshi, Nishimori Takeki are recommended.The Most Magnificent Depictions of Cityare MiniaturesAmong the Far East Miniatures Chinese artists createdthe works that pictured the most magnificent depictionsof city. Two works that stand among these worksare quite important both for the detailed depiction ofthe city and adherence to the science of topography.Between these depictions of city, the 1882-dated oneis quite important. This work, which is one of the mostbeautiful examples of city’s depictions that Chineseminiature especially put emphasis on, signed by Chinesemuralist Li Liankun. The most important thing thatattracts attention in this work, which is perhaps themost beautiful depiction of the island of Thailand, isthe perfect use of topographic data. The green colourto signify rivers brings to mind the expression of the alluvial.Even around the island is painted with the samecolor and away from the island the green colour graduallybegins to open up and at the end of a short distancethe colour disappears. With this application shallowwater is specified. Residential units located on theisland stated with the names and numbers of the populationthat are put into cartridges created by meansof geometric forms. It can be assumed that the artistcreated this work to inform people about the islandbecause he both pictured carefully the Pescarodes islandnext to Taiwan island although it is very small andstated the quite important information about the islandby means of writing.Another depiction of city dated 1368 carries very importanthistorical information. The names of muralistand the work are unknown. The original version ofthis work, which has one world map and thirteen de-70

pictions of various countries, couldn’t reach to thepresent. The only source that we can see this work isthe copy dated 1654. In the work, which depicts severalcountries such as China, Japan, Thailand, Koreaislands, only black ink is used. The mentioned workgives very valuable information such as the Chinesecivilization’s contact to the world and their knowledgeabout the people from other continents. Alsothey are important because they are the oldest depictionsof Far East countries.View of Religions to AnimalsAlso Reverberates to MiniatureAnother depicton of city dated 1787 belongs to Germanmuralist Arthur W. Hummel but it is a Chinastyleddepiction. The album named Hai Quo WenJian Lum consists of six maps. We don’t have any informationabout the importance of Zhu Jiang streamthat is particularly highlighted in the work no 3.in the mentioned work, the basilica that can be seenin the city surrounded by castles points the Christianpopulation density in the city. Basilica with brightwindows is pictured without a door. Entrance to thenaos part of basilica (the main worship space) may bedone by means of the main entrance with a roundbelt and the small doors on its right and left.The religions which are available in the overwhelmingmajority of Far East civilizations give big importanceto animals. As a natural consequence of this situation,there developed a style named animal style in theart of miniature and frequently used. The most beautifulexamples of this style ,which was used in the epicnovels especially in Edo period in Japan, are the miniaturesthat were created by a muralist named YangawaShigenobu for the novel named Nanso SatomiHakkenden written by Takizawa Bakin. Each leaf ofthis twenty-page epic novel is in the form of platescreated independently so it can be understood thatthe work was created as a co-operation of more thanone artist. The animal depictions that were picturedby using white and shades of white on a black backgrounddo not fit the realist style. Although the animaldepictions are seen intensely in this work, the depictionof a phoenix is the most important miniaturein this album because of the masterly use of bothstyle and light and shadow techniques.The miniatures created for the copy , dated 1607, ofthe Epic of Minamoto Yoshitsune, which is importantfor Japanese people, by an unknown muralistinclude quite important information about the architecture,art, human types, clothing traditions of Japan.The style that is used in this thirty-page workwould be called Somakta style and would be themost used style that is used in illustrating Japaneseliterary works.A Japanese miniaturebelongs to ananonymous artist(National Diet Library)71

Mu Dynasty History is Illustratedin MiniatureA work named Shanhai Jing belongsto an anonymous muralist and createdin 1644. Chinese muralists showed thatthey have the ability and equipment to competewith Farsi muralists with the depictionof phoenix seven bacilli on the fourth pageof the work. Fantastic monsters draw attentionin the work that was enriched by using picturesfor the folk epic named Homyo Dojiby Japanese and originally belongs to India.This fifty-page work dated in 1768Depiction of Ji Meong the fifth from Mu dynasty that has an important place in thehistory odf Chinese Government. (Xhi Mou Library Chinese Rare Book Collection)

A miniature example from the work named Giccho Street Entertainment (Natioral Diet Library)and only seven pages have miniatures on it. Besidedepicted the fantastic monsters in these miniatureslike dragon and etc., the miniatures that depictsJapanese family and urban life are quite important.The work named Ji MuHwguinas Kamuto,which was written in 1931 and conatains the portraitsof Mu Dynasty, is important because it showsthe ultimate order that Far East Portraiture reached.In this work, which also contains the short biographiesof all of the kings from the first to the thirtythird, the used colors and Western painting techniquesare the remarkable features at first sight. Thedetailed depiction of textile products such as robe,cardigans, headgear and etc., which were laid downin a realistic style on kings, are the important cluesfor us to learn the term’s taste of clothing.The work named Hina Masturi was created only withblack ink in 1726. This work was pictured by SukenobuNishikawa. It depicts the Japanese women’sdaily life in 1726 and also it is understood that newtechniques have been tried in the use of perspective.The mentioned work was published as Girl’s Dayby Oxford Press in 1996. The film named Girl’s daythat have been released recently in America, describesthis work from top to bottom.73

To The Ring Come the Archersby Hamza ASLAN“Bravity has gone when the iron with a hole was invented.” says the well-known poet Koroglu. Maybe he said thissince he already knew that the sword would be left in its case, and the bow in its quiver. Jannisaries probably sensedthis too, so they resisted against giving up their bow for a long time. Although the firearm technology has had greatadvancements, archery still stayed alive and reached Necmettin Okyay due to the efforts of archers to shoot theirarrows to future eras. Although there was a slight interregnum at the beginning of the 20th century, the arrow andbow production still continues in our day with utmost adherance to the traditions, and Turkish archers still shoottheir arrows chanting “Ya Hakk!” Commemorating firstly Necmettin Efendi, and all the other archers who helpedarchery to stay alive today, we interviewed with Adnan Mehel, one of the few volunteers of archery left.74

“Ve mâ rameyte iz rameyte ve lakinnallahe rama”“When you shoot an arrow, it is not you, but Allahwho shot it”. (Enfâl 17).The Ottoman Empire which had a rightful glory at thepeak of the Turkish Islamic civilisation, never compromisedaesthetics, not even on battle fields. This aesthetical pointof view had such a deep influence in all aspects of life thateven arrows and bows which were considered as weaponswere produced with utmost care, actually with muchmore care than the works of art today.Actually, archery is a culture which dates back to very earlyages. In the light of archeological findings, it is known thatarrows and bows are as ancient and important as horsesand tents for the Turkish tribes who lived in the steps ofAsia. 1 Being a unique tool not only for hunting, but alsofor fighting and sports, the bow and arrow never had alower status in our culture until firearms were invented.Since it was dominant in not only the Ottoman Civilisation,but also the Egyptian, Hitit, Japanese and Roman cultureand civilisation, archery has been considered by some ethnologistsas important as the discovery of fire. 2 Due to thisimportance and convenience of arrows and bows, theyhad a sacrosanct status in the Turkish army. So much so,that jannisaries insisted on shooting arrows even after theentry of the firearms into the Turkish army. This was notbigotry, though, since firearms were able to be fired onlytwice in a minute while a jannisary could shoot 30 arrowsat the same time.It is not arrow or bow which makes one shoot his target,but it is the voice calling out “Ya Hakk!”Contrary to the common opinion in our day, bow and arrowwere not tools used in battle fields only. They are theproducts of a culture that the “quiver” has stored throughoutcenturies. It is known that archery, which also gaineda religious status after Turks joined the circle of Islam, wasthe main theme of more than 40 hadiths by Prophet Muhammed.In fact, the haditth which can be translated as“Arrow shooting is better than supererogatory worshipping”has carried archery out of battlefields, making it a partof sports, arts and worshipping. Also, the hadiths “Anyonewho gives, receives and shoots an arrow goes to heaven”has strengthened the artistic and decorative features oftools such as arrows, bows, quivers and thumb rings.From Sa’d bin Ebi Vakkas to Archer Necmettin OkyayA very well-known event… During the battle of Uhud,Sa’d bin Ebi Vakkas shoots an arrow by Prophet Muhammed’sside, with an unprecented speed. He is sofast that Prophet Muhammed who takes the arrows outfrom the quiver and gives them to Ebi Vakkas, can nothelp but say the following: “Shoot o’sa’d! My mom andmy dad are worth the sacrifice for you.” This ideom expressesutmost pleasure, submission and sympathy forthe one who it is said to, and with this praise of ProphetMuhammed, Sa’d bin Ebi Vakkas was considered as themaster of all arrow shooters.With such great supports and encouragements, archerysurvives up to the last century, until Necmettin Okyay,reaching maturity both in functionality, and in elegancedue to various artistic ornamentations. Necmettin Efendilearned archery from Seyfeddin Efendi, who was thelast one to record his name to the accounts of archers.Seyfeddin Efendi, who is considered as the last representativesof masters like Tozkoparan Ismail, whoseshooting record has still not been broken, and SeyhHamdullaah, the Sheikh of archers, Seyfeddin Efendidelivered this art to Necmettin Okyay so effectivelythat this treasure is recorded as his when NecmettinEfendi received the surname Okyay. CalledHezarfen (the master of 1000 sciences) since headvanced in lots of arts, Necmettin Efendi raisedmany students in all the arts he was the master of,but archery, having to be the last ring of the cainthe past of which dates back to centuries ago.When Mr. Okyay in his old age was asked whythis was the case, his students tell that he fell intotears. And when he passes away, a bow, arrowsand an ancient culture is left behind.Turkish Archery is Born Out of Its AshesHaving an 80-year interregnum after NecmettinOkyay’s death, the traditional archery began tobecome popular again especially after 2000. Researchon the history of archery, the production ofarchery tools with adherance to the tradition, andthe translation of the works regarding archery intoTurkish gave enthusiasm to those who are interestedin archery. Especially the translation of the workcalled Telhîs-i Resâilât-i Rumât by Mustafa Kânî Bey,one of the servants of the archer Sultan Mahmudthe 2nd made it inevitable for “Ya Hakk” chantingsto rise on the hills of Istanbul that are still green. 3So must Adnan Mehel and his friends have felt, becausethey have been interested in the traditionalTurkish archery since 2005. Rolling up his sleaves bynot being opsessed with the phrase “This is whatthey done in the past”, Mr. Mehel thought “This is ourduty. We have to produce all the tools used in archerywithh loyality to their originals, and we have to usethem”. And began his research. Doing a lot of researchand reading, Mr. Mehel came to the conclusion that wehave a sui generis culture in archery which dates back to3000s BC, and placed this duty into the center of his lifein 2005 although he is actually a lawyer. Saying “The spellof archery influenced me so deeply that I could never giveup later”, he even learned Russian after 40 in order to godown to the point where the Turkish culture and archeryfirst conjoined.75

“While a Japanese archer isshooting, he enjoys the peace hisbelief releases into his spirit. He shootsafter a long ceramony. It feels as if he is reachingNirvana deep inside. But do we not have the same thing?If we remove the bow, arrows and the horse, there willbe no Turkish nation left.” says Mr. Mehel. As he deepdove into his researches, he noticed that he had begunto walk on a long long path, and decided to advance thetraditional Turkish archery.In accordance with the Russian archeological and historicalresources, Mr. Mehel states that Turks learnt how tomake bows and arrows, and that there is detailed informationeven about how bows and arrows were made5000 years ago. Stating that they have found outhow the bows and arrows were made during thereign of the Gok Turks in addition to the Hunswhich is guessed to have begun in about 200sBC, Mr. Mehel adds that archery during the Ottomanperiod is already known due to the bookby Unsal Yucel called “the History of Archery”,the books by Fazil Ayanoglu called “The shootingring” and “The History of Archery”, and theworks by Archer Mustafa Efendi.Arrow and Bow Makingis a Handicraft in and of ItselfAfter the research is done, Mr. Mehelbegins the advancement activitieswith a group he gathered in 2005called the “drill field”. He mentionsthe names of more experienced archersor archery tool producers asfollows: “Murat Ozveri, who wasan archer even before us, SuleymanCem Donmez, who was producingbows in Izmir, and CalligrapherEfdaluddin Kilic, all have been servingto the traditional Turkish archeryto keep this tradition alive”. Knowingbefore setting off that it is difficultto help this culture prosper withso few people, Mr. Mehel’s friendswere only as many as the fingers of2 hands when he founded this group.As they continued working on theTurkish archery and archery in othernations, they noticed that archeryand classical handicrafts go hand inhand. Inspired by this fact, they beganto produce otherarchery tools as well,in addition to bows andarrows.O’the Arrowlike Eye LashedAnd Bowlike Eye-Browed! I’veGot Shot By You!Stating that utmost care should be givento bow and arrow making in order for an archerto be able to shoot well, Mr. Mehel addsthat there used to be gilds for arrow makers and bowmakers during the Ottoman Empire. He also says the followingabout bow making: Certain parts of certain treesin certain regions undergo a certain type of processing inorder to make a bow, but I will not mention the namesof the region and the tree. We are an excited nation. Idon’t want unelligible people to go cut the trees sincethey are already rare”.After emphasizing that arrows and bows are not merelypieces of wood, he gives the following introductoryrecipe for making an arrow: Bundles of bars which areas thick as 2 fingers, which do not have any snags on,and are brought from a village in the Marmara regionare kept for resting for 2 months to totally dry from theirjuice. 2 months later, they are thrown into an oven andcooked in middle heat until they get rid of their resin.They are then put upright in a place which does notreceive sunlight or rain, and kept waiting for 3 years atleast, and 10 years at most.Stating that bars which are groomed like this are measuredto the slightest point, Mr. Mehel says the following:“The thickness of each part of an arrow is different.Even a slight difference in the slope can make it impossiblefor the arrow to reach its target. So meticulous is thework done on arrows”. He also records that an arrowmade with adherance to this method can shoot a targetup to 750 Meters away by shooting up to 30 arrowsper minute. Another thing we learn from him is the factthat such mass shootings in battles during the OttomanEmpire used to be called “arrow showers”.As far as what we learn from Mr. Mehel again, it takesat least a year to make a bow, and that it requires agreat deal of knowledge in engineering. We learn that

usually there is a part consisting of 3 or 5 pieces in themiddle of each bow. While a horn is added on one sideof the bow, a material called the dried achil tendonis added on the other side. And all thesepieces are glued together with a glue made byblending the fish glue and (cega) glue. Repeatingthat both arrows and bows are made froma very rare tree, Mr Mehel says the followingagain: “Even those who are not very deeply interestedin archery may feel excited to acquiresuch knowledge. Maybe this excitement will notlast long, but still lots of trees may be wasted due tothis excitement". He also recommends the aforementionedbooks to those who are interested in the history ofarchery as well as the making of bows and arrows.We were 10 at the Beginning, but Now We are 500Even bow and arrow making only suffice to show us howseriously archery was taken both during the Ottoman Empire,and during the other previous Turkish civilisations.Avoiding to consider bows and arrows like mere tools,Turkish people embraced the task of making bows and arrowsso much that they named the parts of a bow like thebody parts of a person. A bow which has a head, a neck,a chest, a belly, and a foot also has a skeleton. A human’seye brows become horns, our vanes become nerves, andour blood becomes glue on a bow. 4We are already familiar with the shape of an assembledTurkish bow. A bow with its bowstrings on is assembled,and its handles are curled outwards. If the bow will notbe used, the bowstrings are disassembled, and the bow isput into the shelf in the shape of the letterStating that bowsand arrows also havecomplementary elements,Mr. Mehel addsthat the first one is thumbring which is worn on thethum to protect the finger fromthe tendon while shooting, quiver,in which arrows are placed, quiver inwhich the bow is placed, and the ancleshield. We learn that the Drill Field groupalso produce all these tools which requirespecial skills in and of themselves. In addition toarchery, Mr. Mehel says that he also attends theKati’ courses in the Yavuz Selim course center of IS-MEK. He explains the reason as follows: “We have avery complicated battling culture. I’ve been told that theleather tools prepared for governors and commanders usedto be decorated with Kati’. I am learning Kati’ to beable to make Ottoman kaftans”.Delivering conferences in 15 universities, andpresenting drafts in quite a few symposiumsafter choosing to become an archer, Mr. Mehelstates that he has had many insightful dialogueswith artists during these activities. Mentioningthat they benefit the experiences andideas of the traditional Turkish Islamic artists suchas Islam Secen, Mahmut Sahin, Abdullah Aydemir,and Mehtap Aysel regarding the decoration phases ofbows and arrows, Mr. Mehel does not forget to express hisgratitude to them. “We do not want anything else but toreach the point Necmettin Okyay brought archery, and toexcell. We were 10 when we kicked off, but we have nowbecome more than 500. Hopefully we will be more”. Hesays, and as the last word, he reminds the commandmentof Mehmed the Conqueror about the Archers’ Lodge field,which is recorded in the waqf records: “May not even aslightest part of the field be touched, may no buildings, canals,vineyards, grave yards and gardens be placed, may nosheep or cattle be grazed, furthermore, may noone else butarchers be let inn only, not even birds, if possible.”FOOTNOTES 1) Atilla Bir, Mustafa Kacar, Sinasi Acar, Turkish Range Archery,Bows and Arrows, The Ottoman Scientific Research Magazine VIII/1, 2006.2) Hasan Basri Ongel, The Early Archery in Central Asia during the Courseof Development, Gazi University Education Faculty Magazine Vol 21 Issue 2,2001. 3) Telhîs-i Resâilât-i Rumât: Istanbul Fetih Cemiyeti Pres. 2010. Knownas the last work written in the Ottoman Turkish regarding Turkish Archery.Necmeddin Okyay’s comment on this work is as follows: Even if Turkish Archeryis wiped off the face of the earth, this work by Kânî Mustafa Bey stillsuffices to satisfy this sport.”. 4) Sinasi Acar, Ottoman Bows and Arrows,Archeology and Arts Pres, 2006.77

Edirnekâri:The Art Named AfterThe City it Was Bornby Mehmet KOKREKBeing a traditional art crafted firstly by masters from Edirne,edirnekari took its name from this fact, and for 6 centuries, ithas decorated the interior parts of architectural masterpieces,wooden objects and book covers. Towards this end, we wishedto have a look at the historical adventure of this art which wasgifted to the Turkish Islamic art by craftsmen from Edirnein the second half of the 15th century, and which over thetime spread in the Islamic territories on earth.It is known that Edirne, a boarder city which had for a longtime been the capital of the Ottoman Empire, has been animportant center of arts and crafts both during the periodwhen it was the capital, and afterwards. Bearing in mind thatthe city was used as a military center during the Roman and theByzantian Empire, one can easily imply that the people of Edirnewas not familiar with terms such as arts and culture. Presentingto Edirne the heritage of the Turkish Islamic arts and cultureenriched and developed for centuries as of 1361, though,the Ottoman Empire did beautify the city and satisfy the needof the people for arts and culture. The Ottoman Empire, as beyondthe doubt, the greatest banner bearer of the Turkish Islamicarts, did more than their best to make Edirne, which they opted foras the capital, a center of attraction in every single aspect. Thesegreat efforts were not left unresponded, and Edirne hadits own sui generis schools of art in less than a centuryafter its conquest. The Edirnekâri techniqueor style which we will try to reflect on in this articleshould be considered as one of the consequencesof these great efforts.Named After The City It Originated InWith the most general definition, edirnekâri can be definedas a style applied on materials such as card board, wood or leather.It was named after the city the craftsmen of which first masteredthe art, and is mostly crafted on decorative objects such as dowerychests, money boxes, writing drawers and book covers. The samedecorative perspective expressed as bouquets with or without vases isalso reflected on gravestones. Such bouquets can be seen on gravestonesthat belong to the 16th and 17th centuries. Usually, rose, baby’s breath, hyacinth,opium poppy and zerrin motives were used in these bouquets.

When applied on wood, Edirnekâri can be handled under3 technical categories: Carved works, inlaid worksand paint decorated works. In addition to this technicaldifferentiation, one can also differentiate the worksof art according to their fields of use under 4 categories:Decorative works, objects for daily use, lecterns andother works of art.Gifted to the Turkish Islamic arts by the craftsmen ofEdirne in the second half of the 15th century, Edirnekâribecame widespread within a large area in the Ottomanterritories. Crafted by masters of various cities such asErzurum, Diyarbakir, Hakkâri, Tirnova, Bursa, Istanbul,Kairo and Akkâ, the art lost its well-known reputationafter the second half of the 20th century. The edirnekariworkshops opened in various cities, mainly in Edirne,Bursa and Istanbul, played the leading role in keepingalive and developing this art which spread within such alarge and distant area.The fact that there is no signature in most of the worksof art which were created in the edirnekâri workshops,though, unfortunately caused many of the craftsmen ofthis art to not be known. The only resources about themasters of edirnekari are signatures found on the worksof art created by masters who worked independently ofworkshops, some written works about edirnekâri, somerecords and archive documents.Has A Wide Range Of ApplicationThe edirnekari style applied on wooden objects in particularhas a wide range of application. Crafted on variousobjects such as cupboards, doors, window frames,lamp stands, ceilings, drawers, trays, watch boxes, Qurancases and writing utensils, another group of objectson which the art is crafted are book covers. It is possibleto see book covers on which the art is crafted, in theTopkapi, Selimiye and Nuru Osmaniye Libraries. Thereare also some unsigned book covers with the decorationof Edirnekari. One of the most beautiful samplesof Edirnekari on book covers is the cover of the albumwhich contains the tughra of Sultan Ahmed the third,in the 3. Ahmed Library in the Topkapi Palace Museum.The work of art which bears the signature Ahmed,

which means that the master of this work isa master called Ahmed, belongs to the date1728 AD. The fact that these limited resourceshave not been seriously worked on so farfrustrates those interested in this art.The names of some masters of Edirnekari arementioned in some archive documents that belongto the eli hiref organization. As seen in theserecords as well, the Edirnekâri style was consideredand applied as a method based on the palaceembroidery and illumination. In his work Elvah-iNaksiye Collections, Halil Ethem Bey, who is animportant figure in terms of the history regardingour museums, mentions that rugani and Edirnekaristyle embroideries and descriptions werecrafted on fences. As known, a book in the Ottomanculture is created asthe product of the effortsof more than one craftsman.For instance, not only bookbinders, but also writers and painterswould contribute to the makingof a book as well. As mentionedabove, the book, after being workedon by various groups of craftsmen,would first be sent to the community ofbook binders to be bound, and lastly to thecommunity of embelishers to be decoratedand embelished. Within this context,books which would be decoratedin the Edirnekâri style would be handledby the craftsmen of these 2 communities.After the description of the herbal motivesdrawn in the Edirnekari style by stickingto the naturalist perception is done, the motiveswould be brightened with a varnish calledlake. Although the Ottoman craftsmen imitatedthe European craftsmen in varnishing, the homelandsof lake varnishing are China and Japan.This type of book covers are usually called ruganior lake work. The lake work in the Edirnekaristyle is called Edirne’s Lake work. Ord. Prof SuheylUnver states that Works in the Edirnekâristyle that are crafted in Istanbul are more successfuland more artistic than those craftedin Edirne due to the existence of the embroideryhouse in the palace.80

What is very distinct regardingthe books decoratedin the Edirnekâri style isthe fact that geometrical motiveshave almost never been usedin the style. Though used rarely,any geometrical motive is used in orderto decorate the frame part. As ofthe 16th century, classical Anatolian motivesbegan to be used, but those motivestook a different style by the 17th century dueto the influence of the European arts. Themotives used in the Turkish decorative artsduring the classical period (hatay) and in theornamenting style (sukûfe) which was usedlater, were all applied with a naturalist perceptionin the Edirnekâri style motives, and an original affectof expression was given to these motives withthe baroque and rococo styles. For this reason, theEdirnekari Works can be considered as the pioneersof the Turkish still life art in Western terms.Edirnekâri: The Reflection OfThe Gardens in The CityDr. Rifat Osman Tosyavizade and Ord. Prof. SuheylUnver, 2 lovers of Edirne, who lived in the 20thcentury tell in detail how skillful the people of Edirnewere in growing flowers. In one of his articles,Ord. Prof. Suheyl Unver writes the following statements:“In Edirne, women who grow flowers havemanaged to vaccine the flowers as normally donein medicine. These women have always playedthe leading role in arranging the gardensof Edirne which have always been a corner fromthe paradise, and vaccining the flowers.” In addition,Dr. Rifat Osman Tosyavizade states the following:“In Edirne, there are at least one flowergrower in every single house, and since those flowergrowers do their work with utmost love andsympathy, the flowers that are grown in Edirne aredifferent from those grown in other cities. Thesedifferences and the distinctive beauty is expressedalso in the travelling cronicles written by Europeantravellers.”Evliya Celebi, a well-known traveller who came toEdirne in the 17th century writes in his travellingcronicles that there are lots of flower growers invarious districts of Edirne, and even the vase in theOld Mosque was full of flowers.It is thus impossible that a city whose people areso skilled at flower growing would not have flowermotives in a style of its own. It is due to thelove and sympathy that the people of Edirne feelfor flowers that the dominant elements in theEdirnekâri style are flowers, and that the flowermotives drawn with this style are usually brightand lively.The book cover decorations in the Edirnekâri stylehave had some changes throughout history. Theinfluence of the eastern perception of arts is morevivid in the book cover decorations applied duringthe 15th century. Almost all the works of art createdduring that period had the herbal motivesin stylized form, which we saw very frequently inthe Iranian and Chinese origin works of art. These81

motives were drawn with a perspective notso far from the naturalistic perspective. Thistendancy for stylization, which can be explainedwith the school of art called impressionism,that became widespread in the Westas of the 19th century, is seen very frequentlyin the eastern perspective of arts. Whatneeds to be noticed at this point, though, is thatthe stylized herbal motives on the Iranian originatedminiatures were used on the early periodworks of art created with the Edirnekâri style notas the main element, but as the complementaryelement. Another point to notice regarding theworks of art created during the early period is thefact that the scientific aesthetics method broughtforth by the German aestheticians was applied onthe works of art almost consciously. So much sothat the mathematical proportion of the motivesused gives one the impression that the proportionwas particularly calculated.The colors that are usually dominant in the motivesare the different tones of the colors which belongto the group of hot colors. In addition, theherbal motives used on the works of art were addeda perspective with the use of the different tonesof the same colors, or the colors that are relatedto each other. Contrary to the European arts,this perspective is not very deep in the Edirnekâristyle. In addition to the colors mentioned above, acolor called “the red of Edirne” was also used inthe Edirnekâri style of the early periods. This colorwhich is called the Turkish red or the red of Edirneis derived from the roots of a madder plant whichis mentioned as “rubai tinctorum” in various sources,and is given different names in our culture suchas the paint root, the red root, the paint freckle andthe egg paint. According to the belief among people,this color was first derived from a plant a jewishcitizen planted in his field around Yeni Imaret,and this color was never derived after the death ofthis citizen. At present, natural like, organic, and gouachepaints are used in order to acquire the similarcolor.The oldest samples of book covers decorated in theEdirnekâri style which have reached our day are thosewhich belong to the period of Sultan Murad thethird, and the eastern influence is more apparentthan the works created during the later periods.The writing drawers with the Edirnekari style, acraft still actively crafted in our day, are importantin showing how high levels the Turkish Islamicarts have reached so far. Well-known even today,these writing drawers still attract a lot of attentionwith their elegance and their bright colors.82

The ceiling decorations, corner cabinets and window frames onwhich the Edirnekari style is applied, unfortunately can not be compatibleto the concrete architecture of our day. Due to the fact thatit is costly, and that the buildings are not wooden anymore, theEdirnekâri style is not used in home decoration these days. Chestsand drawers used in homes, however, are still being crafted by thecraftsmen of this style.As for the decoration done with paint, they are worked on witha delicate style, and satihs and corners have been decorated differently,sometimes with fairly complicated compositions. Drawersbear a great artistic value.By exporting the most beautiful drawers of their age, Edirne quite rightfullyhad a reputation that spread in a wide area. Inside the drawers are specialsections for writing utensils such as paper, hokka set, scissors, and makta.Edirnekâri was Influenced by Baroque, tooAs of the 17th century, almost all the branches of the Turkish Islamic arts hadpositive or negative affects from the schools of art that were popular in Europe.It is thus impossible that edirnekâri too would be somewhat influenced. The Cand S curves of the Baroque style which was quite widespread in Europe during the17th century, for instance, were used in the decoration of wooden objects, but not ofthe book covers. In addition to the baroque influence obviously seen in the decorationsof the azan reciter lodge at the Selimiye Mosque of Edirne, the herbal motivesapplied with a naturalistic perspective were used in order to associate the audiencewith the arabesque style. As can be assumed from the motives here, theChinese and Persian influence on the early period works of art created with theedirnekâri style gradually decreases by the 17th century.Josef Maria Ritz, the writer of the book called Alte bemalte Bauernmobel which waspublished in 1962, gives detailed information about a certain wood carving art which isalso called the peasant origin art of furniture. The fact that some photographs the bookcontains have a style which is very similar to the Edirnekari style is fairly noteworthy. Themost distinct common characteristics of the Bauernmobel and the Edirnekâri styles are the baroquedescription of the bodies of the stylized herbal motives, the use of lake varnishing, avoidancefrom geometrical elements, and the very frequent use of the life tree. It is our hope that thesimilarity between these works will be thoroughly explored by researchers as soon as possible, and thatdetailed explanations will be made to the lovers of this art.Dr. Rifat Osman Tosyavizade states that he saw many samples of Edirnekâri signedby Safai, a bookbinder of Edirne, Dervish Safai, and Nazuhzade Kalenderoglu,in the UK, the USA, and Germany. Unfortunately, there is little researchdone regarding this rare decoration style of ours. Neither the book called “theTurkish Arts” by Oktay Aslanapa, nor the one with the same name by CelalEsad Arseven give any single information on Edirnekâri. The most comprehensiveresearch done on Edirnekâri is a dissertation called an Essay on Edirnakâri,prepared in 1984 by Hakan Tezcan. Except for this dissertation, the article calledThe Tulip works in the Turkish Art history and Their Craftsmen, written byOrd. Prof. Suheyl Unver in 1965, and published in the Magazine of Waqfs in thesame year, as well as the article called The Civilization of Edirne and the Samplesfrom the Decorative arts written by the same reasarcher in 1965, are noteworthyresearches done regarding this subject. In addition to all these, the articlecalled The Edirnekâri Style Wood Carvings in the Edirne Museum written bySabahattin Turkoglu, though has a local field of research, can still be consideredas one of the most important works regarding this subject.83

Maturity in Artby Ugur SEZENOur masters say this for our classical art works: ‘’Kem alat ile kemalat olmaz’’ means no perfection ispossible with worse tool. This phrase, which expresses the truth that in order to create a perfect art work,the best tools and materials should be chosen, also concerns those who have just begun learning classicalart. Thus the pencil of a new student on ‘husnu- hat’ (a kind of calligraphy) is sharpened by his master untilhe learns besides an incipient ney learner isn’t given an ordinary ney (reed flute). We appealed to the fourmasters of the Classical Turkish and Islamic Arts, considering who are interested in that kind of art and thenew beginners. Calligraphy Master Ayten Tiryaki, Turkish Art of Marbling master Sadreddin Ozcimi, Art ofIlluminating master Sule Ozkececi and the doyen of the bookbinding Islam Secen wrote the tips of the roadto the perfection and the qualities of the fine tools.

