Young, dervishes, poetry: The album H. 2158 in the Topkapı Palace Treasure

The present thesis discusses the album (muraqqa) H. 2158 in the Library of Topkapı Palace Museum. Concentrating on the relations between muraqqa's leaves in terms of form and content, it determines the production principles of the vassal who compiled the album. Besides, comparing with similar images in scientific literature and museum catalogues, it delineates the stylistic characteristics of images in the album. Analyzing calligraphic samples, it also ascertains the poems' content and authors as well as the relation between poems and images. The album, which exemplifies the 18th century Ottoman muraqqa production, consists of 34 images and 27 calligraphic samples. Except for one, all of the paintings and slightly coloured qalem-i siyahi images reflect the 16th century Safavid painting style; most of these images are of youths and dervishes. Calligraphic samples comprise Persian, Turkish, and Arabic poems in ta'liq style; these poems are usually from the classics of Persian literature, and usually carry advisory traits. Lastly, while compiling the album, the vassal paid attention to not only thematic but also structural harmony between pieces that fall on opposite pages.