This volume contains an extensive work on vegetable materia medica translated into Ottoman Turkish from a work of Pietro Andrea Mattioli (1501-77 CE), the author of a commentary on Dioscorides. The translator, Osman İbn-i Abdurrahman, Belgrad tercümanı, must be identical with Osman İbn-i Abdülmennan, Belgrad divanı ikinci tercümanı, who made an Ottoman Turkish version of a geographical work in 1166 AH (1752-53 CE). This is confirmed by a note in Arabic on f 2r which corrects the name from Abdurrahman to Abdülmennan and mentions another translation by the same author of a work on geometry. In the preface it is stated that the translation and compilation of the Kitabü'l-nebat was begun in 1184 AH (1770-71 CE) and ended in 1190 AH (1776-77 CE). It was interrupted owing to the war with Russia. The work, which is divided into four kütüp, was written at the suggestion of Köprülüzade el-Hacc Ahmet Paşa Muhafız of Belgrade. Between ff 4r-60r there is an index of the names of plants in Arabic, Ottoman Turkish, 'Frankish' and sometimes Bosnian. The main text begins on f 61r. The manuscript was copied by Tahir Efendi İbn-i Merhum Mazlum Efendi at Kandia, Crete in 1264 AH (1847-48 CE).
Kitabü'l-nebat - كتاب النبات
This material is held atBritish Library Asia, Pacific and Africa Collections
- Reference
- GB 59 Or 11062
- Dates of Creation
- 1264
- Language of Material
- Arabic Bosnian French Turkish
- Physical Description
- 1 text 358 ff Materials : Paper. Foliation : European, 358 ff; Ottoman foliation that appears to start from the beginning of the main text rather than the volume. Dimensions : 344 mm x 232 mm. Script : Nesih. Binding : Binding of a somewhat later date bearing a much worn tuğra (Abdülhamit II?).
Scope and Content
Access Information
Not Public Record(s)
Unrestricted
Acquisition Information
Purchased in 1929.