There is an epigram for the Artof Calligraphy: ‘’Exellence ofpen, pretty of ink and ornamentof paper.’’ Ink and paper are thetwo brothers of pen. When thepen is selected among the bestcanes and sharpened carefully, whenthe ink reaches the right consistency,when the paper is sized leisurly, theyall worth writing. Then the calligrapherputs the first point on the paper, writessuch a Mashallah, that only "Mashallah"is left to the viewer to say.The three materials which represents a goodmeasure of the fine tool, also apply to theother classical arts. Each has identificationsand descriptions about how material shouldbe. In addition to this condition, some otherconditions such as patience, procedures, decorum,decency, respect are added and all togethergenerate a chain that rings link next one. So thatthe illuminator, without reading the plate he processsincerely and the bookbinder, without reading a‘’Fatiha’’ (the first section of The Holy Quran) for theauthor of the book, cannot reach the classical level.Because the negligence of this chain results thewhole chain to loose and the artist to regress .But there is a fine sentence which is shapedwith the help of quibble and also appliesto the whole classical arts: ’No perfectionis possible with worse tool’. This phraseapplies to the candidates who have justbegun learning classical arts as well as themasters who are executing their arts.Today, interest in classical Turkish and Islamic arts isincomparably higher then recent past ... Coming fromthe entitled elegance of calligraphy, we tried to describe onering of the chain that will maturate the candidates of the classicalart. We asked the qualities of the fine tool and the roadto the perfection to the doyenne of classical bookbinding artIslam Secen, Marbling master Sadrettin Ozcimi, CalligraphAyten Tiryaki, Illuminator Sule Bilge Ozkececi. Thanks to allfor sharing time and narrating related to subject.How is the best pen chosen and what kind of ink doesthe pen come together, How is the paper sized in orderto get ready for the caligraphy, Which brushes are usedfor the writing that is represented to the illuminator,What does a marbler do for the harmony of herpaint and her brush to adorn the plate? what kindof materials does a bookbinder need to gather allpapers in between two covers? We leave youalone with the masters and their answers.85

Maturity in Calligraphyby Ayten TIRYAKIA calligraphershould be unitedwith paper, pen and ink.Caligraphy is like a journey. Started with enthusiasm ,inthis journey slopes are climbed. When the peak is reached,you find out that you are actually at the beginning of anotherjourney. As if there are hills that are always reachedbut never end. Ascension will always go on.In this journey, there are paper,pen and ink which are alwayscarried by the caligrapher.In addition,sharpener, cutter,rawsilk, burnisher, inkpot, writing pads,pen case, needle tool,chalk, powder, pencil,ruler, compass, tape,light table, fur, leather,and other similar tools arealso available. Journey goeson with breaks, rests, breathlessmoments and heartbeats.Calligrapher begins the journey using all his backgrounds.He constantly goes on by chatting to the silence inside him,talking to the whispers of his pen, in the mood of submission,in company with the peaceful and divine emotionsas if he is in another dimension. Nothingness must be thedominant approach at all times. For the calligrapher beinga student is a long period of suffering. The obstaclesof pride, arrogance and egotism are overcome. The testsof patience and silence are passed. The pen need to bestayed in dark under the soil after coming from thewater. Then it need to prostrate with nothingness.How long you go straight, whenyou turn right or left, go up anddown is decided accordance to therules. The pose of pencil, the captureof hand varies in each letterwriting. If these rules aren’t kept,the purpose can’t be achieved.86

If the paper had spoken and told where it comes fromand how it becomes dough,it wouldn’t have fit intobooks. Paper is crushed well by the burnisher andwaits for several months. Ink also suffers the same,first it burns, turns into ash then it suffers from thousandsof mallets.Now you see, each one has a story. Then they cometogether because they will continue along the roadfrom now on. The calligrapher should be united withpaper, pen and ink. Each of their nature should bein harmony. For instance, the paper should be selectedaccording to the type of writing. The celi articlesshould be written in thick papers. Medium paper forthuluth and fine paper for naskh should be preferred.The paper should be acid-free and well sized.Starchshould be the best and eggs should be the fresh ones.Ink gives different results each sheet of paper.Sometrial absolutely must be done before the paper isused.The filtering of ink would be good. The level ofthe gum can be clear by checking whether glossy ormatte. Medium brightness should be cared, whenwe touch the blackness shouldn’t be involved toour hands. A small process should be followed inorder to understand the quality of the pen. Must bedropped from high to hard surface. It can be decidedwhether the sound is full and thick. Sound shouldnot be weak and poorly. Pen must be an ich tall,neither too hard nor too soft. Should be flat, curvedand not too thin.As a result, all of the materials should be choosenwith utmost attention. And it should be writtendown without rush. At this point the word of ‘’Kemalatla, kemalat olmaz’’ makes it clear.This statement is verified when the magnificientworks of art occurs with the talent and ability ofcalligrapher.87

Maturity in Marblingby Sadreddin OZCIMIOne can AchieveHis Goal Only by Walkingon the Path to it as He should.Marbling is an art which the stalk of the brushderiving from the rose tree and brushes are madeof horse tail.The reason of preferring the rosetree is that,it doesn’t corrode and stretch whilescattering the colors,addition,it doesn’t harm tofingers.The art of marbling has also tradition likeall classic-Turkish-Islamic arts.This tradition is in all phases,materials used,theresulting patterns,art teaching methods, andmust absolutely followed.One of the most importantfeatures of marbling tradition is thatdoesn’t fade in the sun and acid,free of harmfulsubstances .The main reason why natural dyes are used onTurkish marbling is no way of getting dyes exceptnature through the history and the insistenceof the latest marbling artists on imitatingtheir masters. The other reason why the earthdyes are not used doesn’t fade in the sun. Natureoffers wide range of colors that resist fadingto the marbling artists. Dyes are obtained bycrushing measuring approximately 50x50 cms ona flat marble dest-seng (hand stone)Adding a quantity water to the handful of dye,dyeforms into mud. Whether the dye is crushed or notfully understood on the boat. After doing someexperience,the marbling artist finds out which dyeand how long it must be. Tragacanth is used in orderto give consistency and stickness on sprinkingwater. According to Mr Ugur Derman, NecmeddinOkyay tried tragacanth, sahlep, seed, quinceseeds, to have the best results, to increase consistency,then chose sahlep but since it is high cost,his final decision became tragacanth.Nowadays,”caragen” which is extracted from thecoast of Norway is preferred since its intensive thickener.Cattle gall is added the dyes on tragacanthsince it can swim without sinking. Pine naphthawhich is used for making naphtha marbling is notfound anymore. Today turpentine is used instead.Uncoated paper is preferred on marbling. 80-90gr is suitable not to be torn.In Turkish marblingtradition, paper is not trained by stud and removesfrom longer side which is close to marbling artist.Every marbling artist should have combs producedwith different tine gaps. These combs are done by88

nailing, gluing or compressing of the needles orwires on a flat wood. Some kinds of prickers invarious sizes are used to drop the paint to the tub,to give shape to the surface of the paint or to mixthe tragacanth. The prickers are made of wires ornails in different thickness, but it must be regardedthat they should be made from stainless steel.All of the materials mentioned are the materialschosen after experience of hundreds of years. It ispossible to improve them, but it will not bring aboutgood results to replace them. Marbling made fromother materials then those would not be qualifiedwith artistic value or described as traditional Turkishmarbling depending on the outcomes.The art of marbling has been performed for morethan five hundred years in Anatolia. It has beencalled with its own terminology in the languagesof the countries where the marbling is performedand for centuries the marbling is called "the Turkishpaper" in those countries. The master transmitshis knowledge mixed with his experiences tohis apprentice. Thus, the apprentice would learnhow the marbling masters have found solutions tothe problems that arose while the masters wereperforming marbling. In addition, the master notonly teaches how to do marbling but at the sametime affects the spiritual world of the apprentice.That is because all of our traditional arts are vehiclesto understand the True Artist and His works.The only way to reach to the level of this comprehensioncan be learned with traditional masterapprenticerelation. It should not be forgotten thatto reach the reunion it is needed to comply withthe system.89

Maturity in IlluminationSule Bilge OZKECECIThe tool makes,the hand praises itself!But ...The Manuscripts are written onto high quality papersby skilled calligraphers. The pages are thenilluminated, illustrated and bound with the samecare. As in all the areas of fine arts, the quality ofthe tools used in illumination and the excellenceof the materials will affect the success of the artist.Some special techniques and methods havebeen developed over time by benefiting from theknowledge and experience of the past in orderfor the tools to reach the desired qualificationsand give excellent results. Those methods andtechniques are described in the limited numberof sources we know today. In the old days, artistsliving much more intertwined with naturehave preferred natural materials which are morepermanent. The main materials used in illuminationcan be listed as gold, paper, paint, burnisher,brush and molds.Gold: Leaf gold is the main material of the illuminationart. It is also known as the art of illuminatingthe manuscripts and it means paintingwith gold. It is seen in the great civilizations todecorating the sacred texts with one of the mostvaluable commodities which is gold. The qualityof the gold used in illumination of those valuablemanuscripts is very important.In ancient times, pure-golden leaves were made.They were much more perfect than today's goldenleaves. It was necessary to go through severalprocedures for the gold to be pounded intogold leaf. The gold beaters, who were engagedin this work, would produce almost transparentleaves using the gold in its purest way and goingthrough several hard work requiring mastership,experience, technical knowledge and patience.It is necessary that the gold in the leaf form shouldbe smashed to be used with a brush. The gold issmashed with fingers for several hours in ceramicor glass pot with a few drops of melted Arabianglue or honey and a small amount of water. Thenit is transmitted to a small bowl after precipitatingand filtrated. Good works cannot be producedwith the gold that is not properly smashed. Afterbeing smashed, the gold is used with gelatinoidwater and albumen to make it stick to the paperby a brush. Sometimes it is fixed as the leaf directlyto the paper.There are various leaves called such as yellow, redand green. Although not much chosen, pure silverleaves were used in some places. Silver foilsare also used after being crushed and used as the90

gold. The notebooks with gold leaves importedfrom European countries are used at the presenttime. It is possible to find the gold readilysmashed.Paper: The papermaking has a crucial part in history,and has become an important branch of art. The valuegiven to the book arts has been effective in paper makingand handling. The use and making of paper dateback to old times. The papers produced by the Ottomanswere highly sought after in Europe. Then, the Europeanpaper spread over the Islamic world, especiallyItalian paper was preferred. The illuminators who knewthe importance of the paper's quality chose it meticulously.Today, the industrial papers have replaced thepapers produced with old methods. High-quality papersare usually preferred to work efficiently.Papers are painted in different colors with differentmethods. The painting process is usually performedwith the materials such as leaves, onion, pomegranate,walnut shells, saffron, henna, tobacco, and soon. Painted and dried papers are sized at a laterstage. The size, a kind of lacquer, is made from materialssuch as starch, albumin, tragacanth, Arabiangum, and ceruse. The size can be done by applyingthose materials individually or mixed. The size preparedproperly is applied in layers. The size increasesthe robustness of the paper, makes the paper's surfaceshiny, let the pen easily slip on paper, arrangesthe amount of the ink flow and lets the misspelledphrases to be scratched from the surface. This procedureis applied on both sides of papers preparedfor the book. With these procedurespapers become more resistant tomoisture, mildew, and even to thebook worms.Burnisher: There are two types of burnisher aspaper burnisher and zermuhre (a kind of pen usedfor polishing the gild. For this operation, glass,agate, flint, sea shells, insects are used dependingon the nature of the surface to be polished. Theburnishing process makes both the sized and unsizedpapers' surfaces smooth and shiny. The flatand wide burnishers made of glass are preferredto burnish the papers. Zermuhre is the one to polishthe gold. In illumination, after being brushedthe gold is polished with this burnisher. Smoothand slippery stones such as agate or jade are usedto polish the gold. That is because the shiny andthe matt gold make a good composition together,some of the parts are polished directly and someparts are polished indirectly to be matt.Paint: In ancient times, the colors, used in the illuminationand the paintings except for the gold,are usually made of roots and soil. After beingcrushed into a powder the paints are smashedwith Arabian gum and become ready for use.Navy is the most commonly used color after gold.The contrast of navy and yellow has been used forcenturies as one of the most important featuresof the classical illumination. Today, the importedgouache paints are mostly preferred in coloringillumination designs.Brush: One of the most important materials inillumination is brushes. A high-quality brush alsoplays a role in the success of the work. The brushesused in the illumination are made of animals'thin and soft hair and are named according towhere they are used. Today, sable brushes ofgood quality are preferred.91

Murakka: Murakka is a kind of carton made by gluing papersby the opposite directions of wet sides. The writingsthat are to be prepared as tablet are written onto a sizedand burnished paper, then glued to the murakka and illuminated.The murakkas that are prepared with a speciallyprepared material (alum, gelatin and wheat starch) ensurethe resistance and the permanence of the work.The life of an illuminated work is directly related to the qualityof the material used and their being natural. The booksin our libraries and archives preserve their high quality, newnessand spirit because they were produced with pure gold,natural soil, madder and burnished and quality papers.The masters of the art chose the good of the materialsand used them properly. However; the book artsand illumination find their true identity not by theirmaterials but by the actual mentality that producedthem. That is because it is not possible to separatethe aesthetic side from the meaning. The artists haveproduced their works with not only the visual beautyof form and style but also the meaningfulness of thebeauty, wisdom and contemplation. With the helpof this consciousness, our book arts which have beenmagical and full of energy from the very first beginninghave become the reflections of the spiritual truthsto the material world.Maturity in BindingIslam SECENThe Art of BindingImportant Material isthe LeatherThe art of binding is an art that contains some ofthe traditional handicrafts. The pages written andilluminated come to the bindery to be bound. Thefinal destination point of the book is the bindery. Sothe binder considers himself lucky. Because he seesthe paper, line, illumination and miniatures of thewhole book. Moreover, not only one but thousandsof books come to the bindery. The binder gets anotherinformation from each book.There is not just one person in the bindery. A teamworks in the bindery. According to sources, 30 peoplewere employed in the bindery of the palace. Ofcourse, all of them had different tasks; all of themwere experts in their fields. Outfit of the book, whichis the bind, reflects the contents of the book andis prepared with great care. It must be both strongenough to protect the book and gracious enough toreflect the information, illumination and the periodof the book. It should describe many things with less.The papers of the book come together when thebinder stitches the book. Now it is the time of thebinding. The most important material in the art ofbinding is leather. For a beautiful binding, tight kidleather is preferred. For an elegant binding, the leatheris thinned. Ripsaw is the instrument used to refinethe leather. Wetted skin is compressed between twomarble and prated slowly. This is a very tedious task.The cartons of the binds are specially prepared in thebindery. Today, thin papers and cardboards are glued92

laminary and get the required thickness. The tool thatis used in the adornment of the bind is the mold.According to the contents of the book, the suitablemolds are applied to the cover of the bind. The patternis transferred to the bind of the book with thehelp of the molds. Of course, not every binding coveris made by means of molds. Lake bindings are decoratedwith brush and paint. Likewise jeweled bindingsare jewelry masterpieces.In embellishing of the covers it is generally used thegold. Yellow, red and green are preferred. I would liketo convey to you what our teacher Necmeddin Okyayhas transplanted to us. He used to tell us how thegold turns into the leaf. There is a marble of 40 squarecentimeters. There is a cavern in the marble. Somecoal is burned in this cavern so that the marble getshot. On the marble, a small piece of gold is beatenbetween two parts of gazelle skin. The gold is hammeredfor 30 thousand times. Of course, these blowsare light. The gold becomes thinner by every blow andit parts into four pieces. A piece is taken and beatenagain. This piece spreads again. This process continuesuntil the gold leaves are very thin. The gold leavesbecome so thin that the zerkub (gold beater) is afraidof breathing.The gold used in the books today would be preparedthis way in the past. The gold is used in the cover afterbeing smashed. Gold can be smashed with Arabianglue for hours. The more the gold is smashed, themore fertile it becomes. The bookbinder who adornsthe book covers combines the covers to the book.And the book is ready to keep the information andthe culture for generations. Though there is no end tothe tools in the art of binding, those are the essentialtools to be found in a bindery:Stamp, scissors for carton, maiden, impact press,wheel, stake, press, clamp, mangle, oil stone, bindercaldron, tube, ripsaw, molds, curved knives, scissors,hammers, prickers, nibbling nails, guilloche, compasses,marbles, rulers, cartons, thrown silk, beeswax, Arabianglue, papers, leathers, needles, brushes, gauzes,glues, gold...Since it is difficult to collect all of these materials, thereare so few binders today. That is because he tries todo all the work that is done by 30 people in the bindery.As he cannot find all the materials, he prepareseverything by himself. This much patience, sufferingand labor lead the binder to the maturity. The artistsof binding are those who can maintain the traditionalTurkish art of binding.In order to reach to the maturity in the art, the personshould have reached to his own maturity. Otherwise,the person only deceives himself.93

A Festivity of Colors onThe Ugly Walls of the Cityby Muzaffer S. INANC94

Both the insufficience of green fields, and the ugly look of masses ofconcrete in big cities make our eyes and our spirits feel weary enough, andit sometimes becomes the duty of street painters to cover the faults of thearchitecture which has already lost its spirit. One of these street paintersis Suleyman Yesilce, who took the brush in his hand after the age of 50,stood before the walls and power distribution units in the city, and is stilltrying to uncover the ugly look of the city with his underwater pictures.Never get stunned if you happen to see a dolphin one morning, or if youstumble upon a seaweed. He has probably painted a worn out powerdistribution unit, a desolate building or a school wall while you are asleep.95

Man who has produced structures which are harmoniouswith nature by shaping stone and wood by centuriesnow builds unesthetical, high and ugly walls bydestroying the nature, and then spends great effort tocover this ugly architecture. To do this, he uses animal,flower, wooden house, or stream pictures on these uglywalls. This is probably due to the regret he feels becauseof dismissing the traditional architecture, water,animals and vegetation from their usual places. One ofthe street painters the people in the city have assignedto cover the ugliness in the city is Suleyman Yesilce. Weinterviewed Mr. Yesilce, who carries the rich variety ofsea creatures under water to his canvas and to the wallsof the city, regarding his craft.Mr. Yesilce’s main occupation is printing. He could notreceive a university education after graduating from theMarmara College, and ran his father’s business in BabiÂli. He retired after working in this business for 40years, and rolled up his sleaves for painting, a passionkept alive inside him ever since he was a child. Mr. Yesilcewho hit his first brush stroke on the canvas afterthe age of 50 now paints the power distribution units,schools, pools and villas in Bahcelievler.Began Painting in His Painter Friends’ WorkshopsAs he was studying at the Marmara College, he attendedthe painting courses of the well-known painterHasan Kavruk. Although he could not regularly continueto attend painting courses over the years, after retiring,he makes a definite return, actually a definite beginning,to his passion. Saying “In stead of wasting mytime in teahouses, I wanted to do something in which Ihad already been interested for long”, Mr. Yesilce findshimself in his friends’ painting workshops.Mr. Yesilce who took his beloved brush in his hand in hisfriends’ painting workshops in Sisli and Kadikoy spendsmost of his time especially in Kartal, in the paintingworkshop of the painter Birol can. He combines his talentwith the how tos he learnt from his friends, and apitch white canvas and a pitch black wall opens beforehim like an empty page.Took the Brush and Dove under WaterSuleyman Sirri Yesilce loves painting, but the characteristicthat differentiates him from other people who lovepainting is the fact that he learnt painting gropingly,and improved himself throughout the years. How manypeople can dedicate himself for an art after retiringfrom a totally different job? But Mr. Yesilce has, and hehas dived into a field left untouched by many painters,underwater. “In Kadikoy, we were chatting with friendswho dedicated their years to this art. It was a pleasantchat about the art of painting from the past to ourday. I noticed during that chat that underwater has notpainted so much.” He says, and increases his engagementwith the blue paint.96

15 years ago, Mr. Yesilce allocated one of the roomsin his flat for painting. As he explored the world underwater, his passion for painting got stronger, andhe was more strongly attached to it, thus paintingmore tableauxes regarding the world under water,which eventually did not fit in a small room. He thenrented his modest workshop in Avcilar, where wealso interviewed him. He certainly complains aboutthis workshop where only his painting stand, histable and himself fit. “I wish I had a more roomyworkshop at a more easily accessible place, wheremore people can drop by. Here I’m trying to paint invery tough conditions. Actually, painting under wateris a theme which is not so popular among painters.So we could do better if we were supported abit more.”, He says.Paints The World Under Water onWalls More Than on CanvasApparently, financial difficulties have pushed Mr. Yesilceto different ideas. Both because he did not wantto leave painting which he began at a very late age,and because he had to deal with loads of financialinsufficiencies, the ground where he hit his brushhas changed. The painter who carried his underwaterpictures on canvas before now paints on walls aswell. He creates so many works of art on this newground that the underwater pictures on the wallsof the districts he works increase rapidly. Do notget stunned if you run into a dolphin once you turnaround the corner on a street in Istanbul, or if youstumble upon a seaweed. It is probably Mr. Yesilcewho painted a deserted building, a power distributionunit, or a school wall, ornamenting them withunderwater creatures while you are asleep.“This is all I do / I paint the sky every morning / Whileyou are all asleep. / You wake up, and see that it’s blue.”Years ago, Poet Orhan Veli must have written thispoem for painters who love blue. Just like thepainter he describes in the poem, Mr. Yesilce toopaints the ugly walls in the city with a brush in hishand. When the municipality of Bahcelievler learntabout his talent, he gave all the power distributionunits in the district at his disposals. Regardlessof bad weather conditions, Mr. Yesilce began topaint Bahcelievler all over with his brush and acrylicpaints, and he still have more than a hundred powerdistribution units to paint.The deserted buildings sometimes turn into an oldOttoman house, or a bakery. Sometimes an old auntyis waiting for his son at the window, or sometimesTom and Jerry are chasing each other in the middleof the street. Mr. Yesilce says that the required timefor painting a power distribution unit depends on theweather conditions and the need. In around a week,though, the power distribution units or walls we feelscared of passing by become so beautiful and realisticthat one feels like knocking on the door of a houseor a school. It will not be exaggeration if we said thatithey become no different than a Safranbolu house ifthey are also varnished.98

The Colorful Power Distribution Unitswere Liked Very WellCertainly, a painter who paints the walls with his brushin the middle of the street attracts the attention of thepassers by. It may even cause funny incidents especiallyif these passers by are not from Bahcelievler. Mr. Yesilcehas experienced such incidents as well. Once, for instance,while he was painting a power distribution unitlike a kinder garten, a lady with a child in her hand cameup to him and asked when the kindergarten would beopened after having a few tours around the power distributionunit. Mr. Yesilce says that he likes it better whenpeople think that the things I am painting are realistic.Another time, an old man who tried to open the doorof a power distribution unit bakery painted by Mr. Yesilcecould not manage to open its door, and went tothe other bakery around.The Wall painter also complains about the power distributionunits he paints. Actually, his complaint is notabout the power distribution units, but about the residentsof these units, namely the palaces, bakery or kindergartens.Stating that the question he is most oftenasked is about how long a painted power distributionunit will last, Mr. Yesilce adds that it will last for years ifthe residents embrace it and do not write on them withairesole paints at nights.He paints 3D tableauxes as wellEveryone can understand that Mr. Yesilce is a fan of theworld under water even with a glimpse at his workshop.What is interesting, however, is the fact that he has neverhad a diving experience. In stead, he has watched lotsof documentaries and followed periodicals regardingthe life in the sea. “I’ve never had a diving experience,but water is still a passion inside me. The documentariesI watch and the books I read are all about the seas. Theygive me ideas and knowledge”. He says, and adds thathe collects star fish, mussel shells, gravels and seaweedsat the coast in Avcilar.Mr. Yesilce who aims to gather in a tableaux whateveris available in the sea first dries the products he collectsfrom the coast. He then paints them by the help of thecombinations he created in his brain, and glues themto the tableaux with various glues. This passion has becomeso strong in Mr. Yesilce that one day he bought ayoung dead shark, emptied it out, and mummied it likea sculpture.The Summary of a Passion from Printing to PaintingSuleyman Sirri Yesilce is a figure who can set the pacefor many people who have the passion for arts. Mr. Yesilce,who began painting after retiring from his occupationhe performed for 40 years, learnt the art of paintinggropingly, and has painted tens of power distributionunits, deserted buildings and school walls with dazzlingcolors, is the living proof of the fact that the doors toarts are open to everyone regardless of their phase inlife. His works of art may not cost a lot in auctions, or hemay not be receiving invitations from exhibitions, but hepaints the world under water which is his passion, andhe exhibits his works of art in the open air gallery visitedby all the passers by in the city.99

On the Zoomorphic1Originsof the Rumi Motive*Prof. Dr. Selcuk MULAYIM**The rich variety of forms used in the Central Asian Anatolian Turkishdecorative arts has recently become the topic of more detailed research.In addition to the rich variety and numerosity of the motives, figures,writings and geometrical shapes used, any of these categories havebeen noticed to be able to give examples of a typological trajectoryin and of itself. All the research done on the preottoman periods hasshown that herbal themes have always been the most preferred typeof decoration within the general decoration programme. During thisshort paper, we will try to analyse the emergence phases of a motivecalled “Rumi”, which is considered as an herbal motive.Hypotheses which aim to prove that theRumi motives are actually based on animalfigures became more distinct in the work byJ. Strzygowski (1862-1941), and continuedto be defended both by C. E. Arseven (1875-1971), and by later art historians. This hypothesiswhich was attempted to be provenwith a few examples by the aforementionedresearchers keeps raising curiosity amongthe interested since it does not contain athorough and systematic information aboutthe emergence phases of the motive, andis always accompanied by a question marksince the basic logic behind its developmentaldynamics has not yet been explored.It is not sufficient in researches on art historyto merely describe the motives and themesused since this does not explain the societalchange that triggers a change in the artisticperception. Within this context, the socialcontent of the zoomorphic transformationshould be interpreted in order to explore theorigin problem of the Rumis within the Turkishart history. Thus, the purpose of this shortpaper is to analyse with a few examples, towhat extent and in what context this changewas claimed.Though Rumi is associated by Anatolia interms of its name, it is a motive that was frequentlyused in the Karakhanid, Ghaznavid,Abbasid, Andalusian and Fatimi decorationsbefore the Seljuki period. Its usage in decorationlasts until the end of the Ottoman pe-Shape-3100

iod. The name of the term, however, has anetimological intimacy with Anatolia only. Asknown, the word “rûm”, which means thecountry of the Romans, is used sometimesin order to describe the hole territories, andsometimes to explain the political structurein these lands. Just as the Seljuks who choseKonya as a center for themselves were called"Selâcika-i Rûm" (Anatolian Seljuks), thenames Bilad-i Rum, and Mevlana CelaleddinRumi have become generics as well. As far asour research is concerned, the term Rumi wasbeing commonly used in mid 16th century todefine the decorative term we know today.Mustafa Ali of Gelibolu (1541-1599) who weknow with his work called Menakib'ul-Hunerveranuses the term in the decorative contextin another work of his called Mevaidu'n-Nefâis fî Kavaidu'l-Mecâlis.The form called Rumi consists of a body in theshape of a fattish comma, and a round shapeattached to its sharp end. It may devaricate in2 pieces, or violates the generaldescription with body variationsthat are sliced with vanes. It maybecome longer, shorter or takedifferent forms. Although thecomposition in decoration generallylooks like waterleaves, whatis generally felt when looked ata standalone rumi motive is aggressive,scary, stinging motivesthat are branched in curls. An animallikecharacter which makesagile turning movements makesitself more obvious in details. In other terms,the moves of an animal, namely a snake, adragon, or any other ancient legendary creatureseems to come out of ancient fairy tales.Shape-4In early ages, namely before the 10th century,animals had an important status in thelives of Turks. The calendar that divided thetime into slices is known as the calendar withanimals. This calendar symbolized years withanimal figures.It is a fact that the art and culture of everysociety is related to more ancient historicallayers. Neither Seljukis, nor Ottomans are exceptionalto this. It is clearly seen that art aswell reached a turning point with the conversionof Turks into Islam.Some think that Turks had quite a difficultywhile adapting to this new discipline, whileothers think that it was not very difficult. Itshould not be possible, though, to formulatethis problem with a single statement. Thistransformation may be explained in the bestway only by analysing the related examples.A bronze standard (shape 1) that was foundin the Kuban region of the Caucasus looks inShape-2terms of its general figures like the head of araptorial. Dated around 500 BC, this bronzeis smaller than 30 CMs, and looks like it is inthe evolution process of a Rumi motive withits beak and the curls under its eyes as wellas at the back of its head. These signs thatwere obvious at least 1200 years before theemergence of the Islamic art are noteworthy.On the golden plate dated about a centurylater than the bronze standard, (shape 2),which is now exhibited in the Ermitaj Museumin Leningrad, a griphon attacking a horseis described. In addition to some Rumilikeforms in the details which can be seen on thewings of the griphon, the fact that all of thefigures on the plate which is about 12 CMswide are curled in the shape of the letter Smakes the plate look like having herbal patterns.The metal object found in the Krasnokutskregion of the Northern Blacksea lookslike the Pioneer of the Islamic decorative artwith symmetrically arranged horse headlikeforms, curls and tiny circular forms. Also,Shape-1Shape-5101

Shape-6Shape-13another finding found in Haromzek, Hungary,(shape 4), considered to belong to step tribes, isan iron dagger with the animal heads under itshandle, the curls of which are very close to Rumimotives. Symmetrical griphons on a golden beltbuckle found in Syberia which can not be givena certain date, but definitely belongs to the 5thcentury BC are very close to compositions thatare generally seen in the Islamic decoration andcalled Arabesque.It is always possible to see the deep influenceof the Asian style of animal figures in certain regionswhere the Islamic arts have become widespread,and especially in Mesopotamia, Iran andAnatolia, where the Turkish population is moredense. A piece of a barbecue grill that belongsto the first half of the 13. Century, which isexhibited in the Grenoble Museum (Shape 6)has many things in common with the Syberianfinding which describes the struggle betweena griphon and a horse, which is at least 1700years older. A dragon curled in the shape of anS surrounds the body of a lion. This example isnoteworthy in terms of emphasizing the interconnectionbetween 2 cultures.Shape-10to around 1270 are the most beautiful examplesof dragon forms on the tail. (shape 8). Thedouble dragon composition seen on the doorknobsof the Great Mosque in Cizre (shape 9)is important both in terms of the wings, andthe griphons on the tail part. The best examplesthat describe the transformation of the dragonson the tails of the figures into Rumi, however,are found in Tas Han (the stone inn) and the TasMadrassah in Afyon Cay. (shape 10). An exactprocess of transformation into Rumi is seen inboth these works dated 1278, and made bycarving the stone. The wing ends of the doubleeagle head composition which decorates theShape-9102One of the marble plates that is considered tobelong to Ghaznavid palaces, (shape 7), givesthe most typical example of the griphon figureattached to herbal compositions. We can see inthis work dated to the beginning of the 12thcentury, all the details of the phases of a fantasticcreature transforming into herbal forms.The wings and the tail of the figure are the elementsthat play the most dynamic role in thistransformation. The transformation of griphonor dragon figures into herbal forms is a fairlyfrequently seen fenomenon. Kavs Bastions thatare seen in a work by Nasreddin Sivasî, datedShape-8Shape-7eastern door of the Great Mosque in Divrigicurl to transform into dragons. (Shape 11 and12). This detail can not be seen in the Rumicomposition immediately when looked at a distance.The examples that we will take a look atafter this example dated 1228 are seen on thewooden gate of the masjid in the Aksehir Castle,and are dated to the end of the 13th century.(shape 13). The dragons and griphons onthe angle beads of the symmetrically arrangedcomposition look as if they are embedded intoan herbal composition. It is almost impossible tonotice the figures unless looked very carefully.

Shape-12The Rumi forms in the Anatolian Seljukiarts remind of their zoomorphic origins instone decorations as well. In the KaratayInn dated to 1241, the decorations nearthe crown arch (shape 14), and on bothsides of the entrance, (shape 15) both theattachment of the animal figure to plants,and a Rumi form which still preserves itszoophormic origins is noteworthy. Anothereven more interesting example is seenon the side niche boarder of the Incirhanicrown gate. (shape 16). With this exampledated 1249, we come to the end of thepart where we have presented segmentswe have coppied from a 2000-year periodto identify the role of the animallike figuresin the emergence of the Rumi motive.The thematical undecisiveness seen onthe Seljuki works in Anatolia show theinsistence and resistance in keeping alivethe ancient Anatolian believes that wereabout to disappear. The thematic inklingof the Turkish art in early periods, namelyduring periods where the Islamic believeshad not yet been able to reflect their influenceon arts was zoophormic. The wildliveliness which mostly showed itself in theworld of animals and fantastic creaturesbrings along the notions of a neverendingcompetition, winning and losing. All thecomposition reflects a scenery of a creepystruggle between spirits that flow throughthe arts in steps, such an athmospheretrembling during the entire composition.What is actually meant to be expressed isthe effort of the human being to use hisenergy which he thinks is endless in orderto fulfill his endless desires, and the wayof expressing this is representing this energywhich resists against spirits that areembedded in the darkness by using theanimals. For this reason, the style whichtransferred the spiritual enthusiasms of thisperiod to arts is called the animal style.When this style is introduced to Islam anddives into the system of its believes, it comesto the realisation that all the relations andnotions on life and human beings are actuallymore different than how it thought theywere before. It loses its speed, slows down,and stops in order to listen to the messageof the new belief system. The human beingwho gets rid of fairies, spirits, totems andjinns, and is wrapped around the protectiveblanket of submission to a single God, in asense gets rid of all that gruelling and neverendingstruggles as well, by dedicating everythinghe has to that single creator. The newbelief answers each and every question thatcould come to mind, and a permanent balanceit has on all types of relations becomesobvious. Within this context, art will progresswith an expression which has already resolvedits inner paradoxes, and transformedinto balanced geometrical rules.The dominance of the animals in the Dedekorkutstories is replaced by the dominanceof plants with Yunus Emre a fewcenturies later. Likewise, the process oftransformation into Rumi motives whichbegan with the findings in Eurasia thatbelonged to the 5th and 4th centuries BCbecomes faster. The figures of animals andfantastic creatures begin to transform intoherbal motives, because nomads have becomesettled, and totemists have begun toconvert to monotheistic believes. Certainly,this change did not happen in the blink ofan eye. Animals could survive for yet anotherwhile by hiding behind Rumi shapedherbal forms.Shape-11Shape-14Shape-15Shape-16103

The Harem in the Topkapi Palace,The Sultan’s Palaceby Sudenaz DOGANLife in the Harem is by far the most misunderstood phenomenon regarding the Ottoman history. Hence, to correctthese misunderstandings caused mostly by the unrealistic, imaginative descriptions of orientalist painters andauthors who describe the Harem as a place where there is lust and pleasure all the time, the Ministry of Culture andTourism arranged an exhibition in the Topkapi Palace. The exhibition called “The Harem in the Topkapi Palace, theSultan’s Palace revealed the least known aspects of the Harem. Around 300 objects that belonged to sultans, theirwives and children were exhibited in the exhibition prepared in order to describe the Harem in the most realistic way.104

It is in the nature of humans to be curious about,and contemplate on, what is behind closeddoors. It is probably due to this curiosity thatone of the first thing that comes to mindabout the Ottoman Empire is the Harem.For centuries, the Harem, which hostedthe mother of the Sultan, the wives ofSultans, their children, their brothersand sisters and hand maidens, andwhere no strangers were allowed,have been a source of curiosity.This privately protected, hidden set ofbuildings that belonged to the dynastyand that contain about 300 rooms, 9 Turkishbaths, 2 mosques, 1 hospital, 1 laundryroom and quite a few wards, were used fromthe 15th century until the middle of the 19thcentury. Westerner artists and authors have madeunrealistic, imaginative descriptions about Harem,the entrences and walls of which were ornamentedwith Quranic verses and hadiths, and where theywere never allowed to enter. Actually, contrary towhat they think, the Ottoman life was highly conservativecompared to the life in the Westerner palaces.In all the Ottoman palaces visited in order to seethe traces of the Ottoman Empire which reignedover the World for about 600 years, and tostrawl on the paths that those who belongedto the dynasty once walked, the Harem hasalways been the part which attracts the mostattention. What lies under this interest and curiosity,though, is the false opinion that the Haremwas full of lust and pleasure, which stemmed fromthe wrong and malign descriptions of the western authors and painters. Also,the historical series broadcast on TV channels to increase the rating of the channel hascaused the interest in the lives of Sultans, their children, and the hand maidens. However,the fact that these series, which are criticized by some for not reflecting the reality, and byothers for humiliating the Ottoman Empire bring the highest rating is the best proof showingthat we as a nation have utmost curiosity to the private life in the Ottoman palaces.The Shahzadah Ceramony CaftanUsing the interest of people in the private life lead in the Ottoman palaces as a chance,the Ministry of Culture and Tourism arranged an exhibition in the Topkapi Palace in orderto correct the wrong and missing information that both Turks and theforeigners have about the Harem. The purpose of the exhibition called“The Harem in the Topkapi Palace, the Sultan’s Palace” was to reflectthe least known aspects of the Harem in the most realistic way.Prof. Dr. Ilber Ortayli also states that the Harem was not the place oflust and pleasure as thought by many, but it was a place of education.In his book “The Topkapi Palace with Its Buildings and Events”, thewell-known historian states that for 115 years as of Mehmed the Conqueror,none of the sultans died in the Topkapi Palace, emphasizingthat the Harem was not the place of lust and pleasure. Pointing to thematters and events regarding the Ottoman Empire that are incorrectlyknown, Ilber Ortayli writes the following statements: “The Harem was

very much like the school of boys in the Palace interms of educating the hand maidens. Most of thehand maidens raised in the Harem would be weddedto those from the school of boys, and theseladies would reflect their culture and traditionswherever they went.” The book which describesthe center of the empire in detail not only takesthe reader to the most glorious days of the mostimportant palace of a certain period, but alsohelps us explore many aspects that we do notquite know ranging from the daily life in thepalace, to the Ottoman protocole.Horse set for childrenThe Harem Reality in the Exhibition Regarding the HaremThe exhibition called “The Harem in the Topkapi Pallace, the Sultan’s Place” preparedby the management of the Topkapi Museum met the visitors in the Has Ahirslocated on the second yard of the palace. Around 300 objects that belonged tosultans, their wives and children were exhibited in the exhibition prepared in orderto describe the least known aspects of the Harem in the most realistic way. In theexhibition which consisted of 4 sections, the Harem which was managed withan unprecented hierarchy was described to the visitors via the masterpieces anddocuments in the collections of the Topkapi Museum.While the architecture of the Harem was described in the first section of theexhibition with miniatures, gravures and maps, the second section, with adheranceto the hierarchical structure of the Harem, described the lives of theHarem Agas and hand maidens, who were the keepers and the servants ofthe Harem. The third section mostly focused on the mothers and wives ofSultans, their children and sisters, emphasizing their lives in the Harem,their education, and their place in the hierarchy.In this section where the most beautiful examples of the Ottoman Art wasexhibited, a letter from Hurrem Sultan to Suleyman the Magnificent, a handkerchiefand a forehead band that belonged to Hurrem Sultan, and the ceals of HaticeTurhan Sultan, Cemile Sultan, Adile Sultan and the Baskadin Efendi were noteworthy.Letters between Sultans and mothers of Sultans, samples of clothes such as dresses, beltsand hats, boxes ornamented with precious stones, and various objects for daily use wereamong the pieces that were exhibited. In the 4th part of the exhibition, the daily life,feasts and traditions in the Harem were described via masterpieces and visuals.The paintings which described the segments of life in the Harem and other objects exhibitedduring the exhibition gave important clues regarding the life in the Harem. On thepainting by Jean Baptiste le Prince made in the 18th century, for instance, a hand maidenwas depicted while offerinng coffee to a young lady who was smoking a long pipe. Weunderstand from this painting that smoking tobacco was allowed in the palace. The clothingof the young lady and the maid, the young lady’s hair ornamented with pearls and arose, the pipe and the coffee pot was described in a realistic way. Also, a heavy chest setornamented with lots of motives made with the firuzekâri technique was among the mostbeautiful objects exhibited. The kabason, ruby or turquoise stones in the goldenplacements on top of the chest piece were very striking.The Bride’s Brooch With Diamond,And The Crest Were DazzlingThe section where the lives of shahzadahs from their birth to their rise to thethrone was also one of the most interesting sections in the exhibition. Theclothes of the shahzadahs, their education utensils, and miniatures whichdescribed their circumsesion feasts and ceramonies to be bannermen were106

