The Evaluation of Serplate Pages in Manuscripts in Some Museums and Libraries in Terms of Illumination Art

Abstract

The ornamentation of the Qur'an, which is in the collections of libraries, museums, private institutions and individuals in Turkey and the world, is very important in that it closely concerns the Turkish-Islamic civilization and other civilizations, culture and art circles. Although the subject of researching and examining the manuscripts has gained importance in recent years, the desired progress has not been achieved in the studies. Since the writing of the Mushaf was a priority in the early periods, the ornamentation was not given much importance. Although it is not known when the decoration in the mushafs started to be made for the first time, Hz. It is estimated that it emerged in the first century following the death of the Prophet. Mushaf ornamentation has always been seen as a masterpiece by Muslim artists, and it reached a perfect level with the Ottoman classical period illumination art, especially during the Timurid and Safavid periods. In the decoration of the classical Ottoman Mushaf, the zahriye page, serlevha, hatime page, surah titles, pauses between verses, and roses are on the margins of the text. These decorated areas have a close resemblance to some works. In this study, the Qur'an in the Kastamonu Şeyh Şab'an-ı Veli Foundation Museum will be evaluated comparatively with the Qur'an in the Süleymaniye manuscript library, which is thought to have similar characteristics in terms of ornamentation.