Tig motifs in the illuminated manuscripts preserved at the Kastamonu Manuscript Library

Throughout our cultural history, manuscript works produced in various fields also carry significant cultural heritage value from an art historical perspective due to their inclusion of the arts of calligraphy (hat), bookbinding (cilt), and illumination (tezhip). Libraries have undertaken an important responsibility in preserving these works, which reflect the aesthetic and stylistic understanding of their periods, and bringing them to the present day and promoting them. One of these libraries is the Kastamonu Manuscript Library. The library's archive currently contains four thousand three hundred forty-nine (4349) manuscript works. Eighty-eight of these manuscripts were selected within the scope of the study. The thesis titled Tığ Motifs in the Illuminated Manuscripts Preserved at the Kastamonu Manuscript Library consists of seven chapters. The first chapter, the introduction, presents the theoretical framework, the aim of the subject, its importance, and its limitations. The second chapter provides information on the definition of Turkish illumination art, its development throughout the historical process, and its areas of use. The third chapter deals in detail with the place of the tığ motif within illumination art and its historical evolution. In the fourth chapter, after presenting brief information about the Kastamonu Manuscript Library, the eighty-eight manuscripts examined within the scope of the thesis were evaluated in terms of their illumination and tığ motifs; specifically regarding page design, composition layout, color usage, motif diversity, and applied techniques. These elements were supported by detailed analyses. The fifth chapter includes evaluations on the methods used to examine the manuscripts, the steps followed during the analysis process, and the difficulties encountered during the work. The sixth chapter presents ten artistic works evaluated within the scope of the thesis and the production techniques applied in these works. The final chapter of the thesis presents the findings, relevant recommendations, and the references used in the study.