The caged London from the end of the 18th centuryand the beginning of the 19th centuryamong those exhibited. In the exhibition where thethronements of Sultans were also described, exhibitedwere symbols of sultanate such as crests, writing kits,hangers and water bottles, the ceramony caftan, andthe Golden Road tiles where the enthroned Sultan issaid to scatter gold upon the Harem residents.The motives on the caftan which is ornamented withspot and peleng motives, the main characteristic motivesof the Ottoman art, were interpreted as the symbolof the sultanate with the spots on the leopard firwhich look like the fir of a tiger. The silk and cottonwoven caftan which belongs to the 17th century wasamong the most important objects exhibited.The caged london was also one of the prominent elementsof the exhibition. The top of the car which belongedto the end of the 18th century and the beginningof the 19th century was arranged in the shape ofa rectangular room with wood carvings and inlays. Inaddition, the windows of the green and gilded londonwere caged with a wooden cage as well. The gildedand carved wooden date tree figure on the front longbowsystem was worth seeing. As known, the datetree is found in the heaven according to the Islamicbelief, and connotes to endless life. The interior part iscovered with a Bordeaux velvet cloth, stylized branch,leaf, bow-tied bouquet and 6 armed star motives wereapplied on the cloth.In addition, the golden collar from the 16th century,the emerald earring which belonged to the palacecollections in the 18th century, the hand fan whichis ornamented with precious stones and is from the19th century, and the diamond bride’s brooch as wellas the diamonded crest which belonged to Adile Sultan,Sultan Mahmut the 2nd’s daughter, were amongthe most prominent objects exhibited in the exhibitionwhich was sponsored by the Bilkent Culture Entrepreneurshipand TAV Airports. The diamonded bride’sbrooch was prepared to be hung on the sarcophagusof Fatima, Prophet Muhammed’s daughter.Another thing which attracted our attention in the exhibitionwas the fact that the clothes of the maids andsultans were not similar to what we always see on theTV series. They were not cleavage with, for instance,and they were not very glittering. The clothes worn bymaidss had simple, but elegant lines. It was probablyone of the purposes of the exhibition to destroy theprejudices about the maids in the Harem.After seeing all the sections in the exhibition, we wishthat it will serve its purpose by destroying the prejudicesthe visitors may have about the life in the Harem,and correcting any wrong information, replacing themwith reliable knowledge.107

The Blue Doors of TunisiaThe Article and The Photos by Metin YUKSELThroughout our lives, many doors open ahead of us. Sometimes we hesitate to enter them, and sometimes we runthrough them towards the new entrance ahead. Sometimes we stay at the door While sometimes the doors closeso we stay outside. Door is an important metaphore in our language, and lots of our idioms have the word “door”.Sometimes it opens, and sometimes it closes. When the doors of Tunisia opened before us, we were unaware thatthe doors in Tunisia would be the things that would leave the most lively imprint in our minds. Certainly, our aim togo to Tunisia was not only to see its doors, yet Tunisia can be visited only for its beautiful doors as well.108

The engagement of the human beings with doors beginsas soon as he is born into the world. Just as the master poetAsik Veysel expresses, we walk day and night in a 2-door inn.The adventure of life begins and ends with doors. Existing,being born and beginning the life is the first door frame, andthen the human being passes through the door of life.Throughout his life, lots of doors of chance open ahead ofhim. Some doors close at his face, and sometimes he slamsdoors with anger. He sometimes regrets not having the courageto open a door he has long been waiting at with excitement.Sometimes the beloved is behind a door, and hespends great efforts to reach her. The efforts may not yieldany results, and the door may not allow him to pass. He issometimes afraid of high gates. A door is also the cover thathides the wondered, and the human being may wonderwhat is behind a certain door. He may thus spend all his lifethinking what is behind the door we could not open.Some doors make us feel afraid, and some scare us. Yet othersgive us the tidings of joy. One passes to the climate ofpeace from the glorious door of the Suleymaniye Mosque.Sometimes, though, glorious doors open to fear. Sometimesa human may walk to slavery through glorious doors. Hemay serve at someone’s door, or find the real peace at thedoor of God Almighty, the owner of all doors. He enters hisflat, his palace or hut, always passing a door. Despair makesone wander from door to door. We never want to walk pastthe doors closed at our face.We explore the splendor the human being has reached inarchitecture, art and culture, by passing through doors, inTurkey, in China, in Egypt, in Ozbekistan, in India, in short,all around the world.Doors are signs of civilisation in Europe, in Asia, in MiddleEast, in Africa, namely everywhere in the world. With theircolors and their splendor, they convey to us many importantmessages regarding the country they are in. Just as theones in Tunisia, the colorful country in Africa. If I were askedwhat impressed me most during the one week I stayed inTunisia, I would say, with no hesitation, “the doors!”Lots of Reasons to Visit TunisiaCertainly, our aim was not only to see the doors of Tunisiawhen we visited this country. However, Tunisia canbe visited only for the sake of its beautiful doors as well.Let me first set the stage, though, by writing my impressionsabout Tunisia. I have no idea about the other Arabiccountries, but spring has really come to Tunisia. In thecountry where the Arab Spring was kicked off, peoplenow see a brighter and a more hopeful future when theylook ahead. Firstly the capital Tunisia, and the other big citiesof the country, feel the excitement and enthusiasm ofthe spring. All the different groups within the society arerepresented in the government assembled after the revolution.The street committees gathered by the youth ofdifferent opinions help democracy and gained freedomshave stronger roots.

Tunisia is the pearl of the Mediterranean. With its coastswhich are about 1200 kms long, it is a country where thosewho love the sea, the sun and beaches meet. Tourism is thusgranted great importance in the country. The Tunisian Ministryof Tourism spends great efforts to introduce the historicaland the cultural heritage of the country.Tunisia, the capital, is the most populated city in the country.The Habib Burgiba Boulevard which runs through theentire city also hosted the demonstrations during the revolution.Demonstrations take place on the boulevard every day,though not bloody as before. People express their opinionsin great maturity. Noone judges the other according to theirlife style or opinions. A precise environment of liberty.The streets of the country, as well as the historical bazaar builtduring the reign of the Ottoman Empire attracts great attentionfrom tourists. No safety issue on the streets. Touristsstrawl on the streets with utmost comfort. Tunisia attractsthe attention of Turkey as well. Tunisia does not apply visaon Turkish nationals. Tunisians express their love and sympathyfor Turks in shopping centers, bazaars, public offices,shortly pretty much everywhere. The favourite country of theTunisian youth is Turkey. People watch Turkish series at home.The government has even added into the curriculum the Turkishlanguage as an ellective lesson in schools. I guess even thesefacts only suffice to convince a Turk to go see Tunisia.Hammamat and Susa are two cities which attract greatattention from tourists. Hammamat, (baths) is very closeto the capital. Not only the old city and the luxurious hotels,but also the vacation towns in the city attracts touristsfrom all over the World. The mediterranean beacheswhich are kilometres long are breath taking. The service inthe hotels, though not as high level as the service offeredin the hotels in Turkey, is still fairly pleasant. Lots of wellknownsingers perform concerts in the antique theater bythe sea. By the way, it is also possible to listen to live Tunisianmusic in the hotel lobbies and cafes. Susa, one of thetouristic cities in Tunisia, is only 140 kms away from thecapital. It is the third biggest city in the country. Anothercharacteristic of Susa is the fact that it is a meeting pointfor westerner golf players. Susa as well is worth seeingwith its mosques, bazaars and antique regions.110

Tunisians are warm people. When you ask them something,or the way to somewhere, they immediatelyguide you to the place you want to go. The best characteristicof Tunisia for tourists is the fact that the historicaland touristic places in the country are very closeto the capital. Cartaca, an old Roman city, for instance,is only 60 KMs away from the capital.Sidi Bou Said: The City with Blue DoorsOne of the most interesting city in the country is SidiBou Said. If we wish to roughly describe what the cityis like, we can say that it resembles a little bit to Greekislands, and a little bit to Bodrum. It is a town of whitewashedhouses with blue blinds and blue doors underthe blue sky, which contains all the characteristics thatmake Tunisia how it is. If you want to go to a peaceful,relaxing place, this is the right address for you.Sidi Bou Said is a cool city which is worth seeing withits whitewashed houses with blue doors. It is the pearlof Tunisia. Just as in most places on earth, doors areentrances to private life in Tunisia as well. Wide andpeaceful yards behind high walls are reached throughthese doors. Contrary to the wooden and carveddoors at the Ottoman Bazaar in the Capital, though,the doors in Sidi Bou Said are of iron. The embroiderieson the cold iron, however, have made the doorsworks of art, making the metal feel warmer for thosewho see the doors.Tunisians love spending time in front of their blue doors.Blue sky, white walls and blue doors. The houses withblue doors under the blue sky offer an unprecentedbeauty to those who visit the city. When you opena modest little blue door, large and peaceful houseswhere dozens of people live welcome you. By the way,in addition to its doors, bazaars, historical and culturalheritage, delicious Tunisian foods are also waiting foryou in elegant restaurants by the sea. Continuouslyblowing breeze reduce the affect of the scoarching sun.Tourists along coasts enjoy both the sea, and the sun.When we visit Tunisia, we better understand why Tunisianscall their revolution the Jasmine Revolution. Becausecities during nights are full of jasmine fragrence.111

Ottoman CultureProducts from Qadi Registersby Prof. Dr. H. Orcun BARISTA*Together with commercial contracts, official documents, memories and travelbooks, various written sources such as documents and notebooks includingofficial correspondence belongs to Ottoman Empire, information derived fromvisual sources such as miniature, gravure, painting, photograph have a placein ethnography of wide Ottoman Geography.Istanbul Office of Mufti Ser'iyye Registers Archive Book Heraldry of Abdulhamit II.112

The Sources ofOttoman EthnographyBesides Republic of Turkeymuseum and private collections,cultural artifacts in museumsand collections in foreigncountries reveal wealthy ethnographicproducts remainedfrom Ottoman Empire. Usuallydated to late period of OttomanEmpire, in other words after18th century, a group of objectivesamples of this material culturecalled as handicrafts-ornamentingare dated to 16th -17th Centuriesin other words, to classical period.Some pieces of these productswhich ones belong to classical periodconsisted of ones used in the palaceand outside the palace startingfrom the 15th century, are exhibitedin museums such as Topkapi PalaceMuseum and Turkish and Islamic ArtMuseum. Late period samples forminga large group that are from outsidethe palace, are exhibited either in ethnographymuseums or in ethnographydepartments of some archaeology museums.Limited samples of palace and itssurrounding make it impossible to makean overview to pieces remained fromclassical period. Some relation problemsoccur between these cultural artifactsand samples from outside the palace.This situation create some scientific gapabout objective sources of classical periodthat are material products of culture whichpeople used in their daily life. This situationalso makes hard to evaluate material culturecreatures entirely in a chronological flow line, and itrequires applying on written and visual sources.As is known Ethnography comes from Greek ethnos:folk/people and grapho: to write ( In Dt. Ethnographie,in Fr. Ethnographic, in Tr. Etnografya). “Ethnographydescribes various folks’ way of life, thoughts,material and moral cultural items systematically. Beingas a branch of Anthropography, Ethnography is alsoknown as descriptive ethnology.” 1 In our country ethnographymuseums are less in number. Folk ScienceMuseum studies and handicrafts 2 are developing.Studies and publications upon them are less, too. Inother words between written and visual sources andA sight of Books in Istanbul Office of Mufti Ser'iyye Registers Archivematerial culture products exhibited in museums, aconnection in desirable level could not be made yetand it could not be taken a view back to pre-20thsamples properly.In stage of identifying cultural items in the past, exceptfrom objective samples in museums, informationin written and visual sources is very important. In thisregard, Together with commercial contracts, officialdocuments, memories and travel books, various writtensources such as documents and notebooks includingofficial correspondence belongs to Ottoman Empire,information derived from visual sources such asminiature, gravure, painting, photograph have a placein ethnography of wide Ottoman Geography.113

An Overview of Written Sourcesin Ottoman EthnographyAs is known, with Topkapi Palace Museum RecordNo. D. 97067/5804, dated 1525, notebook 3, documentingmasters organized in palace and their products,reached from Ottoman Empire period today.Such that notebook, Ehl-i Hiref notebooks 4 ,havinginformation about palace records, works of artificersand masters, dated 1640 Narh Notebook 5,including quality and quantity and prices of itemsproduced for people outside the palace, official documentsprotected by some establishments are creatingvaluable written sources. Among them, documentsin Republic of Turkey Prime Ministry GeneralDirectorate of State Archives, General Directorate ofOttoman Archive, such as Firmans 6, Irade, charter,muhime notebooks, establishment of Evkaf-i Humayunin 1255 (1839 Chr.), after this date Meclis-i Vasla,Bab-i Ali Document room Sadaret Papers and EvkafIrade 7 taking place of Hatt-i Humayun draw attention.Except from this archive, there is information indocuments in Topkapi Palace Archive, in DirectorateGeneral of Foundations Archive, Istanbul Office ofMufti Ser’iyye (Qadi) Registers Archive. Samples canbe given to publications made in accordance with thesearch of this papers.8 The Seyahatname of EvliyaCelebi can be belonged to 17th Century.Ser’iyye Registers (Qadi Registers)Importance of Tereke UnitsIn this sense Qadi Registers in Istanbul Office of MuftiSer’iyye Registers Archive which belong to courtssuch as Uskudar, Istanbul, Bab, Galata, Eyup, Balat,Haskoy, Rumeli Sadaret, create important writtensources. The same situation is matter of notebooksprotected in places such as Prime Ministry OttomanArchive. This is handling the same time period andthe dates after them, Istanbul and outside Istanbul9. It is about different time periods cities such as Bolu10, Antalya 11, together with Qadi Registers (Ser’iyyeRegisters), some of them were published, regardingCommunity of Ehl-i Hiref of 18th Century. Moresamples can be given.Material cultural products, in units of Qadi Registerssuch as tereke, muhallefat, hibe etc., are completinginformation derived from extant objective samples.They enlighten Ottoman Ethnography from the beginningof 16th Century. These include valuable informationabout especially extant objective samplesfrom outside the palace, quality and quantity ofportable material cultural items belongs to 16th and17th century and terminology.114The cupboards in the archives of the registers that belong to the Mufti Office of Istanbulare valuable also because they were made in the hands of Sultan Abdulhamid the 2nd.

What we aimed in this article is that: Specifyingof material cultural items used by people fromoutside the palace in 16th and 17th centuries, inQadi Registers, Uskudar Law Court with number1,2,5,9,14,17,26,51,56,84 and Istanbul Law Court withnumber 3,12,18 and Eyup Law Court with number 74.They have been prepared by Turkish Religious FoundationCentre for Islamic Studies, published in cooperationwith Istanbul 2010 Europe Capital of CultureAgency. Another aim is to make literary review of agroup of noun phrase, and terminology under titlessuch as tereke, muhallefat, hibe etc. and to take theinitiative to prepare a database for written source supportingobjective sources in Ottoman Ethnographystudies. Article is restricted 15 by Uskudar Law Courtwith number 1,2,5,9,14,17,26,51,56,84, dated 16thCentury, with number 3,12,18 and Eyup Law Courtwith number 74, dated 17th Century Qadi Registers,prepared by Turkish Religious Foundation Centre forIslamic Studies, Istanbul Law Court, published in cooperationwith Istanbul 2010 Europe Capital of CultureAgency. It includes some terminology and nounphrases about material cultural items.16th CenturyWoodwork: wooden dish, round wooden brass,wooden plate, board saw, barrel, ironmongery basket,stool, coffer, basket, kneading troughGlazingwork: Glass, bottleLeatherwork: Bergama baboosh, a pair of modelbaboosh, boot, Gekvize baboosh ma'a edik, ic eduk,mesh, buff, baboosh, baboosh eduk, sandik-i baboosh,yellow baboosh, three little modelsWeavingwork:Coloured weavingworks: Basma package, basmacushion , basma pillow, basma blanket, colouredkepenek, red basma, yemeni blanketHome textile products: package, bed lining, dosek,dosek with two sides , pillow with two sides, sekerparecushion , pillow, blanket , pillow for face.Clothes: Agriz kaftan, ak cember,ak kaftan, ak saya,alaca destimal, alaca pestamal, aseli, asumani kapama,avare, cuha kaftan, basma cember, bas bezi, beldolamasi, bez kaftan, boyali bez, bork, burgu, buruncekcember, big makreme, cubbe, caksir, cekmecaksir, cember, cuha kaftan, destimal, dolama kaftan,don, gloves, futa, gok kaftan, gok bez kaftan, shirt,shirt for hamam, hamayil, ibrisim kusak, kaban, kaftan

Signature of Abdulhamit II on the cupboardsin Istanbul Office of Mufti Ser'iyye Registers Archiveavare, kaftan, kapama cuha, keseli, kulak makremesi,kir kaftan, kizil aba yelek, kizil sebb kulah, kusak,kulah, mucevveze, oglan feracesi, ortme, pece, pecemakremesi, pestamal, hair bound, sateen caksir, sirmadolamac, black cember, black ferace ma’a kohnekurk, shalwar, seb kulah, takke, takke-i kadife, threenatamam in loom shirt, tuman, tulbent burgu, vest,green cuha kaftan, wool kusak, top cukaFabric: Ak carsaf, malticoloured destimal, malticolouredpurple cuka, benek carsaf, buruncek destimal,calma, catma, cuka, dosek beledi, dulbentburgu, gok cuka, hayali kemha, kadife, kemha, redburuncek cember, red cuka, kutni, melez bez, nefticuka, rida bez, sahi atlas, uskili keten, green muhayyer,tafta, tulbentCarpet: Akli carpet, big carpet, holey carpet, holeybig carpet, carpet, kalice, red carpet, reddy carpet,little prayer rug kalice, prayer rug , nefti kalice,sacakli carpet del’a Yuruk, rolled up carpet, rolledup the smallest kalice, seccade, tall rolled carpet,neat carpet.Embroider: Multicoloured ornamented pillow,blanket carsabi pillow ornamented two sides of it,munakkas carseb, munakkas wall pillow, enahti,mai makrama and kusak, minder-i munakkas, munakkaspillow, ornamented kusak, ornamented pillow,ornamented bed lining, rida ornamentedface pillow, pece dikme,uckur ornamenting, face pillowornamenting.Sealwork: Aba, aba kaftan,aba aseli, aba zibin,arakiye, Bursa kebesi,dimi dosek ma’a seal,dosek kece, dosek surfacekece, Islambol abasizeyn, Imroz kebe, kebe, kebe-i Yanbolu, seal, shepherdseal, kepenek, red aba, vest, reddy kebe, Misriseal, Rumeli kebe, rolled kebe, Selanik kebe, coveringkebe, Yanbolu kebeRug: White rug, rug with white, multicoloured rug,boz kilim,grizzly rug, reddy rug, kebir rug, little rug,laied rug, zili rug.Furwork: Asumani cuka ma’a lamb fur, fur, feracewith fur, slipper covered with fur, kurklu darkbluecuka with fur, post, black ferace ma’a kohnefur,black fur, black nimten ma’a white fur , feracewith red fur and long cuffMetalwork: White brazen trimmings, gold mengus,gold ring, gold earring, golden makrame, cuppertagan, cupper hareni, cupper round tray, cupperfry-pan, cupper ring, bakrac, knife, big bowl, Eginhead esbab, hand pan, gugum, silver spone, silverring , silver chalice, silver clog,silver zeyner,Turkishbath bowl, hirka ring,black bakrac, kazan, redbakrac, reddy bakrac, kusak silvered, little bakrac,little sahan, little bowl, little soucepan, legen, bistoury,brazen trimmings, yellow and gren roundsew, sahan, round tray, sorguc, bowl, fry-pan, soucepan, chained golden sahan, tagan, server, servercanakTerrawork: canak, ceramic glass, ceramic canak,ceramic masrapa, ceramic uskure, comlek, kupecik,vinegar jar, yassi kasi, terra water jug.17th Century Weavingwork:Coloured weavingwork: Basma pillow, yemenipackage, yemeni makrama, yemeni curtain, yemenipestamal, yemeni pillow, yemeni blanket, yemenitulbent.Home textile products: Abdest makrama, bogca,Bursa pillow, bed lining, destar lining, dosek, dosekA translated Book from 16th Century Ser’iyye Registers (Qadi Registers)116

cover, dosek covering, Turkish bath doseme, hamamraht, towel makrame, towel doseme, Turkish coffemakrama, door curtain, makat, cushion, cushion covering,curtain, peskir, prayer rug, sofra, pillow, facepillow, chain pillow.Clothes: Head makrama, bel makrama, hairdressermakrama, caksir, cenber, destar, dolama, don, entari,ferace, shirt, ihram, kaftan, kavuk, kusak, pece, pestamal,uckur, yasmak, yelek, zibinFabric: Red kutni, red sandal, multicoloured, multicolouredkutni, multicoloured sandal, atlas, atesi atlas,white kutni, bogasi, catma, cuka, towel, velveteen ,kemha, red bogasasi, kutni, ma’i atlas, ma’i sandal,ma’i telli kutni, sandal, seraser, sof, green sandal, tulbent.Carpet: Queen, prayer rugEmbroider: Munakkas package, Fener shirt munakkas,hezar pare package, ornamented shirt, redmunakkas package, munakkas hair dresser makrama,munakkas package, munakkas don, munakkasmakrama, munakkas pillow, munakkas blanket ma’abed lining, ornamented blanket, sirmali ocak yasmak,green and kilaptanli makrama.Sealwork: Arakiye, horse kebe, white tiftik kebe, redarakiye, ma’i Yanbolu kebe, Selanik middle seal, Selanikyan seal, siyah and ma’i seal, yan sealRug: Multicoloured rug, red rug, yellow rugFurwork: Red kutni sable fur, red sandal kakim fur,ma’i sandal sable fur, purple lamb fur , red cuka zerdavafur, sable fur, vest fur Sirvani cukayi Kurdiye,green weasel fur.Metalwork: golden bracelet, golden trimmings ,golden seal, golden raht kusak, goldened pillow,andise golden bracelet, cupper evani, cupper firas ,round baklava tray, buhurdanlik, cebe golden bracelet,gugum, Turkish bath bowl, havan, ibrik, pearl earring,Turkish cofee ibrik, kevgir, sword, jewel bracelet,ocak gugum, sahan, sim handjar, sim ring sekl-i tilsim,tray, frypan, soucepan, round tray, emerald earring,emerald ring.Knitting: White kenari shirt, kenari shirt, shirt, tire shirtTerrawork: Ceramic bowl, vinegar jug , wine jug.ANNOTATIONS: 1) Sedat Veyis Ornek, Ethnology Dictionary,Ankara University Languageand History Geography Faculty Publications: 200, Ankara, 1971,s. 80. 2) H.Orcun Barista,“Folk Science Museum and Handicrafts” Folk Science Museum in Turkey and its ProblemsSymposium Bulletin , Publish Preparators: Ocal Oguz-Tuba Saltik Ozkan, Gazi UniversityTHBMER Publishing, Ankara, 2003,s. 71-77. 3) Tahsin Oz, Turkish Fabric and VelveteenI, National Education Press, Istanbul, 1946,s. 43. 4) Filiz, Cagman, “ Ehl-i Hiref Communityin the Period of Mimar Sinan”, Period of Mimar Sinan Turkish Architecture and Art, Istanbul,1988, s. 73-78: See. Filiz, Cagman, “Period of Kanuni Ottoman Palace ArtificiarsCommunity Ehl-i Hiref”, Turkiyemiz, Akbank, 1988, S. 54, s.11-17. 5) Mubahat, Kutukoglu,Narh Establishment in Ottoman and Narh Notebook dated 1640, Istanbul, EnderunPress, 1983. 6) Ottoman Fermans, Prime Ministry Government Archieves General Directorate,Ottoman Archives Room Headship Press No: 63, Ankara, 2003.See also brochureof exhibitions opened by related General Directorate. 7) Ayse, Ustun, Documents inOttoman Archives about Restoration of Istanbul Mosque and Tombs , Dokuz Eylul University,Institution of Social Science Department of Islamic History Izmir, 2000. (UnpublishedDoctoral Dissertation), s.54. 8) H.Orcun, Barista, “Some Information about Silk Fabricfrom Written Sources of Ottoman Empire Classical Period Qadi Notebooks”, InternationalSilkworm and Silk Weaving Symposium, Ataturk Culture Centre-Akdeniz University-25-28 October 2011. 9) Istanbul Law Court Ser’iyye Registers with number 121, Date1231-1232 / 1816-1817, Writer of Article: Sevki Nezihi Aykut, Halil Inancik Study Project,Sabanci University, Istanbul; 2006.Nevzat Erkan, “XVIII. Century in Uskudar non-MuslimJobs under the light of Ser’iyye Registers, International Uskudar Symposium VI, 2010,C.2, s. 443-456. 10) Binnaz, Copoglu, Bolu Ser’iye Register Transcription and Interpretationof Notebook Dated 1687-1688 With number 836, Searching Bolu Folk Culture andApplying Centre Publications No 5 Ankara. 11) Hasan, Mogol, Teke Sancagi ser’iyye Register(1223-1232/1807-1817), Mahter Press, Ankara, 1996. 12) Bahattin Yaman, “Artificiersof Palace, 18th Century Ottoman Ehl-i Hiref Community”, XV. Turkish History ConferenceAnkara:11-15 September 2006, Bulletins in Conference 4 Book – 4 Part , OttomanHistory -D, Turkish Historical Society, Ankara, 2010, s.1937-1949. 13) H.Orcun Barista,“Some Information about 16th Century Material Cultural Items in Ottoman EmpireClassical Period Qadi Notebooks”, International Symposium of XVI. Middle Age – TurkishPeriod Excavations and Art History Searchs, Cumhuriyet University Sivas 18-20 October2012. 14) H.OrcUn Barista, “Information about I7th Century Qadi Registers OttomanEmpire Period Material Culture Products ”, Internataional Symposium of TurkishArts, Selcuk University Applying and Searching Centre of Turkish Handicrafts Konya MetropolitanMunicipality , 8-9 November 2012 Konya. 15) Istanbul Qadi Registers UskudarLaw Court, with number 1 Register (919-927/M. 1513-1521), Prepared by : Bilgin Aydin-Ekrem Tak, ISAM, 2008, C.1. / Istanbul Qadi Registers Uskudar Law Court, withnumber 2 Register (H.924-927 /M.1518-1521),: Prepared by Rifat Gunalan- Vildan Kemal-Ozlem Altintop- Hatice Ayyildiz Bahadir, Arabish text: Mehmet Akman, Controlledby: Mahmut Ak, Mustafa Oguz, ISAM, Istanbul 2010 Europe Capital of Culture Agency ,2010, C.2. / Istanbul Qadi Registers Uskudar Law Court, with number 5 Register (H.930-936/M.1524-1530), Prepared by : Yasemin Dagdas- Zeynep Berktas, Controlled by : MustafaOguz, ISAM, Istanbul 2010 Europe Capital of Culture Agency, 2010, C.3. / IstanbulQadi Registers Uskudar Law Court, with number 9 Register (940-942/M. 1534-1536),Prepared by : Kenan Yildiz, Controlled by : Recep Ahishali, ISAM, Istanbul 2010 EuropeCapital of Culture Agency, 2010, C.4. / Istanbul Qadi Registers Uskudar Law Court, withnumber 14 Register (953-955/M. 1546-1549), Prepared by: Nuran Gurel, Arabish Text:Mehmet Akman, Controlled by: Abdurkadir Ozcan, ISAM, , Istanbul 2010 Europe Capitalof Culture Agency, 2010, C.5. / Istanbul Qadi Registers Uskudar Law Court, with number17 Register (H.956-963/M.1549-1556), Prepared by: Orhan Gultekin, Arabic Text MehmetAkman, Controlled by Mustafa Oguz, ISAM, Istanbul 2010 Europe Capital of CultureAgency, 2010, C.6. / Istanbul Qadi Registers Uskudar Law Court, with number 17 Register(H. 970-971/M. 1562-1563), Prepared by: Rifat Gunalan, Arabish text:- MehmetAkman, Controlled by: Fikret Saricaoglu, ISAM, Istanbul 2010 Europe Capital of CultureAgency , 2010, C. 7 . / Istanbul Qadi Registers Uskudar Law Court, with number 51 Register(H. 987-988/M. 1579-1580) Prepared by: Rifat Gunalan, Arabish Text: Mehmet Canatar-Mehmet Akman, Controlled by : Feridun Emecen, ISAM, Istanbul 2010 EuropeCapital of Culture Agency , 2010, C.8. / / Istanbul Qadi Registers Uskudar Law Court, 56Numarali Sicil H. 999-991/M. 1582-1583), Prepared by: Hilal Kazan-Kenan Yildiz ArabishText: Mehmet Akman-Tahsin Ozcan, Controlled by: Mahmut Ak, ISAM, Istanbul 2010 EuropeCapital of Culture Agency, 2010, C.9 . / / Istanbul Qadi Registers Uskudar Law Court,Register with number 84 (H. 999-1000/M. 1590-1591), Prepared by : Rifat Gunalan, ArabishText: Mehmet Canatar- Mehmet Akman, Controlled by: Mehmet Canatar, ISAM, Istanbul2010 Europe Capital of Culture Agency, 2010, C.10 . / / Istanbul Qadi Registers UskudarLaw Court Register with number 3 (H.1027/M. 1027/M.1618), Prepared by: YilmazKaraca- Rasim Erol- Salih Kahraman- Fuat Recep- Sabri Atay- Huseyin Kilic, Arabish Text:Mehmet Akman, Controlled by Fikret Saricaoglu, Coordinator Mumin Yildiztas, ISAM, Istanbul2010 Europe Capital of Culture Agency , 2010, C. 13. / / Istanbul Qadi Registers UskudarLaw Court Register with number 12 ( H.1073-1074 / M.1663-1663), Prepared by:Rasim Erol- Salih Kahraman-Sabri Atay-Huseyin Kilic-Yilmaz Karaca, Arabish Text: MehmetKahraman, Controlled by Fikret Saricaoglu, Coordinator Mumin Yildiztas ISAM, Istanbul2010 Europe Capital of Culture Agency, 2010, C.16. / / Istanbul Qadi Registers UskudarLaw Court Register with number 18 Nu (H.1086-1087 / M.1675-1676) Prepared bySalih Kahraman-Fuat Recep- Sabri Atay, Huseyin Kilic Yilmaz Karaca- Rasim Erol, ArabishText Akman, Controlled by Fikret Saricaoglu, Coordinator Mumin Yildiztas, ISAM, Istanbul2010 Europe Capital of Culture Agency, 2010, C. 18. / / Istanbul Qadi Registers UskudarLaw Court, ( Havas-i Refia) Register with number 74 (1072-1073/ M.1661-1662), Preparedby Huseyin Kilic- Salih Kahraman-Fuat Recep- Sabri Atay- Rasim Erol-Yilmaz Karaca,Arabish Text, Mehmet Akman Controlled by: Fikret Saricaoglu, Coordinator: MuminYildiztas,;ISAM, Istanbul 2010 Europe Capital of Culture Agency 2011,C.19. 16) YunusUgur,”Ser’iyye Registers”, Turkiye Diyanet Foundation Islam Encyclopaedia, Turkiye DiyanetFoundation, Istanbul, 2010, C. 39,s.9.A book marbling covered from 18th Century117

