Style and iconography in Derviş Mustafa's Shahnameh Translation (NEK TY 06131-06132-06133) in the Rare Library of Istanbul University

The stylistic and iconographic evaluation of the miniatures in the three volumes of the Shahnameh Translation, which is currently registered in the Rare Works Department of Istanbul University Library under the TY 06131-06132-06133, was chosen as the subject of the thesis. At the end of the first volume of this three-volume work, the year 1773 and its copyist, Derviş Mustafa, are recorded. There are a total of 102 miniatures 46 in the first volume, 23 in the second volume and 33 in the third volume of the three volumes of this work. In addition, this work is the property of Veliyyüddin Efendizade, these miniatures are the works prepared by different illustrator or illustrators in different periods, and these works are brought together with the vassale technique. The National Epic of Iran, Ferdowsî's Shahnameh, was of great interest to the Ottoman Sultans and many illustrated copies of this work were prepared during the Ottoman period. The Translation of Shahnameh in the Ottoman Empire started with Sultan Murad II, and in the XVIIIth century, when the Ottoman Empire turned its direction towards the West in the Culture and art, Mehmet Emin Efendi, one of the important collectors of the period, ensured that the miniatures he obtained from different copies were brought together with the vassale technique, thus preventing the miniatures from being scattered and destroyed. It is not know whether he or other vassal or vassals worked on the assemblage of the three volumes in this technique, but the sloppy assembly of the paintings suggests that different vassal or vassals may have worked on this work. During the comparison of the depictions in the three volumes with the examples selected from the illustrated copies of Shahnameh prepared between the XV.-XVIII. centuries, it was determined that there were illustrators who knew the Ottoman and Safavid styles in these depictions. It has been observed that the depictions maintain a similar iconographic scheme with the selected examples, except for some differences.