Type of memoir as a historical source: The example of Usama b. Münkiz's Kitabü'l-İ'tibâr

Memoirs are among the important sources used especially in recent historical studies. Although the type of memoir is important for recent research, its first examples date back to ancient times. The main source of our work, Usama b. Kitâbü'l-İʿtibâr, written by Munkiz, has the distinction of being the oldest known Memoir book in the History of Islam. This study consists of three main parts and aims to reveal the source of memoirs to history in the example of Kitâbü'l-İʿtibâr. In this context, in the first chapter, technical information about the use of Memoir in historical research is given. In the second chapter the author of Kitâbü'l-İʿtibâr, Usama b. Munkiz's life and works are discussed.,. In the third chapter, it is aimed to use the important events, persons and socio-cultural arguments of the period, which are the sources of history, from the topics covered by the author in the book Kitâbü'l-İʿtibâr and to use them as historical material.