Pieces of Wastepapers TurnInto Jewels in His Handsby Emine DOYDUPaper, which has recorded the human history for thousands of years, but is now being used mostly as a packagingmaterial due to the computer technology which has become dominant in our lives, has lately begun to enliven inthe hands of artists. One example of this revival is the jewels and ornaments made of pieces of wastepaper byAli Riza Kart.Man who has discoveredthe mysteryof words has also inventedpaper to immortalizeit, and it has becomepossible over the time totrack and trace many ancientworks created when humanbeings preserved their words.Paper has thus become the memoryof societies and nations by witnessing the ongoingstory of the human beings. It has both been keptlike a precious jewel as the page of a holy book, andpreserved for centuries as a historical document containingsignatures or seals for agreements between nations.When it was discovered over the time that papercould be used for other purposes than recording themystery of words, though, the meaning attached to ithas been lost. The conversion of paper into a productwhich could facilitate many aspects of daily life suchas health, cleaning and packaging has made us forgetabout the valuable meaning attached to it in the olddays. The fact that its production has become much easierand more widespread than the past has turned itinto a product which is used and thrown into dustbins.When the unconscious consumption of paper has begunto cause a decrease in the forested lands, the precautionstaken regarding its used has raised an awarenessthat it must be used with care, although the valueattached to it in the past has not revived. Recycling thewastepaper, though, is the result of this awareness. In118

addition to recyclingand reusingpaper, there are also artistswho use the wastepaperwithout processing it,turning it into wonderful ornamentsand jewels.The way that Leads to ArtFrom WastepaperAlthough an ordinary materialfor most of us, paper isa passion for some. One ofthose who has this passionis Ali Riza Kart. Playing withpaper since his early childhood,he one day noticedthat he began to shape it,making jewels and objectsout of it withoutbeing fully awareof what hedid. With the discovery that he couldsee shapes when he looked at paper, hisentire life changed, and he developed a style which hadnever been tried in the world. Also having taken the patentfor his art, he is nowadays trying to introduce thisart as the art of paper originated in Turkey. The artistwho lives in Eskisehir tries to realize his aim by attendinglots of national fairs and TV shows. When he came to Istanbulto attend a fair, he did not turn us down, and wehad an interview with him.We began the interview by asking how his passion topaper began. He began telling the following: “When Iwas a child, I always had pieces of paper in my hand. Iused to collect the pieces of paper thrown on the floorand put them under my desk, making balls, planesor ships out of them. This habit continued when I grewup as well. I think engaging myself in paperwork gaveme a sort of self confidence. Just as some people keeptelling beads, I kept curling pieces of paper.” Laughingat his own answer, he continues as follows: “ActuallyI still haven’t stopped this habit, but at least I produceusable things now.” He says that the idea of makingjewels out of paper came to him while he was playingwith pieces of paper one evening. While watchingTV one evening, he began to give various shapesto the pieces of paper in his hands without beingfully aware of what he did. When he realisedduring the commercials that the pieces of paperhe twisted and put on the table createda colorful setting, he considered making jewelsout of them. After dealing with themfor a long time that evening, he managedto shape them as he pleased, making jewelsout of each of them.For a long time, Mr. Kart gifted the jewelshe made to his daughters and hiswife. His first reaction was a surprisewhen the friends of his daughters andhis wife liked the jewels and asked ifhe could make jewels for them as well.Things got even more serious whensuch positive opinions and requestscontinued to reach him. He tells thefollowing: “I felt very happy when thethings I did to entertain myself at homewere liked by others. It increased my selfconfidence when many people began toget in touch with me for the things I did, andI worked harder to improve myself.”When we wondered what cornerstones are on the wayto attractive jewels from wastepaper, Mr. Kart begins totell his first experiences by mentioning the children runningaround the streets from one dust container to theother, with their carts that have huge cloth bags. Hetells us that he learnt many things from the paper collectorswho are usually children, who we usually pass bywithout paying any attention, and we treat as if they arealiens. He tells the following: “Sometimes I see them asa community out to find a mysterious treasure. I learnt,for instance, which streets have the containers that containusable wastepaper, from them.” He also adds thefollowing with a smile: “Sometimes, when I go out fora walk with my wife, I find myself monkeying with trashes.Then my wife runs away from me, joking that it isbetter that we are not seen together.”The Conversion of Paper to JewelWhen we ask Mr. Kart which materials he uses, he tellsthat they are the materials that everyone has in theirhomes. Just wastepaper, any kind of glue, and varnish.When he adds that he could make various jewels119

in a short time, we ask him to make a ringfor us. Taking the pieces of wastepaper onthe table, he cuts them into strips. He thenforms a spiral by intertwining thestrips.He then finds a pieceof colorful glazed paper onthe table, cuts it and gluesit onto the strip. He tellsus that the top of the ring is done, andthe only thing left is to add a ring whichcould be bought at any jewellery, andspread varnish on the buckle while wewatch pieces of wastepaper turn intoa beautiful ring with amazement.He tells that he does paint thepaper although rarely, but thathe likes the original look ofthe paper better. He also statesthat varnish does not onlyprolong the life of the jewel, butalso makes it more attractive dueto its glassy look. He then continuesas follows: “Those who see the jewelscan not believe that they consist of paperand varnish only. I think the materialsI use form a great harmony, and I canthus produce original things.”Ney Out of PaperWhat took Mr. Kart who also produces ornamentsalong with jewels longest to produce was ney he madeout of paper with love and desire. He tells his experienceswhile he was trying to produce the identical of hisnephew’s broken ney with the following words: “Theney was broken. I kept turning it over and over in myhands for hours, calculating the measure of its holesand doing a lot of math. It was really tough to make aninstrument as ney out of paper, but I think we eventuallymanaged it. It was a bit amateurish, but we werereally enthusiastic about it, and my nephew still uses it.We also receive positive feedback from listeners.” Uponhearing this, we tell Mr. Kart that we listened to the soundof the ney on the internet, and we liked the wayit sounded although we are not professional about it.Words of Wisdom Written on Prayer BeadsWith a smile, Mr. Kart also adds that he produces prayerbeads out of paper. Wondering about it, we ask him totalk a bit about it. When he finished his first prayer beadsout of paper in a very short time, he showed it toan expert prayer bead collector. The collector told himthat the idea of making prayer beads out of paper wasa good one, but his workmanship was very bad, tellinghim the criteria for making good prayer beads. It wasonly after a research that took him 3 years that his prayerbeads were liked by the collectors. Stating that prayerbeads have other culturalpurposes and meaningsthan religious ones, Mr.Kart reminds that they areoften inherited to next generations,and adds the following:“For this reason, theyhave a special meaning and valuefor me as well. I thus wantedto design something noone did before,and wrote my will on each beadin a prayer bead that consists of 33 beads.I revealed the will written on the firstbead only to my daughters. The will on theother beads they will be able to learn after Ipass away. Actually, my will consists of wordsof wisdom. People usually do not listen totheir father’s words of wisdom when theirfathers are alive, but when their fathersdie, they always talk about what he said,beginning with the expression “My latefather said”.We also learn from Mr. Kart that he preparedmany prayer beads which contain hiswords of wisdom after his production, and thathe received orders even from Denmark. We alsolearn that it takes more than 2 months to makesuch prayer beads, and that 30 layers of varnishis spread on each bead. Stating that the glassy look ofvarnish makes it difficult for people to realize what materialthe prayer beads are made of, Mr. Kart adds thatpeople think they are made of glass in which picturesare placed. When we ask the prices of the prayer beads,we learn from him that the prices vary between 60and 6000 TL. He shows us the prayer beads which tookhim a long time to make, and which contains the pictureof an Ottoman sultan on each bead. When we takethe prayer beads in our hands, we can see how wastepaperturns into something precious.Stories Hidden in PendantsMr. Kart is one of those who believes that every singlegrain in the world has a story and a reason of existence.He believes that objects have their own languages, andtheir own reasons for existing. Inspired by this opinion,he places gnomic words of wisdom and parables inthe pendants he makes out of paper. He states that hehas received up to 500 orders from such pendants, andemphasizes that he designs each pendant differently,and writes a different parable on each of them. “Everyonedeserves to be privileged. The person who wearsthe necklace ends up becoming a part of the story writtenin it.” He says, and states that some customers sendthe poem or the story they want written in their ownpendants, and adds the following: “Sometimes customersdraw the design in their mind and send it to me. I120

tell them that I will make something similar,not promising to be completely loyalto the design they sent me. I havea spirit that likes to work freely. MostlyI myself can not be loyal to what I design,because the piece of paper in myhand resists to my design, and ends upbeing what it wants to be. Most ofthe time I myself am curiousabout what I will eventuallyend up producing,because mostof the time myhands move independentlyfromme.”Having attended many TV showsso far, Mr. Kart wants to introducethis art to a larger audience,and his dream is makingthe world to associate the art of paperjewels with Turkey, just as they associate origamywith Japan. “Branches like arts and sportsenable people to advertise their countryin the easiest way. Turkey has discoveredthis necessity in the sports.Hopefully more incentives will beput into effect regarding arts aswell”. He says, and expresseshis aim to open a workshopwhere he can teach this art tothe interested young learners.121

Symbols of theLife of Thoughtby Prof. Dr. Ilhan OZKECECI*Just as it is necessary to learn about the Ottoman Empire to better understand today, it is as necessary to learnabout the Anatolian Seljukis, and beyond that, about the Great Seljukis to better understand the Ottoman Empire.We were inspired by beams of light that penetrated into our pen from the various sources of an advanture whichreaches from Turkstan to Anatolia, and the ever shining brightness of our invaluable art works, hoping thesevalues which directed many aspects of life in the past to enlighten our day as well.1. On the Turkish ArtAs soon as Turks took their place in the circle of Islam, theyestablished many states, big or small, in territories beginningfrom the boarders of China to the center of Europeand Africa, and from the Atlantic Ocean to the Indian Ocean,achieving great sovereignty and power within the Islamicworld since the establishment of the Great Seljuki Empiretill the recent century. With their experiences and culturewhich dates back to the Preislamic periods, the Karakhans,Ghaznavids, Seljukis Timurians and the AkkoyunluTurks combined especially the advanced artistic skills ofthe Uigurs with the Islamic perspective of arts, thus creatingworks of art that are superior both in technical, andin aesthetical terms, which has made the Turkish art admireableand prestigious among all the arts worldwide. So,though it has been influenced greatly by Islam, we can saythat the Turkish art has also influenced the Islamic civilisationin fields such as education, institutionalisation, politicaland military establishments, architectural structures, decorativearts and painting, developing its abilities within thiscivilisation, and becoming an important ring of this chain.We wanted to attract the attention in this article, to theimportant elements of the works of art within our culturalhistory. Towards this end, we were inspired by beams oflight that penetrated into our pen from the various sourcesof an advanture which reaches from Turkstan to Anatolia,and the ever shining brightness of our invaluable artworks, hoping these values which directed many aspectsof life in the past to enlighten our day as well.Just as it is necessary to learn about the Ottoman civilisationin order to have a better understanding about today,it is as necessary to learn about the Anatolian Seljukis, andthe Great Seljukis in order to have a better understandingabout the Ottoman Civilisation. The Great Seljukis whohad vital contacts with glorious Islamic civilisations such asKarakhans and Ghaznavids which were born in the Turkstanterritories played important roles in the constructionof the civilisation.2. Art and Its ActivitiesCivilisations produce works of art in order to rema-A section from the Kufiscripture belt of the Hargird Nizamiye Madrassah122

A plate that the Kufi belt of writing from the Hargird Nizamiye Madrassah has been rewrittenin permanent, to symbolise their power, and to leavemarks for the future from themselves, from theirculture, and their believes. Also, art and the strengthof artistic production have always played an importantrole in determining the status of the states inthe world. Most of the newly established civilisationshave developed the artistic and scientific acumulationthey took over from the older one withinthe framework of their own characteristics over thetime. Societies who have marked eras in the historyhave gained the status of unforgetability thanks tothe works of art they have created.The views of art and its activities vary according to culturaldifferences and time. Also, art has an unignoreablevalue in terms of expressing the purpose of life,and fulfilling this purpose. Ever since the most ancientperiods in the history, man has always reflectedhis own inner dynamics to the outer world. Systems ofbelief have an important role on this as well. The experiences,the systems of belief, the governance, theeconomy, successes and failures a society experiencesalso cause it to produce works of art along with thescientific advancements it achieves. Towards this end,the role of the arts in the cultural structuring enablesthe society to become original, and to reach universalitywith an aesthetical dimension developed in thisoriginality. The aesthetical dimension determining therelation of the human beings with the nature, the placeand the culture, the changes this relation has undergoneduring the different periods of history, and itsreflections to the present day have always been expressedby artistic designs.Ever since the very first periods, the messages recordedin the holy scriptures of Islam have been perceivedas symbols in the daily life. Thus, messagesin the scriptures have also become abstract motifsor symbolic designs. These symbols that catch oureyes anywhere on a temple, a mosque, a tomb or aminaret have been equipped with all the values ofthe time which have been infiltrated by the tiny holesof the filter called time. Muslim artists reflectedtheir own spiritual world with glittering reflectionswithin the territories ruled by the Islamic civilisations,also by following the signs left by their ancestories.They did not consider a building as a constructiononly. They also gifted to it many beauties and valuablemeanings since they thought that it had a place inthe life of thought as well. Naturally, these meaningscommunicated the messages about being good, beautiful,peaceful and modest while also expressingthe roots of the belief. While political conflicts, fightsand battles kept happening harshly on one hand, theworld of feelings paved the way for new dimensionsas if nothing was happening, enlightening the societywith its spiritual discoveries.3. Art and SymbolsSymbols and diagramic expressions are used to expressthe notions regarding believes and thoughts.They can consist of curved shapes, as well as organic,circular, rectangular, pentagonal, hexagonal, octabonal,or polygons with broken corners. As they canhave symbolic and figurative expressions on a plate,they can also have symbols that symbolise variousnotions. 1 When considered within the context of meanings,Islamic arts especially see the world, eventsand the universe at a point of view that surpassesshapes and figures. The reflections of the metaphysicalworld into the works of art, and the power ofAllah upon this world as the unique creator supportand protect us at all times. A work of art is both thereflection of the artist’s spiritual world into the outerworld, and the reflection of the feelings revealed tothe artist by the glorious creator. Motifs and figuresdesigned by the artist originate from his divine source,in other words, from the notion of heaven. Theartist does not only perceive what his sense organscommunicate to him while creating his works of art.He also expresses the fenomena he discovers with hismind in a way that deserves his divine being. 2 123

The Gulpayegan Masjid Kufi writing line with Madallion.Alephh, the first letter of the arabic Alphhabet, is oneof the basic symbols used in Islamic arts and symbolizesAllah. Each letter has its own character in the visualforms of the art of Calligraphy which directly reflectsthe spiritual facts to the minds of the believers,and each letter symbolizes a certain divine descriptionwith its visual form. The reason for this is the fact thatthe letters of the divine alphabet inquate to the divinecharacteristics of Allah. 3The letter Aleph symbolizes the divine majesty, andthe transcendental principle which is the source ofeverything. This is the reason why it is the first letterof Allah, the glorious creator which bears the meaningsof the reality, and the metaphysical teaching. 4Architectural works of art are the most important elementsof the Islamic culture. Not only the structure,but also the interior decoration of these buildings havealways been important. On the other hand, the arrangementand decoration of manuscripts enable the creationof numerous amounts of important works.Motifs on the architectural works of art created byIslamic artists also have important meanings thatsymbolize the divine origin. The basic expression ofthe decorative scriptures on most of the architecturalworks focus on the word Allah. This can be a standaloneword, a sentence, a verse, or any other divinetext. The motifs used can both have various shapessuch as pentagons, hexagons or octagons, and variousmeanings of their own. The meaning of this is thefact that the Islamic artist can express the Islamic thoughtvery successfully, interpreting this thought withboth the architecture, and the decoration of the work.While a beam of light in a candle symbolizes the creator,it also reveals the appearance of God which surpassesa simple shape. Round shapes, wheels of fortuneand rose motives all express the metaphysical beingof Allah. 5A view from the main Harrekan dome.We see rich expressions in carpet weaving as well. Generally,the altar nich seen in architecture is depictedin carpet sajjadas. Little columns that carry the altar124

The detailed drawing of the line by I.Ozkececi.arch, epigraph holders and other various elements areall transferred to carpets with little abstractions. In steadof solid shapes and figures, Islamic artists have preferredto use abstract and symbolic figures. The realisticsymbols and depictions we se on carpets from timeto time, though, are the symbols of some certain religiousnotions and rules as well. The depiction of candlethat we see on sajjadas, for instance, symbolizes thedivine light while ewer symbolizes the cleanliness ofthe body, and the life tree symbolizes the eternal life.Many other motifs have Islamic interpretations as well,such as the bunch of flowers that extend from the topof the altar nitch symbolizing the vinyards in the heaven,and the altar nich symbolizing the door to theheaven. 6Although its 2D characteristic, certain general symbolshave been used while decorating the divine scriptureswhich symbolize the struggle to reach eternity andperfection as well. The square and rectangular shapeswhich are used fairly frequently in illumination, for instance,symbolize the earth, while semicircles and trianglessymbolize the heavens. The continuous repetitionof the same motives, on the other hand, symbolizesthe rythim within the universe. These are all relatedto the glory and beauty doctrine of Islam. Whilegold mainly symbolizes the Sun, yellow, the color ofthe light, has been used as the symbol of knowledgeand wisdom. The Quran repeatedly mentions light aswell. The word “Sems” we recall as a motif is derivedfrom the word that means “the Sun” in Arabic. 74. On the Analyses of Some Works of Art4.I. The Hargird Nizamiye MadrassahBuilt by Nizamulmulk in 1068, the Hargird NizamiyeMadrassah, one of the oldest madrassahs in theworld, is located near a village of Iran called Hargird.It is probably one of the oldest types of 4 iwan madrassahsthat originate from Horasan. Only few thingshave survived up to the present day from the ruins ofthe madrassah. Among these ruins is a part of the southerniwan. Some walls, an arch and an altar fromthe southern iwan is also among these ruins. Somebrick walls, belts of Kûfî scriptures have also amongthe ruins that have survived up to our day. Writingsand designs have been inscribed on brick with stuccoand tarakota material. 8Each section of these Kûfî writings which containsvery interesting decorative depictions has been a wonderof design in and of itself. We can say that in thetext which contains the same thickness of each letter,the letters such as ayn, fe, meem and wav form asingle circle. We also see that the letters such as noon,te and zel first accompany this circular movement, andare then ended with s like curves.It is also obvious that the spaces that the letters havenot filled on the line have been filled with Anatolianmotifs in the shape of a symmetrical medallion. AlsoXI.century a Quran page written with the Mesrik Kufi calligraphy style.125

which show some of the monumental writings in themosque. We can divide the writing into 3 categories,the first being the textual part at the bottom, thesecond being the geometrically attached octagonalrings at the center, and the third being the extentionsof the remaining letters at the top. The letters eachof which have their own characteristics have beenattached to one another with various combinations.Though we see the name of Allah mostly in familiarcompositions, the name of the Prophet Muhammedis seen in fairly unfamiliar appearances. It is obviouslyseen that 5 octagonal figures that are attached toone another fill the center of the writing belt. Smallerand basik rings attach these figures to one another.General ornamention decor of Aberkuh Pir Hamza Sebzpus tomb. 9we can say that symmetrical and spiral Anatolian motifshave been applied on the tops of vertical letterssuch as aleph and lam.While the letters that the writing contains make straightor curved movements, the motifs that fill the topof each line are harmonious with letters. These compositionswhich rise high up from the basis of thewalls are the masterpieces of the plastic arts. Eventhe ruins of the glorious works of art which look likesculptures still survive.These idealist people who inscribe the holy word tothe most beautiful parts of such scientific institutionsare zealous? And their governors perform really admireableduties. While putting a scientific institutioninto service meaningfully on one hand, they equipthese institutions with the texts that glorify their divinemeanings, with the most aesthetical designs possibleon the other hand. It is so obvious that alongsidethe active role they played in the financial, politicaland military aspects of the governance, the statesmenof those periods also gifted to us immortalworks of art as the leading art lovers. While the sultansand visiers who reigned during thoseperiods never hesitated to do so whiletaking part in the harshest conflicts andbattles.4.II. The Gulpayegân MasjidThe Gulpayegân Masjid was built between1105 and 1118 by Muhammed Tapar,the son of the Seljuki Sultan Melik Sah.The mosque which only has a domed sectiontoday was altered into a 4 iwan structureduring the reign of Kagar. 10 The KelimeiTevhid is written on one of the pannelsThe extentions of the letters aleph and lam completethe harmonious combination of this composition.On the writing belt which begins from the right, rounddotted and 8 cornered stars have been placed inthe center of the first 3 octagonal rings. The name ofAllah is written on the last 2 rings, written with theKûfî style calligraphy.It is very impressive that a writing has been givensuch a meaning that surpasses its scriptural messagewith the use of a geometrical depiction. It appearsas if a storm that breaks out at times both increasesthe splendor of the text, and gives it an eternalpeace. The decorative arrangements of it makesone think that a certain type of music leads the wholecomposition.4.III. The Harrekan Dome2 of the most important domes of the Iranian Seljukiart are the Harrekan domes that were built in differentdates and 30 KMs away from each other. Aswritten on its epigraph, the first of these domes wasbuilt between the years 1067 and 1068, during thereign of the seljuki Sultan Alparslan, by the ArchitectMuhammed bin Mekkî of Zencan. The constructionof the dome was ordered by Ebu Said Bicar ibn Sad.This view from the first front of the octagonal domemade of brick consists of geometrical compositionsin the edgy arch made of brick.Font design in the square areas on both sides of altar126

The main scheme consists of geometrical arrangementsthat come into being with the attachment ofhexagonal rings to one another. Owing to this organization,dodecagon medallions have come into being.These medallions have been connected to one anotherin such a masterly manner that one can neithersee them as a standalone motif, nor can tell that theyare connected. On the center of these rosettes 4, 3and 2 of them have been placed side by side towardsthe golden head respectively are the names of Allah.It is obvious when looked carefully that each center readsthe name of Allah. The lines both cut across eachother, and create different forms by changing directionsat times. Also, large bricks that are placed on thearch valt give peace to the composition. The bracketedfields which step in after that peaceful rythim, onthe other hand, are carried into a different dimensionwith 8-armed stars in circles, completing the writingbelt above with plainly ordered bricks.4.IV. The Mesrik Kûfî Quranic CalligraphyLet us now have a look at an illuminated Quran pageamong the architectural decorative elements. The reignof the Kûfî style calligraphy has never come to anend over the time. In stead, it revealed different typesof splendor with its eastern and western styles. Theeastern Kûfî was a unique beauty that Horasan giftedto the world of believes in Turkstan. This writing styleswritten on only few lines with a thick tipped pen symbolizedboth splendor and elegance. The texts placed on lineswhich consist of horizontal drawings were balancedwith vertical letters. In Addition, the slanting and slightlycurved lines also reveal the beauties of this writing style.This style has always been a fresh source of inspirationfor the art of today although it has been more than 800years since it was developed. The dominant beauty atthe top and the bottom of the page above makes onefeel obliged to look at the page continuously. The letterkef which stretches from the beginning to the end of asingle line with lines that include each other makes onefeel dazzled. How can a single letter occupy a single lineon its own, and still does not look ugly?One can feel the harmony of the besmele right underthe title of the Surah. The meems that are attached tothe “seen”s, and that are related to the other words appearto have a dialogue with the “noon” of the word“Rahman”. The 2 letters lam aleph written on the lineafter the besmele prove that letters can be written in variouscolorful forms.The front ornamentation of Ozkend Celaleddin Huseyin tomb.127

An appearance from the interior of Fergana Seyh Fazil tomb.Finally, at the bottom line, the alephs, lams and theletter sad which steps in after seen s complete theentire line with similar movements that the letter Kefmade above.4.V. The Pir Hamza Sebzpus Tomb in AberkuhLocated in Yezd, a province in Iran, Aberkuh is oneof the old cities in the country. It is claimed that thetomb that is called the Pir Hamza Sebzpus Tomb andis dated to the early 12th century belongs to a personcalled Azizuddin Nesefi. The altar of the tomb onwhich an excellent stucco workmanship was used is amasterpiece. The nich, arch stone, and exterior fringeof the altar are all parts of this masterpiece. The Altarmirror and its brackets are decorated with large anddetailed Anatolian motives applied with stucco material.While the edgy arch of the alter has been embroideredwith the Thuluth style, the exterior fringe waswritten with the Kûfî style and decorated with Anatolianstyle designs.128

The stone on the head of the altar reveals a gracefulcomposition with the large form and straight Anatolianmotifs. Long and thin pannels on both sides arethe elements that complete the scene.We would like to attract the attentions, though, tothe arrangement of the square fields on both sides ofthe altar rather than the general outlines of the altaritself. On these tiny map sections on both sides, it reads“El-Azametu lillah” and “El-Kibriyâu lillah”, writtenin the Kûfî style. In our opinion, these writingsWrap up the main theme of the entire altar. Thesepoints are important both in terms of the design ofthe writing, and the message they express.The Mmessage that the Kûfî style writing accompaniedby a graphical arrangement is obvious. Weare reminded that the glory and splendor belongs tothe unique creator. The writings are simple, but theyhave also been arranged in a way that reveals splendorwith their advanced and mature forms. Althoughit mostly managed to defy so many centuries, it hasstill undergone deterioration over the time.4.VI. Kumbed-i Surh (Surkh) (The Surkh Dome)Located in Merâga, this tdome is square planned, andwas built ibetween 1147-1148. It was made of brick,The dome which the square part gave the way for theround part via stairlike structures, it was covered withan octagonal pyramid hat. There is an embedded columnon each corner.It is thought that the architect of the dome is Bekr Muhammed.It is the oldest one of the 5 domes locatedin the city of Merâga.An octahedral dome built on octagon taboret coverssquare-shaped main area. The sharp roof bar mirrorlocated in a thick outer fringe has the same impressionin terms of script and geometric design. The maintheme based on six-arm-star in the center is actuallyformed passing through each threader of the dodecagon.The first place of the sharp roof bars covershexagon forms which are telescoped by double lineson the diagonal location. 11 When looked in the center,eruption scattered around is felt. Kufic script encircledthis warbles significant messages. The letters de-One of the geometric boards of Kumbed-i Surh.The transom above the entrance door.129

The Kufic script at the top is prepared in its specificdesign. The letters are so thick and the gaps amongthem are filled with curly décors like Roum ornamentation.Ma’kili,located in the base decorations, in Mardin Hasankeyf El-Rizk mosqoue minaret.“Ism-i Nebi” composition,XIV.century..signed quite thick were narrow on vertical line. Whilethe first arm of Lam-elifs (one of the Arabic letters) isstraight, the second arm of it gets thinner by curvinglike the new moon. The outer fringe started with Kuficscript is really rich. The thick and thin bricks frominterior to outer hold the main theme tightly. Threearm-themetelescoped by geometric design covers theouter surface.4.VII. Fergana Seyh Fazil MausoleumSeyh Fazil Mausoleum is one of the important worksof the Karakhanid. Built by bricks, 14 meters tallshows something between mausoleum and dome.Cubic on the walls as a tromp zone is octagon and isin the form of flat cone. Though this brick building isso simple, it has an amazing internal decoration. Internalwalls covered by dome bewilder you with itsperfect internal design. Topsides of the walls are filledwith Kufic script. The other Kufic scripts are availableon the tromp zone surrounded by sharp round roofbars. The internal dome is covered by stucco decorations.Seyh Fazil Mausoleum having no historical inscriptionis among the Nasr Bin Ali and Celaleddin HuseyinMausoleums in Ozkent on account of style andpoints 12th century. 12The internal decoration of the Mausoleum1) The decoration of square-shaped main area.The stucco décor of internal side, which started at thebottom, was organized in the shape of clover, but thispart is not seen on the photograph. On this area, thereare three circular compositions are set on squaredzone. There are also different décors on Kufic script.The angles are decorated, too. The script on the boardin the center is probably done later. Kufic script is writtenin diverse characteristics and in wonderful design.2) The roundel in a roof bar is put on the dome taboret.There are hallows that are in semi-circle on theroof bar taboret. There are smaller badges on the cornersof the roof bar. When generally looked at, thedecorations of all circular areas are filled with differenthexagon designs. The inside of Mausoleum builtby bricks consists of very rich decors. The tomb designedlike this shows the harmony, the period, the cultureand the esthetic to the world in an effective way.When we see gorgeous structures like those, we needto ask ourselves: “can we build humanistic, radical andgentle constructions like this which will remind thosebuildings.”4.VIII. Ozkend Celaleddin Huseyin MausoleumThe three of Karakhanid Mausoleums found in Ozkendare placed side by side. The first is Nasr Bin Alie,the second is Celaleddin Huseyin and the third oneis other mausoleum built in 1187. Celaleddin HuseyinMausoleum placed in the middle was built by CelaleddinHuseyin in 1152 according to the script. Turkishname “Alp Kilic Tonga Bilge Turk Togrul Hakan” stateshis Turkishness. His death year is 1156. This Karakhanidmausoleum having put the dome on the fourwalls is one of the most important Turkish architecturein terms of facade. The sharp roof bar niche issurrounded by wide geometric bordures. The naskhscript encircling the roof bar niche is seen in Rum forthe first time.Some detailed decors on the surface vanish. Octagonstars being inside of portal roof bar niche are tiedup each other and the gaps among them were filledwith curly branches, palmette and roums. The richnessin simplicity stands out. When looked at the portalroof bar niche decoration plan, marvelous décorrichness stands out. Excellent roums in the triple roofbar bewilders you with each motif. The roums havingpositive-negative values at the same time pushe theman into a puzzle. The octagon schema put in theside of main roof bar can be evaluated. The graphicharmony of this part is pretty good and symbolizes adeveloped perception. Dovetailed eight-arm-stars area genius. 13The naskh script on the front roof bar is a wonder. Elifand lams (Arabic letters) are supplementary for otherletters’ curves. While Kufic script is surrounding theroof bar like a poem, the roums scattered are the signsfor the development of Turkish Roum Art.130

This marvelous monument Celaleddin Huseyin builtbefore his death is one of the unique Turkish works. Itwas designed as if it was throne of Sultanate and a valuewas engraved in every corner.4.IX. Hasankeyf El-Rizk Mosqoue MinaretMakili scripture,has formed with lines in the horizontaland vertical directions,particularly accomplished withuse of architectural Works.On this occasion,writingvarious religious expressions with Makili scripture,hasgreat significance.For a Muslim, writing the prophet’sblessed name is important and worthy of respect.Keep in mind the unique envoy of creator,faithfuls lookedfor an excuse to recall him at every opportunity.Hereby,commemorate his name at the base of the minaretof a mosqoue is one of the most crucial stepwhile forming different materials on Stones.Aroundthe scripture,circular decorations that is similar to seashells are made,and geometric ornamentation band isplaced at the top of it.Border Stones formed the outerframe of the composition.With all beauty it is one ofthe most important work of our inheritance.5. ConclusionAnalysis of the life and faith , ongoing at least athousand years,is not an easy task.To dominate theworld,lead it,and reflect own values requires a lifetime.Directorshould continous steps not only tokeep own reputability but also prosperity and happinessof his own people.At the same time,maturityof the soul and faith should adapt to sociallife. Whilewar,fight,destruction and defeat occurs,on the otherhand build, re-establish is inevitable.Hadn’t we experienced ‘’ Genghis disaster ‘’ perhapstoday we would have had a richer inheritance.Despiteall the losses,the heritage we had,astonished us andasked us ‘’Where are you? What and How do you live?What are you building and What do you make? Wedon’t know what will be our attitude to this encouragement?How do we deal with this honorable invitations?In this article,we have just discussed a very small partsof a big treasure.It is certain that we will achieve moreif we decide to check our thoughts on art and culturefrom our perspective.In today’s art world,there arelots of projects in architecture,music,illumination,tilesand all fields of arts,though it is debatable whetherthey are satisfied or not.Composition drawing ( I.Ozkececi,20129)Based on the available information and documentsdoes not reflect today’s world since they don’t monitorthe past.It should primarily inspired by the basicprinciples of cultural background and be evaulatedin this context.To evaulate the art just financiallyis away from the art’s own spiritual.It is already groundlessand rootless point of view which do not yield.In today’s art points to more conscious and mighty research.For this reason,art education should be taughtproperly to the actual values.Contemporary Works,which only be seen as a sheetor failed copy of classical architecture,are away fromsocial life. So designed projects on every subject shouldhave a specific function is a requirement of our ancientculture.Furthermore,carrying that spirit,meaningand also feel it again will be a significant diversity.FOOTNOTES: 1) Seen as the main motif rugs and nested square,octagonal and cruciformshapes, Hinduism and Buddhism,emerges as a symbol. This diagram displaysthe infinite power of divine which is full of energetic. This is called Buddhismmandala.In this diagram includes square, flat, octagonal and cruciform shapeswhich extending in four directions. Most of the time there is a lotus in the middleand flower in all four sides.This diagram reflected the architecture as a type ofplan.Lotus in the center,the beginning of all,is a system of thought which is risingon Buddha.( Karamagarali, Beyhan,on the art of rug,carpets,rugs and internationalinformation festival proceedings of Turkish people, 27-31 May in 1996 in Kayseri,Ataturk Cultural Center publications,first edition,Varan publishing, Ankara,1998,page 178 2) Karamagarali, Beyhan,on artisan in Turkish culture, VI proceedingsof National Seljuk culture and civilization, 16-17 May 1996,a gift to Prof.Dr. Emin Bilgic, Seljuk research in Selcuk university,Selcuk university printing house1997, p.77 3)Nasr Seyyid Huseyin,Islamic Art-Spirituality,Insan publications cev: AhmetDemirhan,Dogan ofset,Istanbul 1992,p.40 4)Nasr Seyyid Huseyin,a.g.e, p.40-41; Schoun,understanding Islam,p.64. 5)Karamagarali,Beyhan,a.g.m, p.75-76 6)Bilgin,Ulku ‘’ pure prayer rugs ‘’ Art,Year:3 edition: 6,June 1977, Ministry of Culturepublications,edition: Tifdruk typography,Istanbul,p.48 7)Ersoy,Ayla,Turkish illuminationart,Akbank publications,Hilal printing house,Istanbul 1988,p.11; lings,Martin,The Quranic Art of Calligraphy and Illumination,England,1976,p.74-75 8) http://archnet.org/ library 9) Photograph: Bazl, A survey of Persian Art.Vol.IV 10) http://archnet.org / library 11)One of the geometric forms where forms unlimited numbersof composition are made,is six-pointed star. While forming,plain,broken lineswhich pass eachother with closed shapes, plays great role.It is thought that it replacedanimal figures before Islam. Compositions that used six-pointed stars especiallyapplied to many materials besides stone,brick,plaster and tile in architecture.Thismotif,a number of mystical meanings in ancient times, found different meaningsin Judaism,Christianity and Islam. This motif which is commonly used in theOttoman decorations,is today accepted the national and religious identities of Jewishafter the foundation of the Jewish state and thus excluded from the World ofIslam,irregardless of historical background. 12) Aslanapa,Oktay,culture and art of thefirst Muslim Turkish States,the encyclopedia of Turks,binding 6, Yeni Turkiye publications,Ankara 2002,p.16 13) Aslanapa,Oktay,a.g.m,p.15131

