Metallic seals of Ottoman Period in Şanlıurfa Museumabstract

Seals have an important place in the life of societies. Especially in the Ottoman Period From the Sultan to the illiterate citizen, everyone and every authority have one or more seals. Seal from past to present; states, different governments, sometimes important people have been a sign of sovereignty, power and dominance. Especially in state affairs, official correspondence and the accuracy of the given order proves the seal on the letter. Seals, which have an important place in public and private life, draws attention with its content and forms as well as the art of the artist. In the gylptic of Ottoman period seals made of materials such as gold, silver, bronze, agate, wood and brass were used sülüs, nesih, ta'lik, rik'a, küfi and celi divani style on the seals. Sometimes even foundations with in the state have their own unique seals.The subject of my master thesis based on metal seals which exhibited in the Şanlıurfa Museum. These metal seals, used between the 18th and 19th centuries, usually karye and sub-district seals were used by localad ministrators and head mans. These seals are stamp seals made of bronze, brass, copperand silver The sülüs and celi sülüs inscriptions on these seals are made by the engraving technique. They usually contain the name of the owner and inscriptions on where he belongs. The inscriptions of these seals were engraved with sülüs and celisülüs inscriptions in the scraping technique generally on the circular shaped surfaces. The 18th and 19th century Ottoman seals in the Sanliurfa Museum show similar characteristics with other examples of the same period. It is understood from the inventory records that these seals were acquired through grants or purchases during the first years of the museum's opening. These seals, which had been kept in storage for long years, were later exhibited in the Ethnographic hall of the Museum. After the Şanlıurfa Museum moved to its new location in Haleplibahçe, the seals are kept in the warehouse together with other Ethnographic artifacts, as the exhibition hall of the Ethnographic artifacts is not arranged in the new museum.