Süleymaniye’de Bir Hâfız-ı Kütüb: Mehmet Hazmi Tura (öl. 1960) ve Yazma Eserlere Düştüğü Tetkik Notları

Abstract

The content of this article has been shaped by nearly eight months of research. A note on the epilogue of a copy of Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī’s work Asrār al-Tanzīl, which is claimed to be the copy of the author, is the departure point of the article. The note asserting that the calligraphy is not by the author belongs to Mehmet Hazmi Tura. Tura, who lived in the transition period between the Ottoman Empire and the Turkish Republic and stands out because of his Sufi identity, worked as the director of the Süleymaniye Library for approximately ten years. Regarding that there might be similar notes on other works, I examined the exemplary Laleli collection. In this context, I identified other notes belonging to Mehmet Hazmi Tura on the recto. The content of the article is largely based on the analysis of these notes. Additionally, I attempted to clarify the possible reasons that may have led Mehmet Hazmi Tura to take these notes, and for this reason, I drew attention to the intensive classification activity that focused on the creation of catalogs of manuscripts during the period of Tura. In this manner, I attempted to draw a general picture that makes it possible to examine at the notes written by Tura from a broader perspective such as cataloging the libraries and provide insights into his librarian career.