in yerinize grafologla konusuverir. Ya da doktora gitmeden, yasadiginiz saglik sorununu teshis etmesini istediniz. Tipta muayene olmadan, gerekli tahlil ve tetkikleri yaptirmadan bu talebiniz olumlu karsilanmaz. Ancak grafolojide, el yazinizi iceren bir karcasi,hastaliginizin teshisinde onemli bir kanit olabilir. Ya da nisanlinizin size verdigi hediyenin uzerine ilistirdigi kucuk bir notu, bir grafologa gosterdiginizde grafolog yaziyi sizin el yazinizla karsilastirarak birbirinize ne kadar uyumlu oldugunuzu soyleyebiriminolojide grafolojiden yakasini kurtarabilmis degil. Bir zanlinin el yazisi ya da bir tehdit mektubu, bu kadim el yazisi ilminin kapsama alanina giriyor cunku. Bunlar abartili gibi gorunse de ‘el yazisi uzerinden karakter tahlili’ olan grafoloji icin, tasidigilar bakimindan sadece baslangic niteliginde. Cunku bu kadim disiplin, el yazisindan hareketle kisinin kiskanc, saldirgan, sadakatli, yalanci, zarif gibi genel karakter ozelliklerinin yani sira, “ bu kisi bir isi bitirmeden baska bir ise gecmeyi sevmiyor, sanat yeteyi,eski evini ozluyor, soz tasima ozelligi yok veya kimseye bilerek rahatsizlik vermek istemeyen biri” gibi kisi ile ilgili spesifik degerlendirmeler de yapma iddiasinda… Grafolojinin tasidigi bir imkan da; ister doktor ya da psikologun muayenesinde, ister sorguda kisi soyleyeceklerini olcup tartacagi icin karsisindakini yaniltabilecekken grafolog karsisinda bu ihtimali elinden kacirmasi… Cunku bu disipline gore, gelisiguzel cumlelerden olusan sayfada, farkinda olmasak da yazimizin boyutlari, kâgitta yer tutusu, harfguladigimizbaskinin kâgidin arkasinda biraktigi iz, karakter analizi icin oldugu kadar saglik taramasi icin de kullanilabiliyor. Hatta grafolojiye gore duvara ciziktirdigi bir sekil bile o kisi ile ilgili, bu alanda egitim gormus ve yillar icinde tecrube kazanmis birpeyce bir veri sunar. ‘Madem grafoloji bizi bu kadar iyi taniyor, oyleyse biz de biz de onu biraz yakindan taniyalim’ dedik ve bu alan otuz dokuz yillik tecrubesi bulunan grafolog Zeynep Bornovali ile konustuk. Grafolojinin memleketi Cin ve dogum tarihi M.O.larak tahmin ediliyor. Antik cagda, Eflatun’un talebesi, Buyuk Iskender’in hocasi Aristo’nun, ilk cagda Roma Imparatorlugu’nun en dikkat ceken tarihcisi ve biyografi yazari Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus’un bu ilmi kullandigi biliniyor. Kisilere hasetenek olmaktan cikip sistemli bir bilim haline gelmesinin ilk adimi, 17. Yuzyil Italya’sinda teorik tip ve Aristo felsefesi hocasi olan Camillo Baldi’nin yazdigi cok kapsamli bir eserle atiliyor. Akademik anlamda ise Fransa’nin Sorbonne Universitesi’ndeu ispat ediyor. Gunumuzde Italya’nin Urbino Universitesi ders olarak okuturken, Rusya ve Israil’ de cok iyi taninmasina ragmen, 1980’lerde Amerika Birlesik Devletleri’nde ‘gizli ilim’ olmaktan cikip ‘muspet ilim’ statusu kazaniyor. Turkiye’ de 1954a Ankara Universitesi Dil ve Tarih-Cografya Fakultesi Dergisi’nde yayimlanan ve Ismail Hakki Baltacioglu’nun o tarihte konuya ne denli vâkif oldugunu gosteren makalesi ise Turkiye’ de bu alana yonelimin ilk belgesel ornegini olusturuyor. Zeyornovali,ulkemiz icin bilimsel anlamda yeni sayilabilecek bu alanda, konunun sayili uzmanlarindan. Zeynep Bornovali, universiteden mezun olduktan sonra kendisini adeta kutuphaneye kilitledigi gunlerden birinde, raflarin arasindan cektigi bir kitapla kennuneacilan uzun bir yolun basinda bulur: Grafoloji! Tanistigi andan itibaren bu “El Yazisi Bilimi”ne ilgisi gunden gune artan Bornovali’nin bir eksigi vardir: Rehber! Bornovali o gunleri soyle anlatiyor: “Bu alanda kitaplar edinmeye basladim, antaptantam olarak ogrenilemiyordu, cunku kitap yazisi iki boyutludur, el yazisi ise uc boyutludur, ucuncu boyut; kalemin, kagidin arkasinda biraktigi derinliktir. Bunu parmak uclarinizda hissetmedikce on bes tane de kitap okusaniz pek cok ezber bilginiz olur amalgi sahibi olamazsaniz. Bu nedenle bu isi bana ogretecek, konuyu bilimsel yoldan ogrenmis ve bilim adami olan birini aramaya koyuldum.” Bu arayisi sirasinda Italya’ da grafoloji egitimi almis olan Dr. Mustafa Hayrettin Arpinar ile tanisikligi ve sonaondan aldigi egitim ile buyuk bir ivme kazanir ve Zeynep Hanim bir sure sonra grafoloji uzmani olur. Beyin elektrosunun, elektrotlar araciligi ile beynin elektriksel faaliyetlerinin kaydedilerek, uzmanlar tarafindan yorumlanmasina imkân saglamasi gibi;eynin, kalem araciligiyla meydana getirdigi yazilar da bir uzman tarafindan yorumlanabildigini soyluyor Bornovali. Ustelik ona gore el yazisinda, elektrotlarin cok otesinde bir kapasiteye sahip bir iletken olan sinir sistemi kullaniliyor dogrudan dogruya.k tabii beynin yaziya kendini katabilmesi icin kisinin, okumus ve kalemle yazi yazma aliskanligi edinmis olmasi sarti var. Cunku beyin, yeni tanistigi bu harflerin formlarini benimseyip ustune kendi yorumunu katabilmek icin zamana ihtiyac duyuyor. Bu sekulayeni baslayan bir cocugun yazilarindan analiz yapilamiyorsa da okula baslamamis cocuklarin yazilari her seyi anlatiyor. Cunku beyin bu asamada kendini kaliplara sokmaya calismiyor serbest davraniyor. Bazen telefonla konusurken amacsizca hattaizce sekiller karaladigimiz olur ya, onlarin yorumlanmasini sordugumuzda, bu cizimlerin de grafolojinin alani icinde oldugunu ancak yaziyla birlikte yorumlandiginda bir anlam ifade ettigini ogreniyoruz. Onunla konustugumuzda analizin temel mantiginin,in icinde en az on bes yirmi kez tekrar edilen ozelliklerin bilgi ve tecrubeyle harmanlanmis bir maharetle yorumlanmasi oldugunu anliyoruz. Ne kadar hayret verici gelse de Zeynep Hanim’in; gorusme esnasinda, yakinen tanidigimiz bir arkadasimizin el yazinhareketle onunla ilgili analizini gordukten sonra, el yazisindan check-up yapilmasi fikri bize hic de imkânsiz gelmiyor. Konu bizi buralara getirmisken el yazisindan analiz tekniginin bir tur yalan makinesi olarak kullanilip kullanilamayacagini sordugua,bilmedigi alanlarla ilgili temkinli tavrini surduren Bornovali’nin cevabi, bize bu imkanin hic de yabana atilir olmadigini dusunduruyor: “Yalan makinasinin isleyis sistemini bilmedigimden bu sekilde de kullanilabilir diyemem, ancak yazida yalanciligin beinin24 adet oldugunu soyleyebilirim.” Kendisinden grafolojiyi psikoloji ile kiyaslamasini istedigimizde ise su cevabi veriyor: “Evet, psikolojinin yapamadigi bazi seyleri yaptigini soyleyebiliriz grafolojinin. Ama psikoloji de grafolojinin yapamadiklarini ya-Birini digerinden ustun tutmak dogru olmaz.” El yazisindan karakter tahlili yapmak icin, cizgisiz bir kagida, mavi tukenmez kalemle, birbirine baglantili harflerle bir metin yazmak gerekiyor; ancak bu yazilarin iceriginin hicbir onemi yok! Cunku Zeynep Hanlariokumuyor! “Latin alfebesiyle yazilan butun dillerde grafolojik analiz yapabilirim” diyen Bornovali, hatta analize verilecek yazilarin notr, mumkunse hic kisisellik icermemesini tercih ediyor. Gun isiginda ve “Ciplak gozle gorunenlere bakmiyoruz!”bi geregi buyutecle incelenen yazilarin, karakteristik ozellikleri tespit etmeyi zorlastirmasi sebebiyle sevinc, uzuntu, heyecan, ofke yorgunluk gibi rutin disi ruhi ve bedeni durumlar altinda yazilmamasi daha iyi olmakla birlikte bu durum, kisinin onceki yazilarininmesi ile asilabiliyor. Bununla birlikte insanin yazisinda, gecici ruhsal ve bedeni faktorlerden etkilenmeyen ve ancak grafolojik analiz uzmanlarinin algilayabildigi degismeyen ana hatlar barindiriyor. Zeynep Bornovali’nin belirttigine gore, hemen herkesinken kullandigi farkli yazi stilleri analiz icin dezavantaj degil bir zenginlik… Bununla birlikte inceleme icin, yazinin kaligrafik bir estetikte olmasi gerekmiyor. Incelenecek yaziya dair iyi-kotu, guzel-cirkin gibi terimler grafolojide yasak; dahasi, bununla ilgiyorda! Grafolojik tahlil en az bir bucuk saat suruyor ama 3 gun suren ornekler de varmis. Veri olusturacak yazinin cokluguna ve analizi isteyenin ilgisine bagliymis biraz da. Analiz icin ne kadar yazi vermemiz gerektigini sordugumuzda ise soyle diyor: “Bartek kelimeye bakmak durumunda kaliyorum. ‘Oldurecegim seni’ yaziyor mesela; bir tehdit mektubu… Buna ‘Hadi git, biraz daha yaz!’ diyecek halimiz yok. Mecburen elimizde olanla yapiyoruz analizi; ama normali en az 5 sayfa ve beraberinde eski yazidabulunmasidir.” Zeynep Hanim’in, soylesimiz sirasinda sadece iki satirdan olusan bir yazi hakkinda 5 dakika boyunca seri ve tamamen isabetli tespitlerde bulunmasi karsisinda duydugumuz saskinligi da burada belirtmeden gecmeyelim. Analize, ilk onceolumsuzluklari tespit ederek baslayan Zeynep Hanim, hic de oyle olmadigi halde insanlarin bunu kendilerine hakaret olarak algilamasinin onune gecmek icin yazinin kime ait oldugunu soylemek bir yana, sozgelimi ‘Bu yazi Mehmet Bey’e ait’ deseniz bilee Mehmet oldugu halde okumayi birakiyor! Aslinda bunun kendisi icin degil karsisindaki icin bir tedbir oldugunu, “Benim amacim kisiyi incelemek degil ki, kisinin amaci kendini bana inceletmek. Bu inceligi unutmazsa insanlar hicbir sorun olm a z .” s o z l e-fade ediyor. Gizlilik prensibine o derece bagli ki ihtiyac halinde akil hastalarinin ailesinin getirdigi yazilar disinda ne kadar yakini da olsa, izin vermedikce ve talep etmedikce kimsenin yazisina grafolojik anlamda gizlice bakmadigini, bunun da olmazsa olmazslek etigi oldugunu soyluyor Bornovali. ‘Beyin yazisi’ olarak da tanimlanan el yazimiz, grafolojiye gore beynimizin kivrimlarinin kagittaki izdusumu adeta. Bununla birlikte surecin tersinin de gerceklesebilecegini dusunmek hem heyecan verici hem urkutuabeynimiz el yazimizi degil de el yazimiz beynimizi sekillendirirse? Kalem ile beyin arasinda, yaziyi ortaya cikaran sureci harika bir ornekle acikliyor Bornovali: “Halat yarisi diye bir sey vardir. Biri bir taraftan tutar, digeri obur taraftan; kim daha coke obur taraf kaybeder. Peki, bir taraf beyin, diger taraf kalemin ucuysa, o zaman elin beyne galip gelmesi de mumkun! Dolayisiyla bir cocugun ya da buyugun el yazisini zorlama ile degistirmeye calisirsaniz mutlaka organlarina zarar verirsiniz, o kadar ki oluesebep olabilir! Cunku, yazi da tipki yuz ifadesi gibi bir insanin yaratilisinin, benliginin, genetiginin bir parcasidir; zorla degistirirseniz estetik ameliyatta oldugu gibi birini maymuna da cevirebilirsiniz huriye de.” Okulda arkadasina bakarak yazisini degistirenoruldugunu,bunun bir sorun teskil etmedigini soyleyen Zeynep Hanim, “Cunku onemli olan, yazinin zorlamayla degil beynin kabul edip benimsemesi yoluyla degismesi!” diyor. Bununla birlikte degistirilen el yazisinin beyni olumlu anlamda etkilemesi suesagligi iyi bilen bir grafologun gozetiminde olmasinin fayda saglayacagini dusunuyor. Yaklasik on asir once yasamis olan Imâm-i Gazâlî’nin Kimyâ-yi Saâdet isimli caglari asan eserinde yer alan su cumleler, hem konunun bizim medeniyetimizde karincok eskiye uzanmasi, hem Zeynep Hanim’in soyledikleri ile paralellik olusturmasi bakimindan oldukca manidar: “Ey ilahi sirlari ogrenmek isteyen! Kendi yaptigin islerin nasil meydana geldigini ogren. Mesela yazma isi gibi. Bil ki ne zaman bir kaustune‘Bismillah’ kelimesini yazmak dilesen, once kalbinde onu yapmaya bir meyil olusur ve irade gucu meydana gelir. Sonra hayvani ruh sebebiyle o meyil ve isteme gucu dimaga (beyin) dogru gider. Oraya varinca dimagin onunde olan hayal kuvvetindemillah’in sureti belirir. Bundan sonra o sûret, ak iplik adi verilen sinirlerle parmak uclarina iner. Daha sonra parmak da kalbin irade gucu ile hayalde beliren sekle bagli kalarak hareket edip, o seklin bir benzerini meydana getirir.” Gazali, ayni eserin ikinci cilhembir anlamda yukaridaki ifadelerini genisletip orneklendiriyor, hem bugun soylenenlere cok geriden guclu bir isik tutuyor: “Ey Salih kisi, bil ki her ne kadar gorunur alemden olan beden ile gorunmez alemden olan kalb ayri ayri seyler ise de bedenin kalp ilevardir ve ona uyar. Bedende olan her guzel muamelenin nuru gonle ulasir. Yazi once gonulde canlanir fakat onu islemek parmaklarla olur. Eger bir kisi yazi yazisinin guzel olmasini isterse onun tedbiri de sudur: Zorluk cekerek guzel yazmaya alisir. Sonrabu guzel yaziyi kendinde saklar. Artik bu guzellik onun sifati haline gelir. Sonra ne zaman o guzel yaziyi yazmak istese parmaklari o gonulde olan sekli ic âlemine getirip yazmaya baslar.” Imâm-i Gazâlî’ de, yazmada ve butun fiillerde bas aktorun gunuerminolojisininaksine “ beyin” yerine “ kalp” oldugunu, beynin kalpteki istek ve iradeye hizmet eden bir arac olarak konumlandirildigini goruyoruz. Cagin sorunu sayilabilecek “ kalbin ihmali” konusuna burada hic girmeden, insanin kendi istegi ve iradesiylearak ama disaridan zorlama olmadan yazisini ve efalini guzellestirebilecegini soyledigini belirtmekle yetinelim. Genellikle universite mezunu kisilerin, icra ettikleri mesleklerine destek mahiyetinde grafoloji egitimini talep ettiklerini ve bu egitimi alan ogrencilerinleri de pratik yaparak iki bucuk ay sonra basarili analizler yapmaya basladiklarini; sifirdan baslayanlardan tip doktorlarinin, ressamlarin, tiyatrocularin, muzisyenlerin ve psikologlarin konuya daha hizli intibak ettiklerini ve egitimlerini tamamlanmasindanda ogrencilerine kapisini acik tuttugunu soyluyor Bornovali. Ogrencilerinin sorularini buyuk bir itinayla cevaplayip gerektiginde onlari cesitli kaynaklara yonlendirerek gelisimlerinin devamini sagladigini ifade eden Zeynep Hanim, bu alanda ilerlemek isere,kaynaklarin orijinaline ulasabilmek icin belli basli bir Avrupa dillerinden birini iyi derecede ogrenmelerini ve saglik alanina kadar ilerlemek isteyenlerin ise temel anatomi okumasini salik veriyor.Kendisinin belirttigine gore, grafoloji sistemli calisarak keninaogrenilebiliyorsa da bu pek tavsiye edilen bir yontem degil. Hemen her disiplinde oldugu gibi akademik bir sistem gozetilmediginde, sonda ogrenilecek bir seyi basta ogrenmek veya cok onemli bir bilgiyi onemsiz sanarak gozden kacirmak, kafa karisikligi ile isinn cikamamak gibi tehlikeler dolayisiyla bir yol gostericinin olmasini tavsiye eden Zeynep Bornovali, “Tabii yine de amator olarak ilgilenenlere rastladigimda onlara bazi tuyolar veriyorum.” diyor. Bir an icin hayal edin; bir psikologa gittiniz ve karsisina otullarinizibirbirine kavusturarak tek kelime etmeden seansi tamamladiniz. Psikolog, “Kisi konusmadigi icin kendisine yardimci olamadik” der. Ancak grafolojide boyle bir sansiniz olmaz; el yaziniz sizin yerinize grafologla konusuverir. Ya da doktora gitmeasadiginizsaglik sorununu teshis etmesini istediniz. Tipta muayene olmadan, gerekli tahlil ve tetkikleri yaptirmadan bu talebiniz olumlu karsilanmaz. Ancak grafolojide, el yazinizi iceren bir kagit parcasi, hastaliginizin teshisinde onemli bir kanit olabilir. Yaanlinizin size verdigi hediyenin uzerine ilistirdigi kucuk bir notu, bir grafologa gosterdiginizde grafolog yaziyi sizin el yazinizla karsilastirarak birbirinize ne kadar uyumlu oldugunuzu soyleyebilir. Kriminoloji de grafolojiden yakasini kurtarabilmis degil. Birin el yazisi ya da bir tehdit mektubu, bu kadim el yazisi ilminin kapsama alanina giriyor cunku. Bunlar abartili gibi gorunse de ‘el yazisi uzerinden karakter tahlili’ olan grafoloji icin, tasidigi imkânlar bakimindan sadece baslangic niteliginde. Cunku bu kaisiplin,el yazisindan hareketle kisinin kiskanc, saldirgan, sadakatli, yalanci, zarif gibi genel karakter ozelliklerinin yani sira, “ bu kisi bir isi bitirmeden baska bir ise gecmeyi sevmiyor, sanat yetenegi iyi, eski evini ozluyor, soz tasima ozelligi yok veya kimseye biahatsizlikvermek istemeyen biri” gibi kisi ile ilgili spesifik degerlendirmeler de yapma iddiasinda… Grafolojinin tasidigi bir imkan da; ister doktor ya da psikologun muayenesinde, ister sorgu odasinda kisi soyleyeceklerini olcup tartacagi icin karsisindakini yailecekkengrafolog karsisinda bu ihtimali elinden kacirmasi… Cunku bu disipline gore, gelisiguzel cumlelerden olusan sayfada, farkinda olmasak da yazimizin boyutlari, kâgitta yer tutusu, harflere uyguladigimiz baskinin kâgidin arkasinda biraktigi iz, karakaliziicin oldugu kadar saglik taramasi icin de kullanilabiliyor. Hatta grafolojiye gore duvara ciziktirdigi bir sekil bile o kisi ile ilgili, bu alanda egitim gormus ve yillar icinde tecrube kazanmis bir goze, epeyce bir veri sunar. ‘Madem grafoloji bizi bu kadar iyi taoyleysebiz de biz de onu biraz yakindan taniyalim’ dedik ve bu alan otuz dokuz yillik tecrubesi bulunan grafolog Zeynep Bornovali ile konustuk. Grafolojinin memleketi Cin ve dogum tarihi M.O. 4000 olarak tahmin ediliyor. Antik cagda, Eflatun’un taleuyukIskender’in hocasi Aristo’nun, ilk cagda Roma Imparatorlugu’nun en dikkat ceken tarihcisi ve biyografi yazari Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus’un bu ilmi kullandigi biliniyor. Kisilere has ozel yetenek olmaktan cikip sistemli bir bilim haline gelmesiadimi,17. Yuzyil Italya’sinda teorik tip ve Aristo felsefesi hocasi olan Camillo Baldi’nin yazdigi cok kapsamli bir eserle atiliyor. Akademik anlamda ise Fransa’nin Sorbonne Universitesi’nde rustunu ispat ediyor. Gunumuzde Italya’nin Urbino Unisiders olarak okuturken, Rusya ve Israil’ de cok iyi taninmasina ragmen, 1980’lerde Amerika Birlesik Devletleri’nde ‘gizli ilim’ olmaktan cikip ‘muspet ilim’ statusu kazaniyor. Turkiye’ de 1954 yilinda Ankara Universitesi Dil ve Tarih-Cografyaltesi Dergisi’nde yayimlanan ve Ismail Hakki Baltacioglu’nun o tarihte konuya ne denli vâkif oldugunu gosteren makalesi ise Turkiye’ de bu alana yonelimin ilk belgesel ornegini olusturuyor. Zeynep Bornovali, ulkemiz icin bilimsel anlamda yeni sayiekbu alanda, konunun sayili uzmanlarindan. Zeynep Bornovali, universiteden mezun olduktan sonra kendisini adeta kutuphaneye kilitledigi gunlerden birinde, raflarin arasindan cektigi bir kitapla kendini onune acilan uzun bir yolun basinda bulur: Grafoanistigiandan itibaren bu “El Yazisi Bilimi”ne ilgisi gunden gune artan Bornovali’nin bir eksigi vardir: Rehber! Bornovali o gunleri soyle anlatiyor: “Bu alanda kitaplar edinmeye basladim, ancak kitaptan tam olarak ogrenilemiyordu, cunku kitapiki boyutludur, el yazisi ise uc boyutludur, ucuncu boyut; kalemin, kagidin arkasinda biraktigi derinliktir. Bunu parmak uclarinizda hissetmedikce on bes tane de kitap okusaniz pek cok ezber bilginiz olur ama tam bilgi sahibi olamazsaniz. Bu nedenle bu isi banacek, konuyu bilimsel yoldan ogrenmis ve bilim adami olan birini aramaya koyuldum.” Bu arayisi sirasinda Italya’ da grafoloji egitimi almis olan Dr. Mustafa Hayrettin ARPIN AR ile tanisikligi ve sonrasinda ondan aldigi egitim ile buyuk birazanir ve Zeynep Hanim bir sure sonra grafoloji uzmani olur. Beyin elektrosunun, elektrotlar araciligi ile beynin elektriksel faaliyetlerinin kaydedilerek, uzmanlar tarafindan yorumlanmasina imkân saglamasi gibi; ayni beynin, kalem araciligiyla meydanaigi yazilar da bir uzman tarafindan yorumlanabildigini soyluyor Bornovali. Ustelik ona gore el yazisinda, elektrotlarin cok otesinde bir kapasiteye sahip bir iletken olan sinir sistemi kullaniliyor dogrudan dogruya. Ancak tabii beynin yaziya kendini katabilcinkisinin, okumus ve kalemle yazi yazma aliskanligi edinmis olmasi sarti var. Cunku beyin, yeni tanistigi bu harflerin formlarini benimseyip ustune kendi yorumunu katabilmek icin zamana ihtiyac duyuyor. Bu sebeple okula yeni baslayan bir cocugun yaziananaliz yapilamiyorsa da okula baslamamis cocuklarin yazilari her seyi anlatiyor. Cunku beyin bu asamada kendini kaliplara sokmaya calismiyor serbest davraniyor. Bazen telefonla konusurken amacsizca hatta bilincsizce sekiller karaladigimiz olur ya,n yorumlanmasini sordugumuzda, bu cizimlerin de grafolojinin alani icinde oldugunu ancak yaziyla birlikte yorumlandiginda bir anlam ifade ettigini ogreniyoruz. Onunla konustugumuzda analizin temel mantiginin, yazinin icinde en az on bes yirmi kez tekrarozelliklerin bilgi ve tecrubeyle harmanlanmis bir maharetle yorumlanmasi oldugunu anliyoruz. Ne kadar hayret verici gelse de Zeynep Hanim’in; gorusme esnasinda, yakinen tanidigimiz bir arkadasimizin el yazisindan hareketle onunla ilgili analizini gorsonra,el yazisindan check-up yapilmasi fikri bize hic de imkânsiz gelmiyor. Konu bizi buralara getirmisken el yazisindan analiz tekniginin bir tur yalan makinesi olarak kullanilip kullanilamayacagini sordugumuzda, bilmedigi alanlarla ilgili temkinli tavrdurenBornovali’nin cevabi, bize bu imkanin hic de yabana atilir olmadigini dusunduruyor: “Yalan makinasinin isleyis sistemini bilmedigimden bu sekilde de kullanilabilir diyemem, ancak yazida yalanciligin belirtilerinin 24 adet oldugunu soyleyebilirim.”disinden grafolojiyi psikoloji ile kiyaslamasini istedigimizde ise su cevabi veriyor: “Evet, psikolojinin yapamadigi bazi seyleri yaptigini soyleyebiliriz grafolojinin. Ama psikoloji de grafolojinin yapamadiklarini yapiyor. Birini digerinden ustun tutmak dogru.” El yazisindan karakter tahlili yapmak icin, cizgisiz bir kagida, mavi tukenmez kalemle, birbirine baglantili harflerle bir metin yazmak gerekiyor; ancak bu yazilarin iceriginin hicbir onemi yok! Cunku Zeynep Hanim onlari okumuyor! “Latin alfebesiylen butun dillerde grafolojik analiz yapabilirim” diyen Bornovali, hatta analize verilecek yazilarin notr, mumkunse hic kisisellik icermemesini tercih ediyor. Gun isiginda ve “Ciplak gozle gorunenlere bakmiyoruz!” prensibi geregi buyutecle incelenen yazilarin,teristik ozellikleri tespit etmeyi zorlastirmasi sebebiyle sevinc, uzuntu, heyecan, ofke yorgunluk gibi rutin disi ruhi ve bedeni durumlar altinda yazilmamasi daha iyi olmakla birlikte bu durum, kisinin onceki yazilarinin incelenmesi ile asilabiliyor. Bununla birliktein yazisinda, gecici ruhsal ve bedeni faktorlerden etkilenmeyen ve ancak grafolojik analiz uzmanlarinin algilayabildigi degismeyen ana hatlar barindiriyor. Zeynep Bornovali’nin belirttigine gore, hemen herkesin yazarken kullandigi farkli yazi stilleri analizzavantaj degil bir zenginlik… Bununla birlikte inceleme icin, yazinin kaligrafik bir estetikte olmasi gerekmiyor. Incelenecek yaziya dair iyi-kotu, guzel-cirkin gibi terimler grafolojide yasak; dahasi, bununla ilgilenmiyor da! Grafolojik tahlil en az bir bucukuruyor ama 3 gun suren ornekler de varmis. Veri olusturacak yazinin cokluguna ve analizi isteyenin ilgisine bagliymis biraz da. Analiz icin ne kadar yazi vermemiz gerektigini sordugumuzda ise soyle diyor: “Bazen bir tek kelimeye bakmak durumunda kali-. ‘Oldurecegim seni’ yaziyor mesela; bir tehdit mektubu… Buna ‘Hadi git, biraz daha yaz!’ diyecek halimiz yok. Mecburen elimizde olanla yapiyoruz analizi; ama normali en az 5 sayfa ve beraberinde eski yazilarinin da bulunmasidir.” Zeynep Hanim’in,imiz sirasinda sadece iki satirdan olusan bir yazi hakkinda 5 dakika boyunca seri ve tamamen isabetli tespitlerde bulunmasi karsisinda duydugumuz saskinligi da burada belirtmeden gecmeyelim. Analize, ilk once varsa olumsuzluklari tespit ederek baslayanep Hanim, hic de oyle olmadigi halde insanlarin bunu kendilerine hakaret olarak algilamasinin onune gecmek icin yazinin kime ait oldugunu soylemek bir yana, sozgelimi ‘Bu yazi Mehmet Bey’e ait’ deseniz bile binlerce Mehmet oldugu halde okumayi bir!Aslinda bunun kendisi icin degil karsisindaki icin bir tedbir oldugunu, “Benim amacim kisiyi incelemek degil ki, kisinin amaci kendini bana inceletmek. Bu inceligi unutmazsa insanlar hicbir sorun olmaz.” sozleriyle ifade ediyor. Gizlilik prensibine o dereliki ihtiyac halinde akil hastalarinin ailesinin getirdigi yazilar disinda ne kadar yakini da olsa, izin vermedikce ve talep etmedikce kimsenin yazisina grafolojik anlamda gizlice bakmadigini, bunun da olmazsa olmaz bir meslek etigi oldugunu soyluyor Borno-Beyin yazisi’ olarak da tanimlanan el yazimiz, grafolojiye gore beynimizin kivrimlarinin kagittaki izdusumu adeta. Bununla birlikte surecin tersinin de gerceklesebilecegini dusunmek hem heyecan verici hem urkutucu! Ya beynimiz el yazimizi degil de el yabeynimizisekillendirirse? Kalem ile beyin arasinda, yaziyi ortaya cikaran sureci harika bir ornekle acikliyor Bornovali: “Halat yarisi diye bir sey vardir. Biri bir taraftan tutar, digeri obur taraftan; kim daha cok cekerse obur taraf kaybeder. Peki, bir taraf beigertaraf kalemin ucuysa, o zaman elin beyne galip gelmesi de mumkun! Dolayisiyla bir cocugun ya da buyugun el yazisini zorlama ile degistirmeye calisirsaniz mutlaka organlarina zarar verirsiniz, o kadar ki olume bile sebep olabilir! Cunku, yazi da tipkiadesi gibi bir insanin yaratilisinin, benliginin, genetiginin bir parcasidir; zorla degistirirseniz estetik ameliyatta oldugu gibi birini maymuna da cevirebilirsiniz huriye de.” Okulda arkadasina bakarak yazisini degistirenlerin goruldugunu, bunun bir sorun teskil etinisoyleyen Zeynep Hanim, “Cunku onemli olan, yazinin zorlamayla degil beynin kabul edip benimsemesi yoluyla degismesi!” diyor. Bununla birlikte degistirilen el yazisinin beyni olumlu anlamda etkilemesi surecinde sagligi iyi bilen bir grafologun gondeolmasinin fayda saglayacagini dusunuyor. Yaklasik on asir once yasamis olan Imâm-i Gazâlî’nin Kimyâ-yi Saâdet isimli caglari asan eserinde yer alan su cumleler, hem konunun bizim medeniyetimizde karsiliginin cok eskiye uzanmasi, hem Zeyanim’insoyledikleri ile paralellik olusturmasi bakimindan oldukca manidar: “Ey ilahi sirlari ogrenmek isteyen! Kendi yaptigin islerin nasil meydana geldigini ogren. Mesela yazma isi gibi. Bil ki ne zaman bir kagidin ustune ‘Bismillah’ kelimesini yazilesen,once kalbinde onu yapmaya bir meyil olusur ve irade gucu meydana gelir. Sonra hayvani ruh sebebiyle o meyil ve isteme gucu dimaga (beyin) dogru gider. Oraya varinca dimagin onunde olan hayal kuvvetinde ‘Bismillah’in sureti belirir. Bundan sonret,ak iplik adi verilen sinirlerle parmak uclarina iner. Daha sonra parmak da kalbin irade gucu ile hayalde beliren sekle bagli kalarak hareket edip, o seklin bir benzerini meydana getirir.” Gazali, ayni eserin ikinci cildinde, hem bir anlamda yukaridaki ifadelerineilistirdigi kucuk bir notu, bir grafologa gosterdiginizde grafolog yaziyi sizin el yazinizla karsilastirarak birbirinize ne kadar uyumlu oldugunuzu soyleyebilir. Kriminoloji de grafolojidenyakasini kurtarabilmis degil. Bir zanlinin el yazisi ya da bir tehdit mektubu, bu kadim el yazisi ilminin kapsama alanina giriyor cunku. Bunlar abartili gibi gorunse de ‘el yazisi uzerindenkarakter tahlili’ olan grafoloji icin, tasidigi imkânlar bakimindan sadece baslangic niteliginde. Cunku bu kadim disiplin, el yazisindan hareketle kisinin kiskanc, saldirgan, sadakatli, yalanci, zarifibi genel karakter ozelliklerinin yani sira, “ bu kisi bir isi bitirmeden baska bir ise gecmeyi sevmiyor, sanat yetenegi iyi, eski evini ozluyor, soz tasima ozelligi yok veya kimseye bilerek rahatsizlik vermek istemeyen biri”isi ile ilgili spesifik degerlendirmeler de yapma iddiasinda… Grafolojinin tasidigi bir imkan da; ister doktor ya da psikologun muayenesinde, ister sorgu odasinda kisi soyleyeceklerini olcup tartacagi icin karsisindakibilecekkengrafolog karsisinda bu ihtimali elinden kacirmasi… Cunku bu disipline gore, gelisiguzel cumlelerden olusan sayfada, farkinda olmasak da yazimizin boyutlari, kâgitta yer tutusu, harflere uyguladigimiz basnarkasinda biraktigi iz, karakter analizi icin oldugu kadar saglik taramasi icin de kullanilabiliyor. Hatta grafolojiye gore duvara ciziktirdigi bir sekil bile o kisi ile ilgili, bu alanda egitim gormus ve yillar icinde tecrube kazancebir veri sunar. ‘Madem grafoloji bizi bu kadar iyi taniyor, oyleyse biz de biz de onu biraz yakindan taniyalim’ dedik ve bu alan otuz dokuz yillik tecrubesi bulunan grafolog Zeynep Bornovali ile konustuk. Grafolojinin memmtarihi M.O. 4000 olarak tahmin ediliyor. Antik cagda, Eflatun’un talebesi, Buyuk Iskender’in hocasi Aristo’nun, ilk cagda Roma Imparatorlugu’nun en dikkat ceken tarihcisi ve biyografi yazari Gaius Suetoniusi kullandigi biliniyor. Kisilere has ozel yetenek olmaktan cikip sistemli bir bilim haline gelmesinin ilk adimi, 17. Yuzyil Italya’sinda teorik tip ve Aristo felsefesi hocasi olan Camillo Baldi’nin yazdigi cok kapsamli bir esernlamdaise Fransa’nin Sorbonne Universitesi’nde rustunu ispat ediyor. Gunumuzde Italya’nin Urbino Universitesi ders olarak okuturken, Rusya ve Israil’ de cok iyi taninmasina ragmen, 1980’lerde Amerika Birlesikolmaktan cikip ‘muspet ilim’ statusu kazaniyor. Turkiye’ de 1954 yilinda Ankara Universitesi Dil ve Tarih-Cografya Fakultesi Dergisi’nde yayimlanan ve Ismail Hakki Baltacioglu’nun o tarihte konuya ne denli vâkifise Turkiye’ de bu alana yonelimin ilk belgesel ornegini olusturuyor. Zeynep Bornovali, ulkemiz icin bilimsel anlamda yeni sayilabilecek bu alanda, konunun sayili uzmanlarindan. Zeynep Bornovali, universiteden mezun olutuphaneyekilitledigi gunlerden birinde, raflarin arasindan cektigi bir kitapla kendini onune acilan uzun biryolun basinda bulur: Grafoloji! Tanistigi andan itibaren bu “El Yazisi Bilimi”ne ilgisi gundensigi vardir: Rehber! Bornovali o gunleri soyle anlatiyor: “Bu alanda kitaplar edinmeye basladim,ancak kitaptan tam olarak ogrenilemiyordu, cunku kitap yazisi iki boyutludur, el yakalemin,kagidin arkasinda biraktigi derinliktir. Bunu parmak uclarinizda hissetmedikce on bes tanede kitap okusaniz pek cok ezber bilginiz olur ama tam bilgi sahibi olaretecek,konuyu bilimsel yoldan ogrenmis ve bilim adami olan birini aramaya koyuldum.” Bu ara-yisi sirasinda Italya’ da grafoloji egitimi almis olane tanisikligi ve sonrasinda ondan aldigi egitim ile buyuk bir ivme kazanir ve Zeynep Hanim birsure sonra grafoloji uzmani olur. Beebeynin elektriksel faaliyetlerinin kaydedilerek, uzmanlar tarafindan yorumlanmasinaimkân saglaameydana getirdigi yazilar da bir uzman tarafindan yorumlanabildi-gini soyluinda,elektrotlarin cok otesinde bir kapasiteye sahip bir iletken olan si-nir sistemibii beynin yaziya kendini katabilmesi icin kisinin, okumus ve ka-lemle yaziCunku beyin, yeni tanistigi bu harflerin formlarini benimseyip us-tune kenacduyuyor. Bu sebeple okula yeni baslayan bir cocugun yazila-rindancocuklarin yazilari her seyi anlatiyor. Cunku beyin bu asamadakendiniyor. Bazen telefonla konusurken amacsizca hatta bilincsizce sekil-ler karardugumuzda,bu cizimlerin de grafolojinin alani icinde oldugunu an-cak yadeettigini ogreniyoruz. Onunla konustugumuzda analizin temelmantigiedilenozelliklerin bilgi ve tecrubeyle harmanlanmis bir maharetle yo-rumlanricigelse de Zeynep Hanim’in; gorusme esnasinda, yakinen tanidi-gimiz birilgili analizini gordukten sonra, el yazisindan check-up yapilmasi fik-ri bize hic deisken el yazisindan analiz tekniginin bir tur yalan makinesi olarak kul-lanilip kullanlarlailgili temkinli tavrini surduren Bornovali’nin cevabi, bize bu im-kanin hic delan makinasinin isleyis sistemini bilmedigimden bu sekilde de kullanilabi-lir diyemem,t oldugunu soyleyebilirim.” Kendisinden grafolojiyi psikoloji ile kiyaslama-sini istedigiapamadigibazi seyleri yaptigini soyleyebiliriz grafolojinin. Ama psikoloji de grafo- lojinin yamakdogru olmaz.” El yazisindan karakter tahlili yapmak icin, cizgisiz bir kagida, mavi tukenmez kalemle, birbiri-ne baglanilariniceriginin hicbir onemi yok! Cunku Zeynep Hanim onlari okumuyor! “Latin alfebesiyle yazilan butun dillerdegrafolojikrilecek yazilarin notr, mumkunse hic kisisellik icermemesini tercih ediyor. Gun isiginda ve “Ciplak gozle gorunenlere bakmi-yoruz!”ozellikleri tespit etmeyi zorlastirmasi sebebiyle sevinc, uzuntu, heyecan, ofke yorgunluk gibi rutin disi ruhi ve bedeni durumlar altindayazilyazilarininincelenmesi ile asilabiliyor. Bununla birlikte insanin yazisinda, gecici ruhsal ve bedeni faktorlerden etkilenmeyen ve ancakgraanahatlar barindiriyor. Zeynep Bornovali’nin belirttigine gore, hemen herkesin yazarken kullandigi farkli yazi stilleri analiz i c i nicin, yazinin kaligrafik bir este-tikte olmasi gerekmiyor. Incelenecek yaziya dair iyi-kotu, guzel-cirkin gibi terimler grafohlilen az bir bucuk saat suruyorama 3 gun suren ornekler de varmis. Veri olusturacak yazinin cokluguna ve analizi iszivermemiz gerektigini sordugu-muzda ise soyle diyor: “Bazen bir tek kelimeye bakmak durumunda kaliyorum.una ‘Hadi git, biraz daha yaz!’ diyecek halimiz yok. Mecburen elimizde olanla yapiyoruz analizi; amalunmasidir.” Zeynep Hanim’in, soylesimiz sirasinda sadece iki satirdan olusan birli tespitlerde bulunmasi karsisin-da duydugumuzk once varsa olumsuzluklari tespit ederek baslainbunu kendilerine hakaret olarakalgilamasiekbir yana, sozgelimi ‘Bu yaziM e h m e tokumayi birakiyor! Aslinda bu-nun kendisim amacim kisiyi incelemek degilki, kitmazsainsanlar hicbir sorun olrecebagli ki ihtiyac halinde akildar yakini da olsa, izin vermeikanlamda gizlice bakmadiginusoyluyor Bornovali. ‘Be-y i ne gore beynimizin kivrimlarininkagittaininde gerceklesebilecegini du- sunmek hemimizi degil de el yazimiz beyni-mizi sekillendirirse?n sureci harika bir ornekle acik-liyor Bornovali: “Halatigeri obur taraftan; kim daha cokcekerse obur taraf kaybeder. Peki,an elin beyne galip gelmesi demumkun! Dolayisiyla bir cocugune calisirsaniz mutlaka organla-rina zarar verirsiniz, o kadar ki olumeesi gibi bir insanin yaratilisinin,benliginin, genetiginin bir parcasidir;birini maymuna da cevirebilirsinizhuriye de.” Okulda arkadasina babirsorun teskil etmedigini soyle-yen Zeynep Hanim, “Cunku onembenimsemesiyoluyla degismesi!”diyor. Bununla birlikte degistirilen el yazisiigiiyi bilen bir grafologun gozetimindeolmasinin fayda saglayacagini dusunuyor. Yaklasik on asir once yasamis olanglari asan eserinde yer alan su cumle-ler, hem konunun bizim medeniyetimizde karsiliginin cok eskiye uzanmasi, hem Zeynep Hanim’inldukca manidar: “Ey ilahi sirlari ogrenmekisteyen! Kendi yaptigin islerin nasil meydana geldigini ogren. Mesela yazma isi gibi. Bil ki ne zaman bir kagidin uskalbindeonu yapmaya bir meyil olusur ve irade gucu meydana gelir. Sonra hayvani ruh sebebiyle o meyil ve isteme gucu dimaga (beyin) dogru gider. Oraya varinca dimaginbelirir. Bundan sonra o sûret, ak iplik adi verilen sinirlerle parmak uclarina iner. Daha sonra parmak da kalbin irade gucu ile hayalde beliren sekle bagli kalarak hareket edip, o sekikincicildinde, hem bir anlamda yukaridaki ifadelerinigenisletip orneklendiriyor, hem bugun soylenenlere cok geriden guclu bir isik tutuyor: “Ey Salih kisi, bil ki her ne kaolankalb ayri ayri seyler ise de bedenin kalp ile il-gisi vardir ve ona uyar. Bedende olan her guzel muamelenin nuru gonle ulasir. Yazi once gonulde canlayaziyazisinin guzel olmasini isterse onun tedbi-ri de sudur: Zorluk cekerek guzel yazmaya alisir.ik bu guzellik onun sifati haline gelir. Sonra nezaman o guzel yaziyi yazmak isteseazmaya baslar.” Imâm-i Gazâlî’ de, yazmadave butun fiillerde bas aktorun gukalp”oldugunu, beynin kalpteki istek ve iradeyehizmet eden bir arac olaunusayilabilecek “ kalbin ihmali” konusuna buraesiylezorlanarak ama disaridan zorlama olmadanledigini belirtmekle yetinelim. Genellikle universite medestekmahiyetinde grafoloji egitimini talep ettiklerini ve bupratik yaparak iki bucuk ay sonra basarili analizler yapmaya basantip doktorlarinin, ressamlarin, tiyatrocularin, muzisyenlerin ve psikoakettiklerini ve egitimlerini tamamlanmasindan sonra da ogrencilerine kapisinirnovali. Ogrencilerinin sorularini buyuk bir itinayla cevaplayip gerektiginde onlaridirerek gelisimlerinin devamini sagladigini ifade eden Zeynep Hanim, bu alan-, kaynaklarin orijinaline ulasabilmek icin belli basli bir Avrupa dillerinden birini iyiini ve saglik alanina kadar ilerlemek isteyenlerin ise temel anatomi okumasini salikinin belirttigine gore, grafoloji sistemli calisarak kendi basina ogrenilebiliyorsa da bu pekn bir yontem degil. Hemen her disiplinde oldugu gibi akademik bir sistem gozetilmediginogrenilecekbir seyi basta ogrenmek veya cok onemli bir bilgiyi onemsiz sanarak gozden kak,kafa karisikligi ile isin icinden cikamamak gibi tehlikeler dolayisiyla bir yol gostericinin olmanitavsiye eden Zeynep Bornovali, “Tabii yine de amator olarak ilgilenenlere rastladigimda onlarabazi tuyolar veriyorum.” diyor. Bir an icin hayal edin; bir psikologa gittiniz ve karsisina oturup kollarinizibirbirine kavusturarak tek kelime etmeden seansi tamamladiniz. Psikolog, “Kisi konusmadigi icinkendisine yardimci olamadik” der. Ancak grafolojide boyle bir sansiniz olmaz; el yaziniz sizin yerinize grafologla konusuverir.Ya da doktora gitmeden, yasadiginiz saglik sorununu teshis etmesini istema z .Ancak grafolojide, el yaziniziiceren bir kagit parcasi, hastaliginizinteshisinde onemli bir kanit olabilir.Ya da nisanlini-zin sizeverdigi hediyenin uzerineilistirdigi kucuk birnotu, bir grafo-l o g agosterdigi-nizde grafologyabyMurat Gokhan GURELOur HandwritingBetrays Us!From the Decifer in Writingto the Treasure in the Brain with Graphology

