Evaluation of the Sûrebaşı Decorations of Mushaf-I Şerif with Inventory No. 512 from Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art in terms of Illumination Art

The word "mushaf" in the dictionary means "written pages put together and connected". It is seen that the word "Mushaf", which is a special name that expresses the entire text of the Qur'an, is also used for other texts. While the love and respect shown to the Qur'an and the book in the Islamic world elevates the writing to the level of art, accordingly, the arts such as illumination and binding around the Mushaf inscription. It also contributed to the development and the emergence of styles. The fact that the craftsmen showed all their skills in the preparation of our holy book, the Mushafs, is the main factor that leads us to turn to the Mushafs in determining the subject. Mushafs are very rich in terms of decoration. One of these areas is called the sûrebaşı; These are ornamental areas that contain information such as the name of the surah, where it was revealed or the number of verses. In this research, the Mushaf-ı Sharif with inventory number 512 in the Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum, which has not been examined with its art of illumination before, has been discussed and a literature review of its period has been made. However, the examined work with inventory number TİEM 512 is limitedly mentioned in two theses, an article and a catalog book. From this point of view, in order to provide the researchers interested in the art of illumination with the opportunity to get to know another work, evaluations were made with pattern analysis accompanied by more visuals of the work. In the beginning of the thesis preparation process, the museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts was visited and images of the Mushaf with inventory number 512 were obtained. The visuals were examined in detail, and especially the Sûrebaşı areas were analyzed. Plan and pattern drawings of the Sûrebaşı decorations were made, cataloged in terms of design similarities, and presented with their evaluations. It is aimed to contribute to the literature in the field of traditional book arts by examining one of the manuscripts that provide important information about the understanding of art of the period in which it was made.