Abstract
<jats:p>The book on the Library of Ahmed III does not approach the Enderun Library merely as a palace structure or as a place where valuable books were gathered. Beyond this, it examines the library as an institution that shows how knowledge was produced, organised, and used in the Ottoman world. The articles included in the book reveal that scholarly activities in the Ottoman Empire were not static; on the contrary, they were shaped according to political and social conditions. All of the articles are the product of an effort to understand the relationship of these processes with politics, aesthetic and cultural preferences, material civilisation, and everyday life. Within this framework, the Library of Ahmed III is not seen only as an element of cultural heritage. It is handled as a living space that was built, decorated, repaired, administered, and used. The library is read not only through books and the building itself, but also through its patrons, builders, offici- als, rules, and customs. One of the main aims of the book is to enable the reader, through the articles, to see the library sometimes within the personal interests and preferences of a sultan, sometimes in an archival document or a register entry, and sometimes in an architectural or decorative detail. The first article of the book, written by İsmail Erünsal and titled “Ottoman Palace Libraries and the Library Established by Ahmed III in Topkapı Palace,” determines the place of the library within the tradition of Ottoman palace libraries. In the article, the relationship of Ottoman sultans and administrators with books is analysed, and the process of the emergence of palace libraries is examined. According to this evaluation, the library established during the reign of Ahmed III is considered not as a sudden innovation, but as the result of a long histo- rical process and accumulation. Abdüllatif Çeviker’s article titled “The Establishment Ad- venture of the Library of Ahmed III: Builders, Materials, and Expenses” focuses on the construction process of the library. The main sources of the study are construction expense registers. The period from the foundation ceremony of the library to its opening is examined in detail. The question of how the building was constructed is not handled merely as an architectural issue. Elements such as labour, supply of materials, organisation, and costs are evaluated together. In this way, the physical infrastructure of a scientific and cultural institution, from the emergence of its idea to its opening, is concretely presented. In the joint article by Halime Nevhiz Deniz Koyukan, Sevinç Özek Çelik, and Zeynep İnan Ocak, which deals with the ar- chitecture of the Library of Ahmed III together with its repair and maintenance processes, the original state of the building and the changes it underwent over time are evaluated toget- her. The article discusses how the structural and architectural integrity was preserved and how the building reached its present condition. This approach makes it possible to evaluate the library building not only limited to the moment it was constructed, but through its long-term existence. Zekiye Uysal’s article focuses on the decoration of the lib- rary. Marbles, tiles, plaster ornaments, and mother-of-pearl inlaid details are examined in detail. Through these elements, the Library of Ahmed III is associated with the aesthetic understanding of the Tulip Era. Rather than the functional as- pects of the building, the symbolic meanings it carries through its architectural and decorative features are emphasised. In the article by Ahmet Cihan and Mustafa Çiçekler titled “Books of the Library of Ahmed III and Librarianship,” the Library of Ahmed III is handled as an institution. Based on the vakfiye and archival documents, the administration of the library, its officials, and its book collection are examined. Th- rough the documents, both the reader profile is evaluated and attention is drawn to the changes that occurred in this profile over time. In this way, the library is tried to be understood as an institutional structure that enables the transmission of thought, beyond only books and the building. Merve Çakır’s article focuses on reading practices through the book loan (borrowing) register. In the study, which uses records from the years 1858–1893, it is examined who requ- ested which books, and which fields of knowledge attracted more interest are revealed. These data make it possible to see concretely the reading culture and habits around the palace. The study by Mustafa Çiçekler and Elif Çeviker titled “The Formation of the Ahmed III Library Registers and the Library Collection” addresses how library registers were prepared through vakfiye documents, catalogue registers, and archival records. In the article, the classification of the books endowed personally by Sultan Ahmed III with his own imperial han- dwriting is examined. The physical features of the registers and the order of entries are evaluated in detail. In addition, who donated the books and which books were sent to which institutions or individuals are also traced through the records. This collection, which forms the core of the library, at the same time carries the quality of a document reflecting the sul- tan’s view of knowledge and writing. This final article of the book makes visible the mentality and bureaucratic structure behind the order of knowledge in the Library of Ahmed III. When all of the articles are read together, the Library of Ah- med III ceases to be a one-dimensional historical subject. It appears as a living structure that was built, decorated, used, read, and recorded. In the Appendices section at the end of the book, vakfiye texts, construction and expense registers, book lists, the loan register, and book movements realised in line with demands coming from different regions of the state, which provide information about the establishment, financing, and functi- oning of the library, are included. These documents, which constitute the primary sources of the book, are presented for the use of researchers in order to form a starting point for new studies and comparative research.</jats:p>