niz sizin yerinize grafologla konusuverir. Ya da doktora gitmeden, yasadiginiz saglik sorununu teshis etmesini istediniz. Tipta muayene olmadan, gerekli tahlil ve tetkikleri yaptirmadan bu talebiniz olumlu karsilanmaz. Ancak grafolojide, el yazinizi iceren bgit parcasi, hastaliginizin teshisinde onemli bir kanit olabilir. Ya da nisanlinizin size verdigi hediyenin uzerine ilistirdigi kucuk bir notu, bir grafologa gosterdiginizde grafolog yaziyi sizin el yazinizla karsilastirarak birbirinize ne kadar uyumlu oldugunuzu soylelir. Kriminoloji de grafolojiden yakasini kurtarabilmis degil. Bir zanlinin el yazisi ya da bir tehdit mektubu, bu kadim el yazisi ilminin kapsama alanina giriyor cunku. Bunlar abartili gibi gorunse de ‘el yazisi uzerinden karakter tahlili’ olan grafoloji icin, taimkânlar bakimindan sadece baslangic niteliginde. Cunku bu kadim disiplin, el yazisindan hareketle kisinin kiskanc, saldirgan, sadakatli, yalanci, zarif gibi genel karakter ozelliklerinin yani sira, “ bu kisi bir isi bitirmeden baska bir ise gecmeyi sevmiyor, sanatnegi iyi, eski evini ozluyor, soz tasima ozelligi yok veya kimseye bilerek rahatsizlik vermek istemeyen biri” gibi kisi ile ilgili spesifik degerlendirmeler de yapma iddiasinda… Grafolojinin tasidigi bir imkan da; ister doktor ya da psikologun muayenesinde, isterodasinda kisi soyleyeceklerini olcup tartacagi icin karsisindakini yaniltabilecekken grafolog karsisinda bu ihtimali elinden kacirmasi… Cunku bu disipline gore, gelisiguzel cumlelerden olusan sayfada, farkinda olmasak da yazimizin boyutlari, kâgitta yer tutusu,lere uyguladigimiz baskinin kâgidin arkasinda biraktigi iz, karakter analizi icin oldugu kadar saglik taramasi icin de kullanilabiliyor. Hatta grafolojiye gore duvara ciziktirdigi bir sekil bile o kisi ile ilgili, bu alanda egitim gormus ve yillar icinde tecrube kazanmgoze, epeyce bir veri sunar. ‘Madem grafoloji bizi bu kadar iyi taniyor, oyleyse biz de biz de onu biraz yakindan taniyalim’ dedik ve bu alan otuz dokuz yillik tecrubesi bulunan grafolog Zeynep Bornovali ile konustuk. Grafolojinin memleketi Cin ve dogum tarihi M4000 olarak tahmin ediliyor. Each Antik cagda, successful Eflatun’un talebesi, work Buyuk of Iskender’in art created hocasi Aristo’nun, by a master ilk cagda Roma in almost Imparatorlugu’nun all the en dikkat branches ceken tarihcisi ve of biyografi plastic yazari Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus’un bu ilmi kullandigi biliniyor. Kisilerozel yetenek olmaktan cikip sistemli bir bilim haline gelmesinin ilk adimi, 17. Yuzyil Italya’sinda teorik tip ve Aristo felsefesi hocasi olan Camillo Baldi’nin yazdigi cok kapsamli bir eserle atiliyor. Akademik anlamda ise Fransa’nin Sorbonne Universiterustunu ispat ediyor. Gunumuzde arts, Italya’nin no matter Urbino Universitesi what the ders olarak branch okuturken, is, Rusya informs ve Israil’ us de about cok iyi taninmasina the points ragmen, of 1980’lerde view, Amerika judgements Birlesik Devletleri’nde and ‘gizli ilim’ olmaktan cikip ‘muspet ilim’ statusu kazaniyor. Turkiye’ deyilinda Ankara Universitesi the Dil general ve Tarih-Cografya preferences Fakultesi Dergisi’nde of its yayimlanan master ve with Ismail its Hakki characteristics, Baltacioglu’nun o tarihte style konuya etc. ne denli For vâkif this oldugunu reason, gosteren makalesi a ise Turkiye’ de bu alana yonelimin ilk belgesel ornegini olusturuyor. Znep Bornovali, ulkemiz icin bilimsel anlamda yeni sayilabilecek bu alanda, konunun sayili uzmanlarindan. Zeynep Bornovali, universiteden mezun olduktan sonra kendisini adeta kutuphaneye kilitledigi gunlerden birinde, raflarin arasindan cektigi bir kitapladini onune acilan uzun bir yolun tableaux, basinda bulur: for Grafoloji! instance, Tanistigi andan is like itibaren the bu “El pier Yazisi glass Bilimi”ne of the ilgisi gunden master gune artan who Bornovali’nin created bir eksigi it for vardir: an Rehber! expert Bornovali o gunleri soyle anlatiyor: “Bu alanda kitaplar edinmeye basladimcak kitaptan tam olarak ogrenilemiyordu, who understands cunku kitap yazisi iki its boyutludur, characteristics el yazisi ise uc boyutludur, and ucuncu the boyut; characteristics kalemin, kagidin arkasinda of biraktigi its master derinliktir. Bunu very parmak well. uclarinizda hissetmedikce on bes tane de kitap okusaniz pek cok ezber bilginiz olurtam bilgi sahibi olamazsaniz. Bu nedenle bu isi bana ogretecek, konuyu bilimsel yoldan ogrenmis ve bilim adami olan birini aramaya koyuldum.” Bu arayisi sirasinda Italya’ da grafoloji egitimi almis olan Dr. Mustafa Hayrettin Arpinar ile tanisikligi verasinda ondan aldigi egitim Is ile buyuk it the bir ivme case, kazanir however, Zeynep Hanim for bir sure things sonra grafoloji that uzmani are olur. not Beyin actually elektrosunun, works elektrotlar of araciligi arts? ile beynin How elektriksel about faaliyetlerinin a kaydedilerek, uzmanlar tarafindan yorumlanmasina imkân saglamasayni beynin, kalem araciligiyla handwriting, meydana getirdigi yazilar for instance? da bir uzman tarafindan The experts yorumlanabildigini of graphology, soyluyor Bornovali. which Ustelik ona can gore be el yazisinda, defined elektrotlarin shortly cok otesinde as bir kapasiteye sahip bir iletken olan sinir sistemi kullaniliyor dogrudan dogAncak tabii beynin yaziya kendini katabilmesi icin kisinin, okumus ve kalemle yazi yazma aliskanligi edinmis olmasi sarti var. Cunku beyin, yeni tanistigi bu harflerin formlarini benimseyip ustune kendi yorumunu katabilmek icin zamana ihtiyac duyuyor. Bbeple okula yeni baslayan bir analysing cocugun yazilarindan one’s analiz personality yapilamiyorsa da from okula baslamamis his/her cocuklarin handwriting yazilari her seyi say anlatiyor. that Cunku not beyin only bu asamada works kendini of art, kaliplara but sokmaya calismiyor serbest davraniyor. Bazen telefonla konusurken amacsizcabilincsizce sekiller karaladigimiz also olur a ya, few onlarin lines yorumlanmasini just scribbled sordugumuzda, on bu cizimlerin a piece de grafolojinin of paper alani icinde give oldugunu detailed ancak yaziyla information birlikte yorumlandiginda about bir the anlam ifade ettigini ogreniyoruz. Onunla konustugumuzda analizin temel mantigyazinin icinde en az on bes yirmi kez tekrar edilen ozelliklerin bilgi ve tecrubeyle harmanlanmis bir maharetle yorumlanmasi oldugunu anliyoruz. Ne kadar hayret verici gelse de Zeynep Hanim’in; gorusme esnasinda, yakinen tanidigimiz bir arkadasimizin elsindan hareketle onunla ilgili personality analizini gordukten of sonra, their el yazisindan writer check-up as well. yapilmasi Could fikri bize handwriting hic de imkânsiz gelmiyor. really Konu reveal bizi buralara the getirmisken things el yazisindan we can analiz not tekniginin bir tur yalan makinesi olarak kullanilip kullanilamayacagini sordmuzda, bilmedigi alanlarla ilgili say, temkinli or even tavrini surduren the things Bornovali’nin we cevabi, ourselves bize bu imkanin do hic not de yabana know? atilir olmadigini To find dusunduruyor: answers “Yalan to makinasinin these questions,isleyis sistemini bilmedigimden bu sekilde de kullanilabilir diyemem, ancak yazida yalanciliglirtilerinin 24 adet oldugunu soyleyebilirim.” Kendisinden grafolojiyi psikoloji ile kiyaslamasini istedigimizde ise su cevabi veriyor: “Evet, psikolojinin yapamadigi bazi seyleri yaptigini soyleyebiliriz grafolojinin. Ama psikoloji de grafolojinin yapamadiklarinpiyor. Birini digerinden ustun we tutmak had dogru a olmaz.” closer El yazisindan look at karakter handwritings tahlili yapmak icin, in cizgisiz this bir kagida, eddition mavi tukenmez of our kalemle, handicrafts birbirine baglantili magazine, harflerle bir metin and yazmak gerekiyor; ancak bu yazilarin iceriginin hicbir onemi yok! Cunku Zeynepnim onlari okumuyor! “Latin we alfebesiyle interviewed yazilan butun with dillerde Zeynep grafolojik analiz Bornovali, yapabilirim” diyen one Bornovali, of the hatta few analize graphologists verilecek yazilarin notr, in mumkunse Turkey. hic kisisellik icermemesini tercih ediyor. Gun isiginda ve “Ciplak gozle gorunenlere bakmiyorprensibi geregi buyutecle incelenen yazilarin, karakteristik ozellikleri tespit etmeyi zorlastirmasi sebebiyle sevinc, uzuntu, heyecan, ofke yorgunluk gibi rutin disi ruhi ve bedeni durumlar altinda yazilmamasi daha iyi olmakla birlikte bu durum, kisinin onceki yazilaincelenmesi ile asilabiliyor. Bununla birlikte insanin yazisinda, gecici ruhsal ve bedeni faktorlerden etkilenmeyen ve ancak grafolojik analiz uzmanlarinin algilayabildigi degismeyen ana hatlar barindiriyor. Zeynep Bornovali’nin belirttigine gore, hemen heryazarken kullandigi farkli yazi stilleri analiz icin dezavantaj degil bir zenginlik… Bununla birlikte inceleme icin, yazinin kaligrafik bir estetikte olmasi gerekmiyor. Incelenecek yaziya dair iyi-kotu, guzel-cirkin gibi terimler grafolojide yasak; dahasi, bununlalenmiyor da! Grafolojik tahlil en az bir bucuk saat suruyor ama 3 gun suren ornekler de varmis. Veri olusturacak yazinin cokluguna ve analizi isteyenin ilgisine bagliymis biraz da. Analiz icin ne kadar yazi vermemiz gerektigini sordugumuzda ise soyle diyor: “zen bir tek kelimeye bakmak durumunda kaliyorum. ‘Oldurecegim seni’ yaziyor mesela; bir tehdit mektubu… Buna ‘Hadi git, biraz daha yaz!’ diyecek halimiz yok. Mecburen elimizde olanla yapiyoruz analizi; ama normali en az 5 sayfa ve beraberinde eskilarinin da bulunmasidir.” Zeynep Imagine Hanim’in, yourselves soylesimiz sirasinda in the sadece office iki satirdan of olusan a psycologistokumayi birakiyor! for a while. Aslinda You bunun kendisi have icin tied degil your karsisindaki icin bir tedbir oldugunu, “Benim amacim kisiyi incelemek degil ki, kisinin amaci kendini bana inceletmek. Bu inceligi unutmazsa insanlar Zeynep hicbir BORNOVALI sorun olm a z .”bir yazi hakkinda 5 dakika boyunca seri ve tamamen isabetli tespitlerde bulunmasi karsisinda duydugumuz saskinligi da burada belirtmeden gecmeyelim. Analize, ilkvarsa olumsuzluklari tespit ederek baslayan Zeynep Hanim, hic de oyle olmadigi halde insanlarin bunu kendilerine hakaret olarak algilamasinin onune gecmek icin yazinin kime ait oldugunu soylemek bir yana, sozgelimi ‘Bu yazi Mehmet Bey’e ait’ desenbinlerce Mehmet oldugu halderiyle ifade ediyor. Gizlilik prensibine arms o and derece sat bagli there ki ihtiyac without halinde akil hastalarinin saying a ailesinin getirdigi yazilar disinda ne kadar yakini da olsa, izin vermedikce ve talep etmedikce kimsenin yazisina grafolojik anlamda gizlice bakmadigini, bunun da olmazsa obir meslek etigi oldugunu soyluyor Bornovali. ‘Beyin yazisi’ olarak da tanimlanan el yazimiz, grafolojiye gore beynimizin kivrimlarinin kagittaki izdusumu adeta. Bununla birlikte surecin tersinin de gerceklesebilecegini dusunmek hem heyecan verici hem urcu! Ya beynimiz el yazimizi word degil de during el yazimiz beynimizi the whole sekillendirirse? session. Kalem In ile beyin arasinda, yaziyi ortaya cikaran sureci harika bir ornekle acikliyor Bornovali: “Halat yarisi diye bir sey vardir. Biri bir taraftan tutar, digeri obur taraftan; kim dahcekerse obur taraf kaybeder. Peki, such bir a taraf case, beyin, diger the taraf psycologist kalemin ucuysa, will o zaman say elin beyne galip gelmesi de mumkun! Dolayisiyla bir cocugun ya da buyugun el yazisini zorlama ile degistirmeye calisirsaniz mutlaka organlarina zarar verirsiniz, o kadar kme bile sebep olabilir! Cunku, yazi da tipki yuz ifadesi gibi bir insanin yaratilisinin, benliginin, genetiginin bir parcasidir; zorla degistirirseniz estetik ameliyatta oldugu gibi birini maymuna da cevirebilirsiniz huriye de.” Okulda arkadasina bakarak yazisini degislerin goruldugunu, bunun bir “We sorun teskil were etmedigini unable soyleyen to Zeynep help Hanim, the “Cunku patientsince gozetiminde he/she olmasinin did fayda not saglayacagini speak to dusunuyor. us”. Yaklasik on asir once yasamis olan Imâm-i Gazâlî’nin Kimyâ-yi Saâdet isimli caglari asan eserinde yer alan su cumleler, hem konunun bizim medeniyetimizdeonemli olan, yazinin zorlamayla degil beynin kabul edip benimsemesi yoluyla degismesi!” diyor. Bununla birlikte degistirilen el yazisinin beyni olumlu anlamda etkilemerecinde sagligi iyi bilen bir grafologunsiliginin cok eskiye uzanmasi, hem Zeynep Hanim’in soyledikleri ile paralellik olusturmasi bakimindan oldukca manidar: “Ey ilahi sirlari ogrenmek isteyen! Kendi yaptigin islerin nasil meydana geldigini ogren. Mesela yazma isi gibi. Bil ki ne zaman bgidin ustune ‘Bismillah’ kelimesini This, however, yazmak dilesen, can once never kalbinde onu be yapmaya the case bir meyil if you olusur ve irade gucu meydana gelir. Sonra hayvani ruh sebebiyle o meyil ve isteme gucu dimaga (beyin) dogru gider. Oraya varinca dimagin onunde olan hayal kuvve‘Bismillah’in sureti belirir. write Bundan something sonra o sûret, ak iplik on adi a piece verilen sinirlerle of paper parmak since uclarina your iner. Daha sonra parmak da kalbin irade gucu ile hayalde beliren sekle bagli kalarak hareket edip, o seklin bir benzerini meydana getirir.” Gazali, ayni eserin ikindinde, hem bir anlamda yukaridaki ifadelerini genisletip orneklendiriyor, hem bugun soylenenlere cok geriden guclu bir isik tutuyor: “Ey Salih kisi, bil ki her ne kadar gorunur alemden olan beden ile gorunmez alemden olan kalb ayri ayri seyler ise de bedenin kailgisi vardir ve ona uyar. Bedende handwriting olan her guzel will muamelenin be the nuru one gonle ulasir. who Yazi will once speak gonulde to canlanir the fakat onu islemek parmaklarla olur. Eger bir kisi yazi yazisinin guzel olmasini isterse onun tedbiri de sudur: Zorluk cekerek guzel yazmaya alisir. Sgonul bu guzel yaziyi kendinde graphologist saklar. Artik bu guzellik for you. onun sifati If you haline want gelir. Sonra the ne doctor zaman o guzel to yaziyi diagnoseolmadan your yazisini disease ve efalini without guzellestirebilecegini showing soyledigini up at belirtmekle her ofice, yetinelim. she Genellikle universite mezunu kisilerin, icra ettikleri mesleklerine destek mahiyetinde grafoloji egitimini talep ettiklerini ve bu egitimi alan ogrencyazmak istese parmaklari o gonulde olan sekli ic âlemine getirip yazmaya baslar.” Imâm-i Gazâlî’ de, yazmada ve butun fiillerde bas aktorun gmuz terminolojisinin aksine “ beyin” yerine “ kalp” oldugunu, beynin kalpteki istek ve iradeye hizmet eden bir arac olarak konumlandirildigini goruyoruz. Cagin sorunu sayilabilecek “ kalbin ihmali” konusuna burada hic girmeden, insanin kendi istegi ve iradzorlanarak ama disaridan zorlamakendileri de pratik yaparak iki will bucuk not ay sonra give basarili you analizler a positive yapmaya response basladiklarini; without sifirdan baslayanlardan first examiningulasabilmek you and icin receiving belli basli bir Avrupa the results dillerinden of birini necessary iyi derecede ogrenmelerini medical ve analy-saglik alanina kadar ilerlemek isteyenlerin ise temel anatomi okumasini salik veriyor.Kendisinin belirttigine gore, grafoloji sistemli calisaraktip doktorlarinin, ressamlarin, tiyatrocularin, muzisyenlerin ve psikologlarin konuya daha hizli intibak ettiklerini ve egitimlerini tamamlanmasisonra da ogrencilerine kapisini acik tuttugunu soyluyor Bornovali. Ogrencilerinin sorularini buyuk bir itinayla cevaplayip gerektiginde onlari cesitli kaynaklara yonlendirerek gelisimlerinin devamini sagladigini ifade eden Zeynep Hanim, bu alanda ilerlemteyenlere, kaynaklarin orijinalinedi basina ogrenilebiliyorsa da ses. bu pek A tavsiye small edilen piece bir yontem of degil. paper Hemen with her disiplinde your oldugu handwriting, gibi akademik bir though,sistem gozetilmediginde, sonda ogrenilecek bir seyi basta ogrenmek veya cok onemli bir bilgiyi onemsiz sanarak gozden kacirmak, kafa karisikligi ilicinden cikamamak gibi tehlikeler dolayisiyla bir yol gostericinin olmasini tavsiye eden Zeynep Bornovali, “Tabii yine de amator olarak ilgilenenlere rastladigimda onlara bazi tuyolar veriyorum.” diyor. Bir an icin hayal edin; bir psikologa gittiniz ve karsisinarup kollarinizi birbirine kavusturarak could tek be kelime very etmeden helpful seansi tamamladiniz. the diagnosis Psikolog, “Kisi of your konusmadigi disease. icin kendisine Or, if yardimci olamadik” der. Ancak grafolojide boyle bir sansiniz olmaz; el yaziniz sizin yerinize grafologla konusuverir. Ya da doktora gden, yasadiginiz saglik sorununu you teshis show etmesini to istediniz. a graphologist Tipta muayene the olmadan, note gerekli on tahlil the ve wrapping tetkikleri yaptirmadan paper bu talebiniz olumlu karsilanmaz. Ancak grafolojide, el yazinizi iceren bir kagit parcasi, hastaliginizin teshisinde onemli bir kanit olabilirda nisanlinizin size verdigi hediyenin uzerine ilistirdigi kucuk bir notu, bir grafologa gosterdiginizde grafolog yaziyi sizin el yazinizla karsilastirarak birbirinize ne kadar uyumlu oldugunuzu soyleyebilir. Kriminoloji de grafolojiden yakasini kurtarabilmis degilzanlinin el yazisi ya da bir tehdit of a mektubu, gift your bu kadim fiance el yazisi has ilminin just kapsama given alanina you, giriyor he/she cunku. Bunlar may abartili compare gibi gorunse the de ‘el pressure yazisi uzerinden we karakter apply tahlili’ on olan letters grafoloji at icin, the tasidigi back imkânlar of the bakimindan page, sadece can baslangic niteliginde. Cunku bdim disiplin, el yazisindan hareketle your handwritings, kisinin kiskanc, saldirgan, and sadakatli, tell you yalanci, whether zarif gibi genel you karakter match ozelliklerinin well yani as sira, “ be bu kisi used bir isi not bitirmeden only baska to bir analyse ise gecmeyi the sevmiyor, personality sanat yetenegi of iyi, eski the evini writer, ozluyor, soz but tasima ozelligi yok veya kimselerek rahatsizlik vermek istemeyen biri” gibi kisi ile ilgili spesifik degerlendirmeler de yapma iddiasinda… Grafolojinin tasidigi bir imkan da; ister doktor ya da psikologun muayenesinde, ister sorgu odasinda kisi soyleyeceklerini olcup tartacagi icin karsisindakinniltabilecekken grafolog karsisinda a couple. bu ihtimali Criminology elinden kacirmasi… as Cunku well bu needs disipline gore, the gelisiguzel help of cumlelerden graphology olusan sayfada, also farkinda for olmasak health da yazimizin screening. boyutlari, Even, kâgitta yer according tutusu, harflere uyguladigimiz to graphology, baskinin kâgidin a arkasinda biraktigi iz, kater analizi icin oldugu kadar since saglik taramasi the handwriting icin de kullanilabiliyor. of a Hatta suspect, grafolojiye or gore a duvara letter ciziktirdigi of threat bir sekil is bile also o kisi ile shape ilgili, bu alanda someone egitim gormus draws ve yillar on icinde a wall tecrube can kazanmis also bir present goze, epeyce bir lots veri of sunar. data ‘Madem grafoloji bizi bu kadar iniyor, oyleyse biz de biz de onu biraz yakindan taniyalim’ dedik ve bu alan otuz dokuz yillik tecrubesi bulunan grafolog Zeynep Bornovali ile konustuk. Grafolojinin memleketi Cin ve dogum tarihi M.O. 4000 olarak tahmin ediliyor. Antik cagda, Eflatun’unbesi, Buyuk Iskender’in hocasi within Aristo’nun, the ilk research cagda Roma field Imparatorlugu’nun of this ancient dikkat science ceken tarihcisi of ve handwritings.teorik tip ve Aristo felsefesi hocasi olan Camillo Baldi’nin yazdigi cok kapsamli bir eserle atiliyor. phology Akademik knows anlamda us ise Fransa’nin so well, Sorbonne we thought Universitesi’nde that rustunu we ispat should ediyor. also Gunumuzde Italya’nin Urbino Ubiyografi yazari Gaius to Suetonius an educated Tranquillus’un and bu experienced ilmi kullandigi biliniyor. graphologist. Kisilere has ozel Now yetenek that olmaktan gra-cikip sistemli bir bilim haline gelnin ilk adimi, 17. Yuzyil Italya’sindaversitesi ders olarak okuturken, Rusya ve Israil’ de cok iyi taninmasina ragmen, 1980’lerde Amerika Birlesik Devletleri’nde ‘gizli ilim’ olmaktan cikip ‘muspet ilim’ statusu kazaniyor. Turkiye’ de 1954 yilinda Ankara Universitesi Dil ve Tarih-CogFakultesi Dergisi’nde yayimlanan ve Ismail Hakki Baltacioglu’nun o tarihte konuya ne denli vâkif oldugunu gosteren makalesi get ise Turkiye’ to know de bu alana it more yonelimin closely, ilk belgesel and ornegini decided olusturuyor. to Zeynep interview Bornovali, with ulkemiz icin bilimsel anlamda yenilabilecek bu alanda, konunun Though sayili uzmanlarindan. these Zeynep all sound Bornovali, exaggerated, universiteden mezun these olduktan examples sonra kendisini adeta are kutuphaneye graphologist kilitledigi gunlerden Zeynep birinde, Bornovali, raflarin arasindan who cektigi works bir kitapla in kendini this onune field acilan for uzun bir yolun basinda bulur: Gloji! Tanistigi andan itibaren bu “El Yazisi Bilimi”ne ilgisi gunden gune artan Bornovali’nin bir eksigi vardir: Rehber! Bornovali o gunleri soyle anlatiyor: “Bu alanda kitaplar edinmeye basladim, ancak kitaptan tam olarak ogrenilemiyordu, cunkuyazisi iki boyutludur, el yazisi only ise uc boyutludur, the tip ucuncu of the boyut; iceberg kalemin, kagidin in terms arkasinda of biraktigi the derinliktir. facilities Bunu graphologyogrenmis has since ve bilim adami this olan ancient birini aramaya discipline koyuldum.” claims Bu arayisi to sirasinda give informa-Italya’ da grafoloji egitimi almis olan Dr. Mustafa Hayrettin ARPIN AR ile tanisikligi ve sonrasinda ondan aldigi egitim ile buyparmak uclarinizda 39 years. hissetmedikce on bes tane de kitap okusaniz pek cok ezber bilginiz olur ama tam bilgi sahibi olamazsaniz. Bu nedenle bu isiogretecek, konuyu bilimsel yoldanivme kazanir ve Zeynep Hanim bir sure sonra grafoloji uzmani olur. Beyin elektrosunun, elektrotlar araciligi ile beynin elektriksel faaliyetlerinin kaydedilerek, uzmanlar tarafindan yorumlanmasina imkân saglamasi gibi; ayni beynin, kalem araciligiyla meygetirdigi yazilar da bir uzman tion tarafindan on both yorumlanabildigini the general soyluyor characteristics Bornovali. Ustelik ona of gore a el person yazisinda, such elektrotlarin as cok otesinde Born bir in kapasiteye China sahip 6000 bir iletken Years olan sinir Ago sistemi kullaniliyor dogrudan dogruya. Ancak tabii beynin yaziya kendini kamesi icin kisinin, okumus ve kalemle weather yazi yazma he is aliskanligi jealous, edinmis aggressive, olmasi sarti var. loyal, Cunku dishonest beyin, yeni tanistigi or delicate,bu harflerin formlarini The benimseyip homeland ustune kendi of graphology yorumunu katabilmek is china, icin zamana and ihtiyac is assumed duyuyor. Bu sebeple to date okula yeni baslayan bir cocugunlarindan analiz yapilamiyorsa da okula baslamamis cocuklarin yazilari her seyi anlatiyor. Cunku beyin bu asamada kendini kaliplara sokmaya calismiyor serbest davraniyor. Bazen telefonla konusurken amacsizca hatta bilincsizce sekiller karaladigimiz oluonlarin yorumlanmasini sordugumuzda, and his specific bu cizimlerin characteristics de grafolojinin alani icinde such oldugunu as weather ancak yaziyla he birlikte begins yorumlandiginda anotherharmanlanmis task before bir maharetle he finishes yorumlanmasi the oldugunu one he anliyoruz. has Ne already kadar hayret begun, verici gelse de Alexander’s Zeynep Hanim’in; teacher gorusme esnasinda, used yakinen this discipline tanidigimiz bir during arkadasimizin the el yazisindan Antique hareketle onunla ilgili analizinback bir anlam to ifade 4000 ettigini BC. ogreniyoruz. It is known Onunla konustugumuzda that Aristo, analizin Plato’s temel mantiginin, student yazinin and icinde en az on bes yirmi kez tedilen ozelliklerin bilgi ve tecrubeyledukten sonra, el yazisindan check-up yapilmasi fikri bize hic de imkânsiz gelmiyor. Konu bizi buralara getirmisken el yazisindan analiz tekniginin bir tur yalan makinesi olarak kullanilip kullanilamayacagini sordugumuzda, bilmedigi alanlarla ilgili temkinlrini surduren Bornovali’nin whether cevabi, bize bu imkanin he is hic good de yabana at atilir arts, olmadigini whether dusunduruyor: he misses “Yalan his makinasinin old flat, isleyis sistemini age, bilmedigimden and Gaius bu sekilde Suetonius de kullanilabilir Tranquillus, diyemem, ancak the yazida most yalanciligin noteworthy belirtilerinin 24 adet oldugunu soyleyebilKendisinden grafolojiyi psikoloji whether ile kiyaslamasini he gosips, istedigimizde or whether ise su cevabi veriyor: he is “Evet, someone psikolojinin who yapamadigi bothers bazi seyleri yaptigini historian soyleyebiliriz and biography grafolojinin. Ama writer psikoloji of de grafolojinin the Roman yapamadiklarini Empire yapiyor. used Birini it digerinden ustun tutmak dolmaz.” El yazisindan karakter tahlili yapmak icin, cizgisiz bir kagida, mavi tukenmez kalemle, birbirine baglantili harflerle bir metin yazmak gerekiyor; ancak bu yazilarin iceriginin hicbir onemi yok! Cunku Zeynep Hanim onlari okumuyor! “Latin alfebeyazilan butun dillerde grafolojik others analiz on yapabilirim” purpose, diyen Bornovali, etc. hatta analize verilecek yazilarin notr, mumkunse hic kisisellik during icermemesini the tercih first ediyor. Age. Gun The isiginda first ve “Ciplak step of gozle this gorunenlere discipline bakmiyoruz!” to become prensibi geregi buyutecle incelenen yazikarakteristik ozellikleri tespit etmeyi zorlastirmasi sebebiyle sevinc, uzuntu, heyecan, ofke yorgunluk gibi rutin disi ruhi ve bedeni durumlara disciplinealtinda yazilmamasiratherdahathaniyi olmaklaa personalbirlikte bu durum,talent,kisinin oncekithough,yazilarininisincelenmesitakenile asilabiliyor. Bununla biinsanin yazisinda, gecici ruhsal ve bedeni faktorlerden etkilenmeyen ve ancak grafolojik analiz uzmanlarinin algilayabildigi degismeyen ana hatlar barindiriyor. Zeynep Bornovali’nin belirttigine gore, hemen herkesin yazarken kullandigi farkli yazi stilleri aicin dezavantaj degil bir zenginlik… Another Bununla advantage birlikte inceleme that icin, graphology yazinin kaligrafik provides bir estetikte olmasi is the gerekmiyor. fact that Incelenecek with yaziya the dair iyi-kotu, inclusive guzel-cirkin work gibi terimler written grafolojide by Camillo yasak; dahasi, Baldi, bununla a ilgilenmiyor lecturer da! Grafolojik tahlil en az birsaat suruyor ama 3 gun surenwhileorneklerade varmis.personVericanolusturacakmisleadyazininthecoklugunapsycologistve analizi isteyeninor theilgisinepolicebagliymisofficersatirdan who olusan asks bir yazi him hakkinda questions 5 dakika boyunca to learn seri ve some tamamen facts, isabetli this tespitlerde is never bulunmasi karsisinda the Italy duydugumuz of the saskinligi 17th century. da burada belirtmeden The discipline gecmeyelim. reaches Analize, ilk academiconce varsa olumsuzluklari tespit ederek baslbiraz da.inAnalizTheoreticalicin ne kadarMedicineyazi vermemiz gerektiginiand thesordugumuzdaAristothelianise soyle diyor:philosophy“Bazen bir tekinkelimeye bakmak durumundayorum. ‘Oldurecegim seni’ yaziyor mesela; bir tehdit mektubu… Buna ‘Hadi git, biraz daha yaz!’ diyecek halimiz yok. Mecburen elimizde olanla yapiyoruz analizi; ama normali en az 5 sayfa ve beraberinde eski yazilarinin da bulunmasidir.” Zeynep Hansoylesimiz sirasinda sadece ikiZeynep Hanim, hic de oyle olmadigi halde insanlarin bunu kendilerine hakaret olarak algilamasinin onune gecmek icin yazinin kime ait oldugunu soylemek bir yana, sozgelimi ‘Bu yazi Mehmet Bey’e ait’ deseniz bile binlerce Mehmet oldugu halde okumarakiyor! Aslinda bunun kendisitheicincasedegilinkarsisindakigraphologyicin bir tedbirsinceoldugunu,features“Benimsuchamacim kisiyias theincelemeksizedegilofki,our maturity, however, in the Sorbonne University in France. Inkisinin amaci kendini bana inceletmek. Bu inceligi unutmazsa insanlar hicbir sorun olmaz.” sozleriyle ifade ediyor. Gizlilik prensibine oce bagli ki ihtiyac halinde akil writing hastalarinin even ailesinin if getirdigi we do yazilar not disinda quite ne kadar notice, yakini the da olsa, space izin vermedikce it takes ve talep up etmedikce our kimsenin day, the yazisina discipline grafolojik anlamda is taught gizlice bakmadigini, as a lesson bunun in da the olmazsa Urbino olmaz bir Universitymeslek etigi oldugunu soyluyor Bvali. ‘Beyin yazisi’ olarak da tanimlanan el yazimiz, grafolojiye gore beynimizin kivrimlarinin kagittaki izdusumu adeta. Bununla birlikte surecin tersinin de gerceklesebilecegini dusunmek hem heyecan verici hem urkutucu! Ya beynimiz el yazimizi degil de ezimiz beynimizi sekillendirirse?onKalemthe pageile beyinfullarasinda,ofyaziyisomeortayarandomcikaran surecisentences,harika bir ornekletheacikliyormarksBornovali:that“Halat yarisiindiyeItaly,bir sey vardir.is knownBiri bir taraftanverytutar,closelydigeri oburintaraftan;Israel,kimanddahahascok cekersebeenobur taraf kaybeder. Peki, bir taryin, diger taraf kalemin ucuysa, o zaman elin beyne galip gelmesi de mumkun! Dolayisiyla bir cocugun ya da buyugun el yazisini zorlama ile degistirmeye calisirsaniz mutlaka organlarina zarar verirsiniz, o kadar ki olume bile sebep olabilir! Cunku, yazi dayuz ifadesi gibi bir insanin yaratilisinin, benliginin, genetiginin bir parcasidir; zorla degistirirseniz estetik ameliyatta oldugu gibi birini maymuna da cevirebilirsiniz huriye de.” Okulda arkadasina bakarak yazisini degistirenlerin goruldugunu, bunun bir sorun teskmedigini soyleyen Zeynep Hanim, “Cunku onemli olan, yazinin zorlamayla degil beynin kabul edip benimsemesi yoluyla degismesi!” diyor. Bununla birlikte degistirilen el yazisinin beyni olumlu anlamda etkilemesi surecinde sagligi iyi bilen bir grafologuzetiminde olmasinin fayda saglayacagini dusunuyor. Yaklasik on asir once yasamis olan Imâm-i Gazâlî’nin Kimyâ-yi Saâdet isimli caglari asan eserinde yer alan su cumleler, hem konunun bizim medeniyetimizde karsiliginin 133 cok eskiye uzanmasi, hem Znep Hanim’in soyledikleri ile paralellik olusturmasi bakimindan oldukca manidar: “Ey ilahi sirlari ogrenmek isteyen! Kendi yaptigin islerin nasil meydana geldigini ogren. Mesela yazma isi gibi. Bil ki ne zaman bir kagidin ustune ‘Bismillah’ kelimesinimak dilesen, once kalbinde onu yapmaya bir meyil olusur ve irade gucu meydana gelir. Sonra hayvani ruh sebebiyle o meyil ve isteme gucu dimaga (beyin) dogru gider. Oraya varinca dimagin onunde olan hayal kuvvetinde ‘Bismillah’in sureti belirir. Bundanra o sûret, ak iplik adi verilen sinirlerle parmak uclarina iner. Daha sonra parmak da kalbin irade gucu ile hayalde beliren sekle bagli kalarak hareket edip, o seklin bir benzerini meydana getirir.” Gazali, ayni eserin ikinci cildinde, hem bir anlamda yukaridaki ifa

