[Tuhfetü'l-haremeyn]- [تحفة الحرمين]

This material is held atBritish Library Asia, Pacific and Africa Collections

  • Reference
    • GB 59 Or 16276
  • Dates of Creation
    • Late 17th century-Early 18th century
  • Language of Material
    • Turkish
  • Physical Description
    • 1 text 82 ff Materials : Off-white laid paper. Foliation : European, 82 ff. Dimensions : 213 mm x 133 mm. Ruling : Text frames in gold and black ink. Script : Nesih. Ink : Black ink with red ink used for headers and catchwords; sentences separated with gold roundels; illumination features black, blue, red, green and gold inks. Binding : Original limp covers: deep maroon morocco with elegant gilt impressed central medallion, pendants and borders front and back; lacking the flap.

Scope and Content

This volume contains a literary account of the author's journey to Mekke and Medine in the year 1089 AH (1678 CE), with descriptions of sacred places seen on the journey through Anatolia, Syria, Egypt, Palestine, and Iraq, composed four years later in mixed prose and verse. The author of the original work is Yusuf Nabi (died 1124 AH/1712-13 CE). In addition to the main text, the work also contains ownership inscriptions on ff 4v and 6v dated 1151 AH (1738-39 CE); 1201 AH (1786-87 CE); and 1214 AH (1799-1800 CE), after which Kayseri is mentioned. Additional verses can be found on ff 1r-3r, 80v-81r (in pencil), and 82v. The text contains a single unvan on f 6v. The manuscript was likely copied in the late 17th or early 18th centuries CE.

Access Information

Not Public Record(s)

Unrestricted

Acquisition Information

Purchased by the British Library at Bonhams, 28 April 2005, Lot 40.

Related Material

Other copies of the same text can be found at Or 34 text I; Or 7159 ff 1v-55v; Or 7164 ff 2v-82v; Or 16283; Add MS 7853; Add MS 7904 ff 208v-261v. See also M. Coskun, 'The most literary Ottoman pilgrimage narrative: Nabi's Tuhfetü'l-Haremeyn', in Turcology in Turkey: selected papers, Szeged 2007 (Studia uralo-altaica 47), pp. 79-106; also A. Karahan, 'Nâbi', IA VIII, pp. 3-7; GOW pp. 237-8.

Bibliography

See: Nabi, Yusuf, Tuhfet ül-Haremeyn (Istanbul: Dar üt-Tıbaat ül-Amire, 1265 [1849]).