Manuscript collection now accessible online

ISTANBUL

The manuscript collection of the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts (TIEM), which has a significant place among manuscript archives in Türkiye, has been digitized and is now accessible to the public.

Catalog data and complete digital versions of the manuscripts have been made available to researchers on the website “yek.gov.tr” by the Turkish Manuscripts Institution (TÜYEK).

Speaking to the state-run Anadolu Agency, TÜYEK President Coşkun Yılmaz stated that the institution is among the world’s leading in the field of manuscript studies thanks to its staff structure, conservation units and digitization works.

“A catalog provides the essential details that identify a manuscript, including its title, identity, pagination, all the basic information a scholar needs. Without a catalog, digitization remains incomplete, because the identity of the manuscript is not fully known. Cataloging requires long hours of work, time and high-level expertise. TÜYEK is equipped with around 100 manuscript specialists and 80 book restorers who are capable of identifying both the content and technical features of these works with great accuracy,” he said.

Professor Bilgin Aydın, head of the Department of Information and Records Management at Istanbul Medeniyet University, explained the importance of Qurans in the manuscript tradition of Islamic civilization:

“Among the most historically valuable Qurans are those held in this collection, including manuscripts attributed to the first century of the Hijri calendar, such as those of Caliphs Uthman and Ali. The collection also includes works by the most renowned calligraphers and founders of calligraphic schools in Islamic history. This project allows us to examine not only Qurans but also some of the most important illustrated manuscripts in Islamic history. It includes rare works from the Mamluk, Ilkhanid, Seljuk and Ottoman periods, making it one of the richest collections of its kind.”