considered as a hard science rather than a secret science inthe United States since 1980s. The first document that showsthat the interest in the field in Turkey increased in 1950s is thearticle by Ismail Hakki Baltacioglu which was published in themagazine of the Faculty of Languages, History and Geographyat Ankara University, and which shows that he alreadyhad a deep knowledge on the matter. Zeynep Bornovali isone of the few experts of the discipline, which is fairly newto our country.After graduating from university, Zeynep Bornovali finds herselfat the beginning of a long path, the path of graphology,with a book she pulled out of the shelves at one of theinstances where she almost locked herself up in the library.Her interest in this discipline increases rapidly, but she lacksa guide. She tells those days as follows: “I began to acquirebooks in this field, but the book can not teach you graphologyexactly since the book writing has 2 dimensions whilea handwriting has 3 dimensions. The third dimension is thedepth the pencil leaves at the back of the page. Unless youfeel this dimension at the tip of your fingers, you can nothave the exact knowledge you need even if you read dozensof books on the matter. You will only have some theoreticalknowledge, and that’s all. For this reason, I rolled up mysleaves and began to search a scientist who could teach methe discipline.” After her search, he gets to know Dr. MustafaHayrettin Arpinar who received graphology education in Italy,learns the discipline from him, and becomes a graphologist.Brain: the Invisible TreasureMrs. Bornovali states that the writings brain creates via apencil can be interpreted by experts in the same wayEEG enables the electrical activities of the brain tobe recorded and interpreted by experts. Shefurther adds that contrary to EEG, the nervoussystem, which has a wider capac-134

ity is also in direct use while creating a handwriting. However,in order for the brain to be able to contribute to the handwriting,the handwriter must be literate and must have the habitof writing with a pencil since the brain needs some time to familiariseitself with the letters it is introduced and add its owninterpretations to them. For this reason, while the personalityof children who have just began learning reading and writingcan not be analysed, the writings created by children whohave not been to school yet reveal everything since the braindoes not try to fit itself into certain limits, and behaves freelyin this phase. When we ask Mrs. Bornovali about the interpretationof the shapes we unpurposefully, even unconsciouslydraw while we are talking on the phone, we learn that thesedrawings are also within the searching field of the discipline,but the meaning of these drawings can be best interpretedwhen accompanied by handwritings. During our interview,we understand that the basic logic behind the analysis ofpersonality is the skillful interpretation of features that are repeatedabout 15 or 20 times in a handwriting by the helpof education and experience. No matter how astonishing itsounds, we also begin to think that it is possible to analysethe personality of someone by his/her handwriting when wehear the personality analysis of a close friend of ours. Right atthis point, we ask her whether this technique could serve in away as a lying machine. Though she is cautious about a fieldshe does not know very well, her answer makes us thinks thatthis is not very impossible. “I can not definitely say that thetechnique serves as a lying machine since I don’t quite knowhow a lying machine operates, but I can tell you that thereare 24 symptoms of lying in graphology.” She says. Whenwe ask her to compare psycology and graphology, shegives us the following answer: “Yes, we can say that graphologydoes things that psycology can not do, but thereare also things that psycology can do and graphology cannot do. So, it is not right to favor one over the other.”Graphology Requires some Criteriato be Set in order to Analyse a DocumentIn order to be able to make a personality analysis from thehandwriting, the handwriting must be written on a plainsheet of paper with letters attached to each other. Thecontent of the writing, however, has no importance atall since the graphologist does not read them. Statingthat she can make graphological analysis inall the languages written in the Latin Alphabet,Mrs. Bornovali adds that the writings should beas neutral as possible, containing no personalstatements. “We don’t look at the writings inthe daylight and with naked eye”. She says,and adds that the writing which is scrutinisedwith a magnifyer as a principle, mustnot be created when the person istoo happy, too sad, too angry,too excited or too tiredsince these extreme moodsmake it difficult to do theanalysis. This, however, canbe neutralised only withthe person’s previous writings,and there are certainfeatures in a handwritingwhich are never affectedby any temporary spiritualor physical conditions,and which can beperceived only by expertgraphologists.135

Zeynep Bornovali states that different styleseveryone uses while writing is not a disadvantage,but a variety in analysis. Also, thewriting should not be as aesthetical as acalligraphy to be scrutinised for analysis. Expressionssuch as beautiful or ugly writingare forbidden in graphology. Furthermore,it does not concern the graphologist either.A graphological analysis lasts at least1 and a half hours, yet we learn that thereare also analyses which may last up to 3days. It in a way depends on the lengthof the writing and on the demands of theclient. When we ask Mrs. Bornovali at leasthow long a writing should be provided foranalysis, he answers this question as follows:“There are some instances where I have tolook at a single word. “I’ll kill you” it writes,for instance. A letter of threat. We certainly cannot say “go and write more”. For this reason, wehave to do the analysis with whatever we haveat our disposal. Yet normally, we need at least 5pages of writings along with the person’s previouswriting samples.” We should also mention the amazementwe felt during the 5-minute character analysisof Mrs. Bornovali, which was very speedy and accurate,from a handwriting which consists of only 2 lines.The Privacy is Due to the Conditions of the JobBeginning the analysis first from the negative sides if available,Mrs. Bornovali stops analysing the writing if someonetells her who the writing belongs to in order to prevent theanalysis to be perceived like an abuse although it is neverthe case. To explain that this is a caution for the chlient ratherthan for herself, she says the following: “I do not aim toanalyse the client. It is the aim of the client to get himself/herself analysed. If people keep this slight detail in mind,no problems will occur.” Mrs. Bornovali is so strict with theprivacy principle that she says that except for the familymembers of a mentally ill person whose handwritings arebrought, she does not look at the graphological analyses ofany relatives or family members of the person secretly, unlessthey allow or demand so.According to graphology, our handwriting which is alsodefined as the brain writing, is the projection of the curlsof our brain on the page. However, it is both exciting, andfrightening to imagine that the process could work the oppositeway as well. What if our handwriting shapes ourbrain in stead of our brain shaping our handwriting? Mrs.Bornovali explaines the process between the pen and thebrain, which create the writing, with a wonderful example:“There is a race called “the rope race”. 2 people hold eachend of the rope, and whoever pulls the rope more strongly,the opposite side loses. This race sometimes happens betweenthe brain and the hand as well, and the hand mayalso win. So, if you forcea child or an adult to changehis/her handwriting, this maycause traumas in the organs of the individual,and even his/her death. Because just like thefacial expressions, writing as well is a part of a person’screation, characteristics and genetic features. Changingthe way someone writes is like a plastic surgery which canmake a person more beautiful than he/she is, but also uglierat the same time.”Stating that it does not cause a problem when a child triesto change his/her writing to look like the writing of a friend,Mrs. Bornovali explains that the important thing is for thebrain to accept the new way of writing. However, she thinksthat the process of change should be under the supervisionof a graphologist who is also specialised in mental health sothe change could have a positive affect on the brain.The following statements in the work by Imam-i Gazalicalled Kimyâ-yi Saâdet (the chemistry of happiness),which excell the eras although written by a philosopherwho lived 10 centuries ago, are important both in terms136

world, and body which belongsto the visible world are separatethings, body has a relation withthe heart, and body does whatthe heart wishes. Each nice thingthat happens in the body reachesthe heart. A writing first appearsin the heart, but it is thefingers which make it happen.One who wants his/her writingto be beautiful should do thefollowing: He/she should forcehimself/herself to get used towriting beautifully. The heartwill then preserve this way ofwriting, making this very way ofwriting a quality that belongs tothe individual. So, whenever he/she wants to write beautifully, his/her fingers will reflect the beautifulway of writing which is already in theheart.” We see in Gazali’s work thatcontrary to today’s terminology, not thebrain, but the heart is the leading actor inboth writing, and all the other actions, andthe brain is the tool that carries out the wishesof the heart. Not entering into the deep matterof skipping the importance of the heart, which isa main problem we experience today, we will satisfyourselves by merely mentioning that one can changehis way of writing and behaving with his inner force only,but not with an outer force.of proving thatthe interest in thisfield date back to veryearly ages in our civilisation,and due to the fact that they overlapwith what Mrs. Bornovali has been telling us: “You whowants to learn divine secrets. First learn how the actionsyou perform happen. The act of writing, for instance.Know that whenever you wish to write “Bismillah” ona piece of paper, you first intend in your heart to do so,and your will of power steps in. Then, because of the animalspirit you have, the intention and will is transferred tothe brain. When it arrives at the brain, the image of Bismillahappears there. That image is then communicatedto the finger tips via nerves called “white strings”. Lastly,the finger writes the same image created in the mentalitywith the will of power in the heart.”In the second volume of the same work, Gazali bothmakes his aforementioned statements more inclusive withexamples, and enlightens our current knowledge withthe following statements: “You, the person of good will.Know that although heart which belongs to the invisibleAdvices from the Expert to the InterestedMrs. Bornovali states that usually university graduates demandgraphology education as a supportive activity to theirvocations and students can make quite successful analysesin about 2 and a half months by practicing, that painters,actors, psycologists, medical doctors and musicians whobegin from the scratch usually advance more quickly thanothers, and that her door is always open to students, evenafter the completion of the education. Stating that she answersher students’ questions with utmost care, and directsthem to various other sources if necessary to help themcontinue their improvement, Mrs. Bornovali recommendsto those who want to advance in this field to learn one ofthe most commonly spoken European languages to be ableto reach the original sources, and to study basic anatomyfor those who want to advance in health as well.She states that although graphology can be learnt alone byfollowing a systematic study schedule, this is not a preferredmethod. Mrs. Bornovali recommends to those who want tolearn graphology to have a guide to prevent any confusionbecause of not following a systematic academic schedule,but she still says that she gives little hints when she runs intopeople who work on graphology in an amateur way.137

The Dance of the Needle with Ceramic:Sigrafittoby Semra CELIKSigrafitto is an art which was first seen in China, its motherland. It was being performed in our territories as well,but the performance of this art stoppped for a while after the Seljukians. Meaning “scraped” in Italian, the wordsigrafitto also represents the art performed with a needle scraping floor tiles, wall tiles or granites after they havebeen painted. Enlivened again in 1992 in Kutahya, sigrafitto is now being performed by Ahmet Metin Tunca andGokcen Ilay in the same city. Being the first sigrafitto artists of the Ministry of Culture, the primary aim of the fatherand daughter is to arrange a sigrafitto exhibition abroad.138

7 noble, strong and proud horses without cavaliersare gallopping with full speed, beating the dirtpath with their horseshoes, their manesscattered by the wind, and their nostrilsare wide open so they can filltheir lungs with as much air aspossible. They look so live thatone can not help feeling as ifthey will come up to you,gallopping out of thetableaux they were picturedon, which consistsof 4 pieces of ceramic.Then, Turkan Soray,accompanied by hergood-looking contemporaryCuneyt Arkin, who is the BattalGazi and Kara Murat of the Turkish cinema,and Orhan Gencebay, the father of the Arabesquemusic on both sides, is looking at us with herlong eyelash and huge, almondlike eyes a little furtheraway from the gallopping horses whose veinscome out of their tense muscles like fingers. But it isnot only the breath taking noble horses, Turkân Soray,Cuneyt Arkin and Orhan Gencebay which fascinateus. The gravures, mosaics, landscapes and manymore, are just as impressive.None of the things mentioned above are scenes weare daydreaming. We are talking about the tableauxescreated by the skillful hands of the 2 artists of alittle known art, sigrafitto.The Lost Art Revived in KutahyaA warm, summery autumn day. The morning coolhas left, and the sun penetrates to every single cellof ours. Thinking that it will be good to store somesunlight before the gloomy, cold winter days arrive,we walk towards the TRT building in Taksim Tepebasi,and arrive at the 7th Golden Hands Exhibition arrangedwith the cooperation of the Ministry of Cultureand the Municipality of Beyoglu on the side partof the building.We stroll around the exhibition area where about65 traditional handicraft artists from 33 cities in Turkey.Masters of many handicrafts ranging from hoodedboot making to silk carpet weaving, from copperengraving to wood carving, and from wrestler’stights making to marbling, exhibit their works of artin stands allotted to them. As we walk around thestands, we see the signboard that reads “sigrafitto”,towards where we head immediately. The black andwhite tableauxes in various sizes attract our attention.As we watch the tableauxes performed with sigrafittowith admiration, AhmetMetin Tunca, who isin charge of the stand,welcomes us to informus about this art, and wefeel excited to learn whatsigrafitto is.As far as what we learnfrom Mr. A. Metin Tunca,sigrafitto, which means“scraped” in Italian,is an undercoat scrapingdecoration technique. Itis an art which is performedby scraping the surfaceof painted ceramic, floortiles, wall tiles and granite with a needle.After it emerged in its motherlandChina, the art was performed duringthe Karluk and Karakhanid periods as well.Then, it developed and became widespread in Iranand Europe, and especially Italy, where it was named.Ahmet Metin TUNCAAt first, sigrafitto was performed by decorating thered clay shaped with hands and coated with a whiteundercoat, with spiky metal needles and styluses. Afterthe conversion of the Turks into Islam, white claybegan to be used in the performance of this art aswell. Different textures such as pointing, fonting andcarding were used in the works created during theKarluk and Karakhanid Periods.Had a Break after the SeljuksAfter the Seljuks, the art wasn’t performed during theOttoman and the Republic periods, until 1992. It wasrevived in Kutahya in 1992, and is nowadays beingperformed by Ahmet Metin Tunca and her daughterGokcen Ilay.We interviewed with the fatherand the daughter whoare the masters of this artknown by few, and askedthem how the art is performed,its how tos, itsdifficulties and theirobjectives about it,and A. Metin Tuncatells us how theywere introducedto this art. We areused to hearingthat the passion forart passes on tochildren fromparents. ThisGokcen Ilay TUNCA139

was not the case, however, for the Tunca family. Herdaughter Gokcen Ilay was introduced to this art whilestudying Ceramic, Glass and Tiling in the OccupationalCollege at Dumlupinar University in Kutahya. Decidingto dedicate her life to this art since she couldnot find a job when she finished the school and turnedto Kutahya, Gokcen Ilay Tunca also had her retiredfather Metin Tunca get introduced to sigrafittovia Lokman Acar, the teacher who introduced her tothis art. The father and the daughter have thus beenworking in the workshop they prepared in their housesince 2007.Metin Tunca tells that he was not very unfamiliar witharts even before he got to know sigrafitto. “I learntbasic painting at school. I used to do oil painting andwater coloring. I also attended a tiling course for twoyears while I was working”. He says. It seems obviousto us that Gokcen Ilay Tunca inherited her artistic talentfrom her father.We ask A. Metin Tunca who dealt with tile beforesigrafitto the most distinctive difference between thetwo. He states that the most distinctive difference isthe fact that the patterns or motives are drawn with abrush in tile, and with a needle in sigrafitto. Also sta-140

ting that tile requires an underglazed work while sigrafittois overglazed, he stresses that during the Seljuks,sigrafitto was performed underglazed as well.The most widespread ceramic types seen during theSeljuks used to be the sigrafitto ceramics. The makingof the ceramics during this period was different fromthe ones made today in the sense that they were underglazed.To prepare a work of art in sigrafitto, theclay would first be shaped with hands, then undercoatedand left to dry. After it dried completely, the ceramicwould be decorated by scraping. Baked afterthis process, the ceramic would be glazed with cream,green, yellow, brown or mixed colors and bakedagain.They Literally Scrape an Entire World with a NeedleWe wonder on what types of surfaces the art is performed,what kind of materials are used, and the phasesof the art. A. Metin Tunca answers our questionswith patience, a blessing granted to him due to dealingwith this art. Stating that they work on ceramic,granite and porcelin, Mr. Tunca tells that firstly anoverglazed undercoat mixed and crushed with blackpaint is applied on the material. The undercoated materialis air dried for 2 days before the baking process.After baked, the main lines of the picture is drawn on141

an area determined on the material earlier by usingthe coppying method. The details and toning of thepicture that was transferred to the surface with itsoutlines are made by pointing the surface with abeed needle placed on the tip of a pencil. To createworks of art in order for sigrafitto to be knownbetter countrywide, the father and daughter workvery hard to keep it alive and never to lose it again.No soft, hairy brushes, pallets or colorful paints areused while performing this art. The works of artwhich are usually black and white are created byusing metal tools such as nails, needles or stationeryknives. The father and daughter use the nail, needleand pin for the details of the picture, and the stationeryknife for larger scale fields such as the sky.For toning, firstly the direction where the light hitsthe picture is located. More amounts of centring ismade on the spots where the light is denser, andsmaller touches usually suffice for shaded spots.Tools with thicker tips are used if larger fields needto be scanned. A thick scouring sponge on onecorner of the table then attracts our attention, andwe ask Mr. Metin Tunca what it is for. He tells usthat it is used in order to wipe off excessive amountof paint which may concentrate on the surfacewhile doing the centring and scraping. In addition,they do not forget to place a piece of paper towelunder their hands while working, so that the partthat is done does not get deformed while they areworking on another part, which would waste allthe effort spent.The work of art completed with millions, maybeeven billions of needle hits which do pointing andscanning, is baked, as the last phase, in 750-800decrees. The product is kept in the oven for a day,and then the heat of the oven is gradually reducedto 100 degrees. The reason for the heat to be reducedgradually is to prevent the product to crackor break. The product that is taken out of the ovenis left to cool. Also, the product will be more vulnerableto cracking or breaking if it is exposed toair current as soon as taken out of the oven. For allthese reasons, sigrafitto is an art which requires agreat deal of patience and labor from the very firstto the very last phase.According to Mr. A. Metin Tunca, the greatest handicapof sigrafitto is that one can not compensateeven the smallest mistake while working. Mr. Tuncasays the following: “Mistakes are always irreversible.If you do extra pointing, for instance, the lightand shade balance is disturbed and there is no wayout but throw away the whole work”.The First Sigrafitto Artistsof the Ministry of CultureThe father and daughter who have been workingon this art for about 6 years have the title “thefirst sigrafitto artists of the Culture and Tourism Ministry”.Metin Tunca says the following on this matter:“Although this art is one of our traditional handicrafts,it is not well known, and was not kept alive.My daughter and I have been working on thisart for about 6 years, and we arranged our individualsigrafitto exhibition in Kutahya and Eskisehir.142

Our works attracted attention, and the Researchand Education Management of the Tourism andCulture Ministry registered us as the first sigrafittoartists”.Claiming that there are no other sigrafitto artistsin Turkey, Mr. Tunca expresses that it is their greatestdesire to introduce this art to as many peopleas possible. Stating that they have managed this toa certain extent with their individual and mixed exhibitions,Mr. Metin Tunca also tells that they havearranged 2 individual exhibitions so far. The fatherand daughter artists also attended mixed exhibitionsarranged in Istanbul, Ankara and Antalya.Stating that there are 53 works of him and his daughterin the first exhibition, Mr. Tunca tells thatthey now have almost 100 works readily availablefor exhibiting. When we ask Mr. Metin Tunca howlong it takes for a work to be done, he tells usthe following: “I can work only 3 or 4 hours adaywhile my daughter can work 7 to 8 hours. I likeworking in the daylight whereas my daughter likesworking at nights. It thus may sometimes take us3 months to complete a work”.An Art with an Expensive LaborNoting that although the material used in sigrafittois not very expensive, Mr. Tunca states that thelabor spent on it is. He also states that like manyarts and crafts, patience and self sacrifice is necessaryfor sigrafitto as well. Pointing to the fact thatthe art has many educative sides as well, he saysthe following: “I didn’t use to be so patience beforeI began engaging myself with this art, but oneacquires the talents he/she didn’t have before”.Expressing that praises received from art loverswipe away all the tiredness from creating a work,Mr. Metin Tunca states that it is both his daughter’s,and his own greatest dream that as many people aspossible get to know and love this art. After introducingenough people to this art, the greatest objectiveof the father and the daughter is to arrangeexhibitions in the US, the UK and Italy. This isnot all, though. The father and the daughter, the 2knights of sigrafitto in their own words, also desireto work on 3D objects and to exhibit these worksboth in Turkey and abroad.While Mr. Metin Tunca tells us about his dreamsand objectives about this art, our eyes explore hisand his daughter’s tableauxes exhibited on thestand allotted to them. Especially the ones wherehorses are pictured attract our attention. Wethen learn that Mr. Tunca is very much into horsesand that the portraits of Cuneyt Arkin, Turkân Sorayand Orhan Gencebay belong to him. The mosaicworks with bird, fish and horse figures that havebeen adopted to sigrafitto are as admirable as theworks with landscapes from the older Istanbul.As we think to ourselves that such a beautiful artshould be known and loved by more and more people,Mr. Tunca offers us the diary that he offersthose who visit the exhibition. We sign the diarywith our best wishes, and with thanks to them forintroducing us to this art.143

Dilek Hanif: A Fashion DesignerWho Owes Her Original Style to the Ottomanby Hatice URUNHer interest in fashion begins when she was a child. Over the time, she begins to form different combinations anddetermine the dress collections in the boutique she went in order to help her mother. She then crowns her career shebegan in a small shop with little amount of money, by being the first Turkish fashion designer who arranged a fashionshow in Paris. The collections she combines receive the full grade both nationwide and worldwide. We interviewed withDilek Hanif, who has been in fashion for more than 20 years, and become an international brand, about her career, herlife story and fashion designing. Stating that she became distinctive due to her designs which reflect the Ottoman, Mrs.Hanif adds the following: “If I hadn’t reflected my own culture in my designs, I wouldn’t have caught an original style”.Dilek Hanif is born to a crowded family in Istanbul in 1962.During her highschool years, her favourite lessons in theErenkoy Highschool for Girls are literature and painting.She then gets to know the fabrics closer and begins tograsp the how tos of the business in the shop her motheropened first in Tesvikiye, and later in Buyukada. Mr. Hanif,who states that she ran to her mother’s shop after school,and worked in the boutique during the summer breaks,she expresses with the following words how she owes herbusiness ethics to her mother: “I learnt from my mother,and digested, from very young ages, the working disciplineand business ethics, how to treat a customer, whatthe expectations of customers can be, and what can andcan not be sold during the season”.After highschool, Mrs. Hanif comes to a turning point inher life, and decides to open her own work place. Alsoadding some loans to the amount of money in her hand,she rents a 100 square meter place on the top floor ofan inn in Osmanbey, and opens a workshop. By 1990,she has already had a confection workshop with 2 sewingmachinists and a modelist. Rolling up her sleaves with theidea “I can make better clothes than the ones available inthe market”, she begins her career with a 100 piece collectionwhich has feminine lines, called “Dilek Hanif Line”.Apparently, her first collection has brought her luck, becauseher business has grown very rapidly. So much so,that she can not fit her workshop anymore. Within thosedays, 2 more flats upstairs are emptied, and Mrs. Hanifrents one of them as a storage, and the other as a fabriccutting place. She thus has begun mass production on 4flats, each of which are 100 square meters.“I had really tough times when I first opened my confectionworkshop. It was me who dealt with everything, andI had to work very hard.” She says, adding that she hadto follow up with the business even when she had 40degrees temperature, and this is what is required for theworking discipline.144

The brand Dilek Hanif used her own labor only to be sowell-known. If you are working properly, one customerwill soon bring the other. One of these customers is HulyaAvsar. Hulya Avsar’s art director one day sees in a TV show,dresses prepared by Dilek Hanif, and offers her to preparesome dresses for Hulya Avsar’s own TV show. Upon thisoffer, Mrs. Hanif prepares dresses for Hulya Avsar, both forstage, and for her TV shows for 8 years. Her name beginsto be mentioned also on TV.Mrs. Hanif also takes into consideration the offers she receivesfrom her own customers. Stating that she receivedorders for her customers’ wedding or engagement ceramoniesas well, she adds that she had difficulty copingwith all that much work on her own. Since the techniquesand working systems of haute couture and confectioneryare quite different, she again has to make a decision. Sinceshe feels excited to make personal designs, she decides towork haute couture, closes her workshop in Osmanbey,and moves to her current workshop in Tesvikiye.A couture workshop is the peak that a fashion designercan reach in his/her occupation. In her new workshop inthe building called Ralli, Dilek Hanif begins to bring into aform her simple but elegant designs which would wrapwomen’s body, and in 2002, she arranges her first fashionshow in the St. Irene Church.The First Fashion DesignerWho Arranged a Fashion Show in ParisIn 2004, Dilek Hanif shows her collection to the Paris HauteCouture Confederation. Her drawings and the fashionshow she arranged in Istanbul is viewed, and after a seriesof criteria have been fulfilled, the confederation comes tothe conclusion that Mrs. Hanif has a couture workshop inIstanbul. Dilek Hanif’s collection is handled under the offlist category of the fashion show attended also by worldwidebrands such as “In List”, “Chanel”, “Dior”, “Valentino”,and “Ysl”.crowded during the show, and towards the end of ourshow, everyone I saw from us, including myself, were intears”. In this platform, Mrs. Hanif attracts great attentionwith her Ottoman inspired designs, and receives the fullgrade worldwide. She thus continues to regularly attendthe fashion show, which is arranged with fairly high budgets,combining collections twice a year, representing Turkeyand the Turkish woman.A Special Gift Granted to Her by the CreatorDilek Hanif tells that she is inspired by a variety of things.Sometimes a book she reads, sometimes one single sceneof a movie she sees, or sometimes a painting she watches.The Anatolian civilisation and the Ottoman culture is alsothe sine qua nons of her designs. Thinking that refusingthe culture means refusing oneself, Dilek Hanif expressesher desire to keep alive her existing culture on the modernwoman’s body with new forms, and by stylizing cuttings,with the following words: “Since the Ottoman culture isknown only very little, or not known at all, by westerners,my designs felt fairly different, which allowed me tobecome distinctive among so many fashion designers.If I hadn’t reflected my own culture on my drawings, Iwouldn’t have caught an original style. Europe has alreadyexplored how to sew skirts or blouses, and they do it reallywell. Above all these things, though, you have to have thegift for designing, which is granted by Allah. I mean, it hasto be in your nature”.We also learn from Dilek Hanif about the attitude of theTurkish person towards clothes. Apparently, some peoplebuy 3 ready made suits at a confectionary shop, while yetStating that she experienced both the excitement, andthe challenge of taking part in the fashion week in Paris,which is considered as the show of strength of the fashion,as the first Turkish fashion designer, Dilek Hanif continueswith the following words: “No role model to setthe pace for you. We learnt in action what to do where,and how to reflect on when we experience somethingunwanted. You can imagine. All the fashion editors, thepress and audience is there to watch you.”Pointing to the fact that it put a heavy load on her shouldersto be there not only as a fashion designer, but alsoas a cultural representative, Dilek Hanif continues as follows:“With the clothes you display in the show, and withthe music you use, you represent the imageof both Turkey, and the Turkishwoman. The hall was very

others prefer to have a single and very high qualitysuit which is special only for them. Acknowledgingthat they are 2 different points of view, Mrs. Hanifstates that the second preference is more accuratesince a fashion designer who works couture can offerbetter services due to the fact that he/she dealswith customers who know what they want, wish tobe offered high quality services with the money theypay, and buy high quality, simple, but elegant clothesprepared with great labor.Actually, one’s culture is the mirror of his/her clothing.While designing clothes for someone, that person’spoints of view should thus be known, and his/her expectations should be fulfilled accordingly. Accordingto Dilek Hanif, while a Turkish woman likescolorful, bright and ornamented clothes, say, a Frenchwoman, would prefer to be liked by her partner withsimpler and lighter clothes.No matter where in the world, though, woman takesplace in her designs in the most noble, pure and feminineway since she is very special. Laceworks shouldbe prominent, high quality fabrics should be used,and utmost labor should be spent on her clothes.Fashion likes focusing on styles more than on lines.For this reason, Mrs. Hanif does not use so many differentcolors on her designs. Mrs. Hanif, who prefersto use elegant and class lines, states the following:“I never compromise simplicity. I can dress uu anywoman who knows her style, who likes to dress upsimply and elegantly, and whw refrains from exaggeration,with pleasure. She may be a cellebrity, apolitician or an actress. It doesn’t matter what heroccupation is”.Her Designs are Noticed Wherever She isWhen we ask Mrs. Hanif if her customers notice her dressesamong loads of others, she answers our question as follows:“Yes, they can be noticed. My friends or my customershave many times told that a certain dress is my design”.In fact, maybe this is what needs to be achieved eventuallysince this is probably the proof of a fashion designer doingher job accurately. Certainly, it is important for Dilek Hanifto become distinctive in her own sector and to be able tocatch a style, a “Dilek Hanif Line”.Righht at this point, Mrs. Hanif states that a collection needsto have a certain theme in order to be combined properly.She explains the phases of how to combine a collection.Firstly, the mulaja kalibi of thethe models the drawings ofwhich have been prepared are taken. Next, the fabricswhich will be used for try-ons are cut. During the try-onsmade on dummies with the drape technique, all the havetos and rules disappear from the fashion designer’s mind,and she asks for the impossible. The main kalip of the dresshas already been prepared thanks to this try-on. Very specialand high quality clothes are cut, and almost all the dressis sewn with hand. The laceworks and embroideries whichhad already been ordered and approved take their rightplace on the dress, and the dress is done.With this working method, Mrs. Hanif prepares 2 fashionshows on couture, and 2 on confectionary each year.Stating that she and her professional team of 20 memberswork full day in order to prepare a collection with 30 pieceson average, she gives us a small clu regarding the costs withthe following words: “Great amount of hand labor is usedon clothes, and the quality of fabrics is very high. We usegreat hand labor and high quality fabrics since we designpersonally for each individual”.146

