Memory of the World; 2012 - unesdoc - Unesco

4th c. 5th c. 6th c. 7th c. 8th c. 9th c. 10th c. 11th c. 12th c. 13th c. 14th c. 15th c. 16th c. 17th c. 18th c. 19th c. 20th c. 21st c.
Kandilli Observatory and
Earthquake Research
Institute manuscripts
Inscribed 2001
What are they
Manuscripts on Islamic astronomy, mathematics and
astrology and other subjects from the 11th century up
to the 20th century.
Why were they inscribed
Astronomy, astrology, mathematics and medicine were
core disciplines of Islamic science in the Ottoman
Empire and this is one of the finest collections of
manuscripts on these subjects in the world.
Where are they
Library of the Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake
Research Institute, Bogaziçi University, Istanbul, Turkey
Medicine, mathematics and astronomy were the core
disciplines of Islamic science in the Ottoman Empire
and there were many works written on these subjects in
Turkish, Arabic and Persian. The Library of the Kandilli
Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute contains
astronomical, astrological, mathematical, geographical
and miscellaneous works dating from the 11th century
to the early 20th century. This collection of 1339 works
contains a number of unique and rare manuscripts
and occupies an important place among other related
manuscript collections in the world, especially as its
works on astronomy and astrology are crucial not only to
scholars of the Ottoman Empire and the Islamic world,
but also to Western scholars in the field. The manuscripts
in the library were donated to the Institute by the
founder and the first director of the observatory, Fatin
� Treasures from the Kandilli collection
� A manuscript from the collection
70 Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute manuscripts
Gökmen (also known as Fatin Hoca), who oversaw the
start of operations in July 1911. The Kandilli Observatory
and Earthquake Research Institute was under the
responsibility of the Turkish Ministry of Education until
1982, when it came under Bogaziçi University, Istanbul.
Among the treasures in the Kandilli collection is a
calendar in Persian prepared in 1489–90 and presented
to Sultan Beyazit whose personal seals are found at the
beginning and end of this calendar. Other calendar scrolls
are designed by month of the year, with details of the
partial and total eclipses of both the sun and moon, and
have gilded decorations and calligraphy of great artistic
merit. The rûznâmes (daily calendars) show the religious
festivals and prayer times in the Islamic world. Other
significant items in the collection include astronomical
tables prepared through the use of Takiyeddîn’s works, the
translations of Ali Kuscu’s Hulâsatu’l-hey’e and Mirkatu’ssemâ
and Ulugh Bey’s astronomical tables, which overall
reflect the cultural and scientific achievements of the
Ottoman Empire.