Even if She Knows A Lot, She Still ConsultsApparently, before displaying the collection she hascombined, Mrs. Hanif exchanges opinions with othersregarding the colors and details of the clothes. They alsomake decisions on the 36 to 38 size, healthy looking,feminine couture models they will work with altogether.“One of the greatest challenges of a fashion show isrelated to which model will wear what kind of a model,and how she can carry the clothe on her without anyproblems. We pay special attention so the model andthe clothe can suit very well.” She says, also reflectingon some of the how tos of her job. She also underlinesthat throughout the years, they have got used to theprocedure and the routines of the Fashion Week in Paris,and gained a lot of experience.As we are thinking to ourselves that getting used tothe fashion shows becomes easier when the fashion designeris familiar with the expectations of her customers,and gets to know human beings as closely as she can ingeneral terms, Mrs. Hanif confirms this thought with thefollowing words: “Expectations are reflected on collections.Since we work personally for each individual, weneed to get to know our customers very well, learn theirexpectations and behave accordingly. Maybe the mostimportant thing in addition to all these, though, is analysingthe customer’s physical and spiritual characteristicsvery accurately. If you are sewing a dress for a weddingceramony, for instance, you have to know even the intimacybetween your customer and the wedding host.”Spread Throughout the Entire Europe after ParisThe designs and collections by Dilek Hanif have nowbegun to take place as the second Turkish brand withinHarvey Nichols, a luxurious chain store, in order tobe able to take part in the international market, reachthe customers in Ankara, and to enter the internationalmarket. For this chain store, she prepares a collectioncomposed of night dresses, elegant tailleurs, basictop groups, and dinner dresses the details of whichare hidden in the elegant lines. The agency she workswith in Milano encourages Mrs. Hanif a whole lot inproducing confectionary. The reason for this is the factthat the confectionary collection she prepares for theshowroom in Milano is liked very well, and meets importantcustomers.Moving to another larger place at the bottom floor ofher workshop, Mrs. Hanif begins producing confectionaryagain after a long time so that her brand can havea strong identity, and reach a larger mass of customers.She continues to prepare collections for ladies which arecomprised of high quality products produced in limitednumbers. Contrary to the couture work where she didnot have many chances to use various colours, in confectionaryshe finds the chance to use bright colors aswell. Cocktail dresses, dinner dresses, night dresses, anddynamic combinations which meet basic needs composeher collections. She takes into consideration everythingneeded for a quick shopping.Does a Fashion Designer Dress Herself from Outside?When we ask Mrs. Hanif who are the fashion designers,and which are the brands she feels close to her style,and whether there are any clothes she can never throwaway from her wardrobe, she tells us that she likes CocoChanel very much, and that she can use Ralph Laurenwith great comfort although it is a classical style. Statingthat she finds the lines by Hakan Yildirim very successful,and she believes that he will be quite well-known as afashion designer some day in the future, Mrs. Hanif addsthat she uses the leather accessories, jumpers and scarfsby Hermes, bags and shoes by Chanel, and the donnaKaran products with great pleasure. Pointing to the factthat she sews dresses for herself as well, Mrs. Hanif continuesas follows: “Most of my clothes are sewn in myworkshop since I have my own style. I try to acquire theadditional accessories I lack, from abroad. Black is my sinequa non, and I use white and blue shirts very frequently”.Supports Talented Fashion DesignersDespite being very busy, Mrs. Hanif does not skip beingengaged in talented fashion designers, and hiresthem in her workshop. Informing that they considereach and every CV sent to Dilek@dilekhanif.com, shecontinues with the following words: “They are firstcalled for interviews, and we try to understand inwhich department they will best be supporting us.They usually improve themselves either in the laceworkdepartment, or in the workshop. They need tospend a lot of effort, continually keep themselves upto date, be patient and disciplined”.Our fashion designer Dilek Hanif, whose collectionsare liked very much both nationwide and worldwide,is running towards a brighter future with her passionfor fashion.147

Princess Nazli:The Patron of Arts and Artistsby Prof. Dr. Suleyman KIZILTOPRAKThe family which belongs to the heritage of Mehmet Ali Pasha of Kavala and which is recalled as Egyptians in the history isa family which influenced the Ottoman quite a lot in political, societal and cultural terms, especially during the last periodof the Ottoman Empire. This influence was not limited to the male members of the family only. The female family memberssuch as Amine Hanim, also called the Mother Pasha, and Zeynep Kamil played leading roles as well. One of these womenwas also Princess Nazli, who lead a quite influencial life between Istanbul, Cairo and Paris, and who was married to PainterHalil Serif Pasha. Due to her intellectual capacity and her affluent financial situation, her villa in Cairo, which was also knownas “Villa Henry”, was very frequently visited by embassadors and politicians as well as by artists, poets and musicians.Figures who belong to the family of Mehmet Ali Pashaof Kavala, and who had important influences not onlyin the Ottoman history, but also Egypt, took part in thestage of history as of the 19th century. Just like the oneswho governed Egypt as governors and khidives such asIbrahim Pasha, I. Abbas H. Pasha, Said Pasha, Ismail Pasha,Mehmed Tevfik Pasha ve II. Abbas Hilmi Pasha, therewere also women who were prominent in the family.After the London Convention in 1841, the Kavalali familybegan to get in good terms with the Ottoman Empire.This was the case in the official history as well. The documentsbegan to contain the expressions of fidelity instead of the expressions of betrayal. In 1841, Mehmet AliPasha made a historical visit to Istanbul, and stated herobedience to Abdulmecit, the Sultan of that period. Especiallyafter this visit, the prominent members of the KavalaliFamily who lived in Cairo began to regularly spendtheir summer in Istanbul. Those who came from Egyptattracted the most attention among those who first carriedthe Westerner life style to Istanbul, which was alsocriticized by Ahmet Cevdet Pasha. It is possible to see theinfluences of the Egyptians, namely the Kavalali Family, inthe life of Istanbul after the reforms. Clothing of womenin the European style, the European table manners, andTurkish Classical Music choruses which cheered up theBosphorus nights influenced the socio cultural life of Istanbulthrough the egyptians. The family who pioneeredin building beautiful structures such as the Khidive Pavilion,the Beykoz Pavilion, the Egyptian Apartment Building,the Horsed Mansion and the Sait Halim Pasha Watersideresidence, also had cheritable premises such asthe Zeynep Kamil Hospital. Cultural and artistic gather-148

ings were held in the pavilions, waterside residences andmansions that belonged to the family. Prominant figuresin arts, sciences and many opinion leaders of the periodattended those gatherings. Figures such as Mehmet AkifErsoy, Neyzen Tevfik, Ahmet Hamdi Tanpinar, IbrahimCalli ve Bedri Rahmi Eyuboglu were also among thoseprominent opinion leaders.Women of the dynasty were famous for their generosity.They kept influencing the social and cultural life ofthe Ottoman Empire even though Istanbul and Cairo attimes did not get in good terms. They have left noticeableimprints in the cultural and artistic life of the entireOttoman Empire, mainly in Istanbul, Cairo and Tunisia.Amine Hanim, Zeynep Hanim and Nazli Hanim are prominentfemale figures in the family.Among all these female figures, the best known one isAmine Hanim, also known as the Mother Pasha or theMother Khidive, and who was the wife of Khidive MehmedTevfik Pasha. Contrary to his Father Khidive Ismail Pasha,Mehmed Tevfik Pasha had a single wife. Abbas Hilmiis the first child of Tevfik Pasha and Amine Hanim. Theythen had a son called Mehmed Ali, and 2 other daughters.After Tevfik Pasha died in 1892, Amine Hanim beganto stay in Istanbul, where she firstly stayed in the summersonly, for longer periods. Abdulhamid the 2nd highly respectedthe wife of the khidive who was respected greatlywithin the family. Actually, the waterside residence in Bebek,gifted to Amine Hanim by Abdulhamid was one ofthe locations where the khidive family lived when theycame to Istanbul in the summers. Abdulhamid the 2nd’sefforts for Amine Hanim to spend more time in Istanbulbased also on some political reasons. The Sultan wouldhave the unofficial relation with Abbas Hilmi Pasha the2nd, the Khidive of Egypt, through her. Abbas Hilmi Pashathe 2nd paid a second visit to Istanbul in 1894. He wasnow 20. Amine Hanim also known as the Mother Pashawanted to marry him to one of the daughters of the Sultan.Yet the young Khidive rejected his mother’s offer dueto some political reasons he did not specify clearly. Theexcuse he put forward was his wish to marry one of hisodalisques with whom he was in love.Zeynep Hanim, who was also a member of the KavalaliFamily, was well-known for her cheritable activities.She had a hospital built on her own name. The ZeynepKamil Hospital is one of the most important cheritablepremises she built with her husband Yusuf Kamil Pasha.Another female member of the family who had influencesin the contemporary period is Princess Nazli withthe activities she took the lead in Egypt and Tunisia, interms of woman liberation.It was not a surprise that a woman rights movementwhich demanded equal rights with men emerged inEgypt at the end of the 19th century, because Egyptianswho had been familiar with the French culture since thebeginning of the century also had an elitist class themembers of which had contacts with European womenand wanted to be like them.The women’s rights movement in Egypt which demandedequal rights with men first made its voice heard duringthe reign of Abbas Hilmi Pasha the 2nd, and the femalemembers of the dynasty in Egypt took the leading role.As the daughter of Mustafa Fazil Pasha, Khidive IsmailPasha’s brother, Princess Nazli had a highly respected statusin the eyes of the European and Egyptian upper classincluding the British.Princess Nazli had been married to Painter Halil Serif Pasha.Halil Pasha was the son of well-known Sherif Pasha.With her husband who was promoted to the highestlevels of beaurocracy and became the embassadorof Paris, Princess Nazli lead an influencial life betweenParis, Istanbul and Cairo. She was widowed for a while,though, after the death of her husband. She left Istanbuland went to Egypt, During her years in Egypt, PrincessNazli had a high reputation due to the fact that she wasfrom a noble family, and that she was young with a funpersonality. Since she received education within the Britishsystem of education, she knew English very well. Shealso spoke French well, and knew German and Italian atthe intermediate level. She played the piano very well,Princess Nazli, who spent her youth in Istanbul had alsoearned the respect and appreciation of the Sultan thanksto her beauty and wit. Due to her intellectual capacityand her affluent financial situation, her villa in Cairo,149

which was also known as “Villa Henry”, was very frequentlyvisited by embassadors and politicians as well asby artists, poets and musicians, just like the mansion ofYusuf Kamil Pasha and Zeynep Hanim in Beyazit, Istanbul.Princess Nazli would introduce the young artists andauthors to the elite guests who came to her mansion allthe time. She would also support such artists and authorswith her own financial facilities, or she would makethe government officers and traders under her influencesupport them.Princess Nazli lived in Cairo until she married to HalilBouhageb who belonged to one of the elite families ofTunisia. He also served in high levels of Beaurocracy asthe head of the Municipality Council, a minister, and thePrime Minister. During his services, he received great helpfrom his wife Princess Nazli. She focused more on theeducation of girls, women’s right to have an occupation,and higher education. She became one of the first fewfigures who expressed that women in the Islamic worldand in the Ottoman Empire should take responsibilitieslike men in the fields of economy, social life, arts and culture.He showed that women in the Islamic world, mainlyin Istanbul, Tunisia and Cairo, if receive enough education,could be as successful and bright at least as men.Nazli Hanim, a Public Diplomat, andthe Leader of Women in Social ActivitiesBy the end of the 19th century, the relation betweenstates gained a more different form than in the past.Things changed drastically especially in the Balkans andthe Middle East which was then within the territories ofthe Ottoman Empire, and many various actors becameengaged in the solution of various political, economic andsocial problems. Activities which focused on peace andopened a door for solutions within the problematic territoriesof the world have not been performed by thosewho are in favor of official arguments and those whohad contacts with the officers of the Empire only. Anothertool for alternative politics which was also used by Abdulhamidthe 2nd was engaging those who are not actuallyofficers of the Empire or diplomats in the solution of thepolitical, social, international and domestic problems.Nazli Fazil, who took initiative when necessary, is oneof those figures. Nazli Hanim, who we can consider asone of the pioneering figures of public diplomacy, madevery successful use of her intellectual capacity and hertalent in foreign languages. The German, British, Frenchand Russian consulates in Cairo showed great interest inPrincess Nazli, and listened to her opinions with respect.They even paid visits to her at times, as if she were a Secretaryof Foreign Affairs. Being fully aware of the respectshe was shown, she used this as a chance to speak outsome political opinions of hers as well. Sometimes heropinions were asked regarding the issues regarding thedomestic and international politics of Egypt. This meansthat she had, though little, some influence on the politicsof Egypt. Her sympathy for the British was obvious.She showed this obviously by contacting regularly withLord Salisbury, the British Embassador, during the warbetween the Ottoman Empire and Russia in 1877-1878.Lord Salisbury then became the Secretary of Foreign Affairs,and the Prime Minister in Britain. He never missedthe chance to contact Princess Nazli when he visitedEgypt. Everyone ranging from lords to British politiciansgrasped the importance of this friendship, and this deepfriendship lasted until the last days of Princess Nazli’s life.The importance of Princess Nazli’s role is obviously seenin an incident reported to Dr. Comanos by Sir DrummondWolff, the first high Commissar of Britain in Egypt.When Mr. Wolff was in Cairo to find a solution to theEgyptian issue, he paid a nezaket visit to Princess Nazliupon a commandment he received from Lord Salisbury.With this visit, Salisbury aimed to receive support fromPrincess Nazli for his arguments.150

Another close friend of Princess Nazli was MuhammedAbduh. Since he supported the Urâbî’ Pasha Movement,he was exiled to Berut by the British Court. In1884, he went to Paris due to the invitation of Afgani,and there they published a magazine called “Urvetu’lVuska”, which expressed the argument that all theMuslims in the world must struggle against the Britishimperialism. Abduh returned to Egypt in 1888, whenPrincess Nazli stepped in, and persuaded Lord Cromerto Allow Abduh to Return. Lord Cromer who governedEgypt de facto, highly respected Nazli Hanim, and NazliHanim was trying to get in good terms with him. Instead of struggling against the British imperialism, thewell-known reformist acted on Lord Cromer’s side, andfocused on social and educational reforms in Egypt.Thanks to his political attitude which was liked also byCromer, he served as the mufti of Egypt and as themember of the council. Princess Nazli, however, had animportant role in him gaining such a high status.Getting in good terms with Sultan Abdulhamid the2nd, Princess Nazli was also supported by him financially.An example for this is the approval of her applicationto have a sallary after her first husband HalilSeref Pasha died. The fact that she was supported bothby Abdulhamid the 2nd, and by the British, proves thatPrincess Nazli was a successful public diplomacy actor.Princess Nazli also had deep friendships with the sultansin the dynasty, an example of which is her friendshipwith Refiye Sultan, Sultan Abdulmecit’s daughter.On the other hand, as one of the most activewomen in the Khidive family, Princess Nazli, both directlyand indirectly struggled for the woman rightsin Egypt. Also, with his fatwas on woman rights andsimilar issues, Abduh supported Princess Nazlias well. With this support, PrincessNazli took the lead in starting andstrengthening the woman rightsmovement in Egypt.The first voices in the women’smovement came fromupper class Egyptian Muslimwomen who were fedup being prisoned in theirharems. Before PrincessNazli, a man called KasimEmin had put forward theidea of a women’s rightsand liberation movement.In 2 books he published onWomen’s liberation in 1899and 1901, he criticized thediscrimination against women,the conventional but unfair waysof divorcing, and the related laws.The Influence of Princess Nazli in EgyptOn the other hand, mostly Syrian, Christian and Gypsiwoman journalists began to publish magazines for womenbefore the 1st World War. These magazines wouldencourage women to receive education in order to fightwith poverty and ignorance. In addition to this, articlesabout women having equal rights with men were beingpublished as well. Another important figure who opposedto poligamy was Melek Hifni Nasif, who launched a 10-articleprogram in the congress which gathered for women’srights in 1911. Princess Nazli died in Cairo on December28. 1913, and the women’s movement in Egypt lostt oneof its most important supporters.After Princess Nazli’s death, Melek Hifni Nasif, who playedan important role in the foundation of the Egyptian IntellectualWomen’s Association (L'Association Intellectuelledes Dames Egyptiennes) became prominent in the movement.Also, Lebibe Hasim and Mai Ziyade were activemembers of the movement as well. On the other hand,Kasim Emin was another author who wrote about women’srights. As a male member of the feminist movement,he strongly supported the women’s rights. Both Emin andNasif received editorial support from Ahmed Lutfi Seyyidon the pages of the newspaper called El Ceride. KasimEmin, with Mustafa Kamil, had also spent great efforts toopen a national university in Egypt.After the first World War, during the independence processwhich was started in 1919, Egyptian women arranged lots ofcrowded demonstrations against the British. Their demands,however, were on nationalism and independence but feminism.In 1920, 1000 women gathered in the cathedral inCairo establish the Vefd Women Central Committee. HudaSaravi, who served as the leader of this organisation, andthen founded the Feminist Union, organized a demonstrationduring the opening of the Egyptian Parleamentin 1924, and demanded the members tomake reforms. Some members were in favorof sufrage only, but Huda Saravi had awider perspective. Saravi struggled morefor education, well-being, political issuesand legal reforms.As a result, Princess Nazli, whospent great efforts to encouragewomen to receive education, havean occupation, and to contributeto science, arts and culture, hadgreat influences in Egypt and Tunisia.Due to her relation with thegovernments in London, Paris andIstanbul, she acted as a bridge betweenthe east and the West. Moreresearch is needed, though, regardingher contributions to the artistic and culturallife of the period she lived.151

A Bouquet From the Hidden Paradiseby Omer Faruk DERE*Art is waiting at the door to the paradise with either a brush, or a pencil in the hand, stretching the hand out intothat door, receiving what is given and trying to make it visible in this world, without even seeing what is behindthat door. Sometimes the air is filled with fragrances, but that delicate beauty never shows herself fully. Sometimes,though, they give a bunch in her hands, a bunch of heavenly flowers: Roses, dasies, cloves or tulips.Gulfer (Glimmering rose) a fully stylised rose marbling152

Lale-i Perende (the flying tulip) A fully stylised tulip marblingThe door to the paradise for a marbling artist is his/hermarbling tray. Thus, he/she draws on paper whateveris given to his/her hand from the paradise into whosedoor he/she stretches his/her hand out. An artist is avehicle in the phase of presenting the heavenly beautiesto the humanity.Spring always offers scenes from the paradise to humanbeings. It is thus probably for this reason that the objectsthat are the main themes of our ancient arts have alwaysbeen picked up among the ones that emerge in the spring.Art as a holy notion has been granted many discriptionsthroughout the human history, and countless descriptionsare made regarding the great works of art which impressus. It is possible to find descriptions as diverse as the humangenerations, and there should be no doubt that thesedescriptions will be added new ones every coming daysince art is being valued by the human, the most sensitivebeing created in the universe. If we leave aside the subjectivedescriptions of art, we can reach the basic artistic valuesthat have been agreed on by human beings throughoutthe history. The numerous ways of each nation interpretingart along with the general values create the diversityin performing the art all over the world. The way of performingart forms the artistic culture in a nation, and whatdirects this culture is the nation’s believes, receptions, andvalues. An artist can not be isolated from his society. Heshould thus be evaluated within the context of the socialand historical environment he lives and produces in. Theartistic culture existing in these territories, too, has beenshaped with our believes and values throughout centuries.For this reason, the artists in this geography have to know153

Canfeza (Heart touching) A fully stylized clove marbling by O. F. Derethese values and perform their art in accordance with them.The personality an artist who is alien to his own values is doomedto be occupied by other values that do not belong tohim. Our artist must be able to rome all the arts in the worldwith one of his foot, while the other foot stands still on ourown artistic values. He has to produce forms that best fitthe current time, grasping the constant essence reflected invarious forms that constantly change within centuries, embracingthe things done in the past.Unity in Form, Unity in Composition, Unity in ColorThe question that needs to be asked, however, is what isthe constant essence in the Islamic arts. This question maybe answered in numerous ways, but the primary thing tosay is “oneness”. The oneness of Allah has directed, will direct,and must direct, a Muslim artist’s artistic values, as itdirects all his life. Unity in form, unity in composition, andunity in color.The desire to seek the “one” has caused the Muslim artistto reach the unchanging pattern behind things bygrasping the visible materials in the physical world. As aresult of this search, the Muslim artist has preferred tosimplify the forms as much as possible.The reality witnessed by the artist who dives deep intothe inner beings of objects is not easy to express. Godis one, absolute, and excluded. The artist can expressthese emotions in an abstract way only. For this reason,we can say that the ways of expression that do notdescribe any phenomena is sought after more in the Islamicarts.“The entire universe is the great book of Allah. Allah iswritten in every single letter of it.” (R. Mahmut Ekrem).The effort of seeking abstraction in the art has lead theIslamic artists to discover music as the most abstract art,154

which has attracted the greatest attention. Music is followedby beautiful calligraphy with its style of descriptionpurified of the shapes in the external world. Marblingart, which is paper ornamentation in other terms,is at the peak of abstraction with its Battal and Hatibforms. Especially the Hatib decorations in the HagiaSophia Mosque, which reached their peak with HatibMehmed Efendi, are patterns that fully correspond toour decorative arts. Probably the Muslim artist has reachedsatisfaction with the Hatib patterns that resembleplant and animal figures, so he has never needed to engagehimself in flower forms, which are actually simplerthan the Hatib form.How did the Marbled Flowers of Mr. OkyayCome into Being?The flower figures in marbling became more popular atthe beginning of the 20th century thanks to the marblingsof Necmettin Okyay. Flower motives were used in marblingin the 18th and 19th centuries as well, but they aresimpler, and they resemble wild flowers. Improving andreimprovising the flower motives in marbling, Mr. Okyayopened an ira in marbling worldwide, and made Turkishmarbling recognized. The era he opened experienced itsheyday thanks to his student Mustafa Duzgunman, andthat style of marbling was called “the Necmeddin style”. Ihope that you will find it useful to remember once morehow Late Mr. Okyay began creating his works of art:Lâle-i dilbaz (A heart pleasing tulip). The tulip marbling on the left was drawn on a marbling tray, and the one on the right was drawn using the illumination technique.The marbling was drawn by O. F. Dere, and the illumination was drawn by Yonca Bacak.

“Someone whom I hadn’t met before came up to me atMedresetul Hattatin, and asked me to make marbled flowers.“Sorry Sir, but flowers are not preferred in this art. Some olderartists tried some motives, but they don’t actually resemble flowers.”I said. When he repplied to me saying: “Aren’t you anartist? You ought to be doing it”, I came home, set the tray andbegan to try some flower patterns. At that moment, CalligrapherMr. Macid, a dear friend of mine, stopped by. I was tryinga tulip pattern at that time. My dear Macid said: “Brother, whydon’t you drag these ends up?”. When I dragged the ponytalehair in my hand up in the tray, the pattern looked exactly likea tulip, which made me feel very excited and enthusiastic. Sinceit was Friday, we went to the Yenivalide Mosque in Uskudar,where I was working. After the prayer, I went out and collectedhyacinths, roses, clovers, whatever the flowers of the seasonwere, and brought them home, trying patterns on my trayby looking at them. In short, Macid’s suggestion and the graceof God allowed me to create these flower motives.”Although Late Mr. Okyay tried to make the identical drawingsof flowers, he did not attempt to draw them in much detaileither because the technical conditions were insufficient, or hesufficed with the patterns he created. The flowers Mr. Okyaywho was committed to and cognizant of both Islam and the Islamicarts drew on his tray were half stylised forms.Drawing Flowers on WaterWhen we began our marbling lessons in the faculty, After wetried the Battal, Gelgit, Tarakli, Sal, Serpmeli sal, Bulbul Yuvasiand Hatib formss respectively, the time came for trying tulippatterns, and our teacher Hikmet Barutcugil said the followingregarding marbled flowers: “Marbling artists are not painters.Don’t try to describe flowers with all their details. When thepattern resembles the flower you are trying to draw, pass it onpaper immediately. Flowers drawn on water are different fromthose painted on paper. So marbled flowers must be evaluatedaccordingly.”Gulrû (The roselike face), a Fully Stylized rose marbling

Gonca-i Handan (The laughing rose bud), a fully stylized bud marblingWe did not quite understand what he meant with thesewords at that time, but now I can understand the meaningof these statements very well. What he meant wasnothing but stylisation. In addition to the semi stylized flowermotives in marbling which have an important place inour traditional art, today it has become possible to drawmuch more detailed flower descriptions and 3-dimensionflowers due to better technical opportunities available. Inother words, painting on water is possible in our day.A third option is to draw fully stylized flowers. This flowerstyle is 2 dimension, and may vary greatly. Stylizationis schematization and simplification of the object shapesin the nature. The object is simplified in accordance withits purpose, with adherence to its characteristics. Thus,the character of the object is presented more simply andmore meaningfully. The monotoneness on the simplifiedobjects is eliminated with diversification. The diversificationin color and pattern increases the facilities that actuallyseem limited. The eye grasps the world in a 3 dimensionway. Because of the dominance of the visual mediain our life today, our brain is continually forced to perceivethe third dimension. The Muslim artist, however, avoidsshowing the objects as they are real by picturing the3 dimension objects as 2 dimension.First, the Traditional Flower DrawingForms must be Learnt ProperlyIn this fully stylized form which has emerged in the artof marbling only recently, the artist does not bother todraw the identical form of the flower in the garden. Instead, he pictures the flower in his imagination. While heis doing this, though, he must do it without going astrayfrom the realities of marbling. He does not have towork on details as a frescoer, but in a way that the diestocksstemming from drops could reflect the motionand glimmer of water.The marbling artists today are free to choose between themarbled flower forms classified above. This diversity is theproof that show how rich the marbling art has become.Certainly, renovations and new trys are welcome. I cannot help wondering, though, whether those who showthe virtue of expressing that they paint flowers on waterare aware that they are the followers of the third way onmarbling. At this point we should remind the saying “Thelightning of reality stems from the strike of ideas”.To learn and teach flower marbling, one first needs to learnthe traditional forms of flowers properly. The chance of successis little if new attempts are tried before learning the traditionalforms first since the skill has not yet properly developed.It is our hope that new attempts in patterned marblingwhich we think may be divided into branches over thetime will add a new dimension in the marbling art. Certainly,these attempts will be infiltrated by time, and will eitherbe accepted, or be turned down according to their levelof preference. We believe that the new attempts shouldnot go astray from the essence that has shaped our delicateand deep understanding of art for centuries.Art is to run after the new, feeling the sorrow of time inthe heart...*The Head Master Teacher of Marbling and Calligraphy in ISMEK. All the works of art inMarbling belongs to Omer Faruk Dere157

The Storm of ISMEK Blowingin the International Calligraphy ContestTo Turn to the Beginning of the Story...Mustafa Parildar was born in 1983, in Siverek, Sanliurfa.He was introduced to the art of calligraphy while attendinga Quran course during his primary school years. Actually,what he was introduced to was a strawlike pen used bycalligraphers. His hodja would tell the students to sharpentheir pencils like the tip of a straw, but only fifth grade stubyNermin SULTANAmong the competitors in the calligraphy contest which was arranged for the third time by Albaraka Turk Bank of Sharing,3 master teachers of beautiful calligraphy who teach in ISMEK were awarded. Within the Jely Taliq category, our masterteacher of Beautiful Calligraphy Mustafa Parildar was awarded the first award, and our master teacher Huseyin HusnuTurkmen became the third. Also, within the Jely Thuluth category, our master teacher Menaf Nam was given the award ofencouragement. We thus considered their success as a very good reason to get to know them a little bit more closely.Mustafa Parildar's work which was awarded the first award in the Jeli Taliq categoryThis is the story of 3 calligraphers, Mustafa Parildar, HuseyinHusnu Turkmen, and Menaf Nam, who were born in 3 differentcities in Turkey, had different experiences, and thenmet first in the art of calligraphy, and in ISMEK. All havehad different experiences. Their lives that began in Sanliurfa,Trabzon and Bingol, lead them towards one another dueto their common interest in arts, and especially the art ofbeautiful calligraphy. Of course when the arts and Istanbulare mentioned in the same sentence, the first centre of artsthat comes to mind is ISMEK, where they eventually meet.To begin telling their story from the end, we will note thatthey came together again for the International CalligraphyContest arranged for thethird time by Albaraka TurkBank of Sharing. But thistime they were not thereas master teachers of calligraphy,but as competitorswho took part in thecontest with their works ofart. The jurry of the contestwhere the honorary jurrymembers were Prof. Dr.Mustafa ParildarUgur Derman and Calligrapher Hasan Celebi, were mastercalligraphers Mehmet Ozsay, Davut Bektas, and Ali Toy. Thecontest the theme of which was Justice and Rightful Share,was composed of jely thuluth, thuluth, thuluth nesih, JelyTaliq, and Jely Divani categories.As the result of Jurry assessments, Mustafa Parildar, our masterteacher of calligraphy teaching at the Baglarbasi Centerof Expertise in Turkish Islamic Arts became the first, and ourmaster teacher of Calligraphy teaching at the Osmaniye andKucukayasofya course centers, became the third within thejely taliq category. Also, within the category of Jely thuluth,our master teacher of calligraphy teaching at the UskudarCourse Center of Basic Turkish Islamic Arts, received one ofthe encouragement awards. All three of our master teachersmade us feel proud on behalf of ISMEK.158

Huseyin Husnu Turkmen's work which was awarded the third award in the Jeli Taliq categorydents were allowed to use such pencils. Since Mr. Parildarwas younger, he was not allowed to write with such a pen.The love of art inside his heart, though, made him take hisfriend’s pen secretly of the hodja, and write a single line. Seeingthis, his hodja did allow him to begin doing calligraphyin a rudimentary way.Huseyin Husnu Turkmen was born in Trabzon in 1970. Whilestudying at the Pertevniyal Lisesi, (highschool) in Istanbul,he was both playing football in the amateur way, and wasinterested in painting. This interest lead him to the TraditionalTurkish arts Department at the Mimar Sinan Faculty ofFine Arts. His real artistic training, though, began after attendingthe courses delivered by a master calligrapher.Menaf Nam’s story, though, is much more different. In1980, he was born into the life of poverty in a village of Bingolcalled Karan, as the fourth child of a family with 7 children.Both financial difficulties, and the force majeure in thatregion due to the circumstances in those years lead him toIstanbul. Coming to Istanbul with his greatest dream, to bea painter, in his mind, getting attracted to the beautiful calligraphyhe saw on a newspaper page, Mr. Nam later putaside this dream and headed straight for the beautiful calligraphycourse in ISMEK. Being unaware, of course, that hewould, years later, become a master teacher in ISMEK wherehe started as a trainee.All Three Gave Their Hands to Master CalligraphersWe had mentioned that Mustafa Parildar was introduced tothe strawlike pen at the fourth grade. Writing calligraphy rudimentarilywith this pen, he is then sent by his hodja to calligrapherMehmet Memis. Working on “Rabbiyessir” withMr. Memis at 12, he attends Mr. Memis’s training for 5 years.“After highschool, I was enrolled in the Calligraphy Departmentof the Faculty of Fine Arts in the Selcuk Universityupon the recommendation of my master, and attended thetraining circle of Mr. Huseyin Oksuz.” He says, and adds thathe still keeps on attending his masters’ trainings although hewas already authorised as a calligrapher.Huseyin Husnu Turkmen, on the other hand, received trainingfrom quite a few masters. Enrolling in the Turkish HandicraftsDepartment in the Fine Arts Faculty at the Mimar SinanUniversity in 1991, Mr. Turkmen first begins doing calligraphywith his late master Mahmut Oncu. “I had the chanceto receive Rik’a training from my late master Mahmut Oncu.After he passed away, I carried on doing Rik’a with my masterAli Alparslan.” He says. He learns Taliq, Jely Taliq, Divaniand Jely Divani from Mr. Alparslan until 1997, and is authorisedas a calligrapher. Working on Nesih with Assist, Assoc.Prof Huseyin Oksuz for a while, he completes his Nesih andThuluth training when he comes to Istanbul, and is authorisedas a calligrapher in these writing styles as well.The first stop of Menaf Nam who came to Istanbul with thedream to become a painter is the Umraniye Teaching Centerof Ismek. There he gets to know Calligrapher SuleymanBerk, who taught at the Beautiful Calligraphy Branch of IS-MEK in those years, and receiveshis first training fromMr. Berk for one and a halfyears. Saying one and ahalf years later that he hasnothing more to teach Menaf,Mr. Berk sends his studentto master CalligrapherOsman Ozcay. Nam, whocontinues to do calligraphywith his master Osman Oz-Huseyin Husnu Turkmen159

Menaf Nam's work which was awarded the honorable mention in the Jeli Thuluth categorycay since 2006, says the following: “I still keep in touch withmy first teacher Suleyman Berk, who was, and has been, sospecial for me. Thanks to his encouragements, I finished secondaryand highschool, which I had left due to the love ofIstanbul. So I’m grateful to him.”, expressing how importanta good master and apprentice relation can be.All Three Met In ISMEKYears later, the paths of all three calligraphers meet in IS-MEK. Mustafa Parildar and Menaf Nam begin to teach atthe Turkish Islamic Arts Expertise Center in Uskudar, and HuseyinHusnu Turkmen begins to teach at the Osmaniye andKucukayasofya Training Center. Stating that Istanbul has alwaysbeen a center of attraction for all the calligraphersworldwide both in the past, and at present, Mustafa Parildaradds the following regarding the calligraphy trainingsdelivered in ISMEK: “The interest of Istanbulians in these coursesis the proof of the fact that the efforts spent so far arenot in vain. I don’t think that those who attend ISMEK’s trainingsfinish the course with no skills”.Also, Huseyin Husnu Turkmen shares with us the followinginformation regarding the curriculum of his courses in IS-MEK: “Firstly I introduce my trainees to calligraphy utensils.I write each and every single letter inthe writing style that I aim to teach them.They coppy these letters by seeing themon the board. They learn by doing themselveshow to sharpen a pen, how to painta sheet of paper, the sizing types, andhow to smoothen a sheet of paper. I alsoshow them samples from old calligraphersand tell them short stories regarding eventsthat happened in the past”.Menaf NamMenaf Nam, who teaches to the introduction level traineesthe Rik’a and Thuluth styles at the Basic Expertise Center ofTurkish Islamic Arts in Uskudar, states that in addition to thepractical calligraphy training, they also learn about the historyof calligraphy, as well as the lives of old calligraphers.Calligraphy does Not Accept A Second OccupationThe common point of view that all 3 of the calligraphersexpress is the fact that calligraphy does not accept a secondoccupation. This is a guiding motto repeated frequently bycalligraphers. Thus, the calligraphers of ISMEK have also followedthis guide throughout all the years as well. During hisuniversity years, Mr. Parildar was interested in illuminationand marbling. However, coming to the conclusion that workingon more than one art at the same time will not bringhim any good results, he decided to work full time on calligraphy.“Let alone dealing with another art, you have nopossibility to write even in different styles of calligraphy atthe same time.” He states, and Mr. Nam confirms this factby saying “A professional calligrapher has no chance to dealwith another occupation at the same time.”This was the brief summary of 3 different life stories. Three liveswhich began in different cities, followed different paths,and met in ISMEK years later. All three ofthe calligraphers are fully committed to theart they have been performing. If you arewondering the rest of their stories, you maygo to the training centers they teach withthe principle “This art teaches not only calligraphy,but also manners”, and listen totheir story from them. Who knows? Maybethe delicate curl of a letter will tempt you,and connect their stories to yours.160