MINIATURES OF ZUBDAT AL TAWARIKH IN THE MUSEUM OF TURKISH ISLAMIC ARTS IN ISTANBUL

By Associate Doc. Günsel Renda

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One of the major illustrated manuscripts of the period of Murad III is a copy of Seyyid Lokman Ashuri’s Zubdat-al Tawarikh in the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts, copied and dedicated to Murad III in 1583 (fig 1) Two oter illustrated copies of same work are found in the Chester Beattu Library in Dublin and in the Topkapi Saray museum Library (H. 1321), dated 1583 and 1586 respectively. The text, almost identical in the three copies was copied from the Tomar-ı Humayun, historical work in the form of a large rotulus in the Topkapi Saray Museum Library. It is a summary of Biblical and political world history covering the creation, stories of the prophets and largely Turkish history to the time of the reigning Sultan Murat III, also including the geneological accounts of the first twelve Ottoman Sultans. 

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Zubdat-al Tawarikh in the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts has 91 folios 64,7 x 41,3 cm. and forty miniatures, twenty three of which illustrate the stroies of the prophets, five are portraits of the caliphs and imams and the last twelwe showed that three ages with miniatures belonging to the Topkapi copy were misbound in this voluma and that seven pages with miniatures are missing from the manuscript. 

The miniatures in this manuscript are of great signifiance iconographically and artistically and lead to a depper insight in Ottoman religious art and portraiture. Illustrations of the stories of the prophets are the earlist examples of Ottoman religious painting, some of which follow the traditional iconographical schemes of the earlier XIVth and XVth century Islamic miniatures, but others are seemingly different representations, reflecting the Ottoman approach to religious subject matter. It is apparent that the Ottoman artist had the tendency to summarize each story and to represent it in a convincingly everday fashion. The prophets are depicted genrally in attire similar to figures in the historical miniatures of the period and it is only their halos that give them  a holy character.

The miniature showing Adam and Eve is of great interest iconographically where the couple is shown with thirteen twins (fig. 3) . As the text explains, all of Adam and Eve’s children were twins and each son had to marry the twin sister of another brother, but Cain, whose own twin was the most beautiful, wanted tı keep her. Instead of letting his brother bel marry her. This is how the dispute started between the two brothers. This interesting version of the story is depicted in the lower left hand corner where Cain is shown pulling the arm of is twin sister.

Another iconographically interesting miniature shows the Ascension of Chirst (fig. 12) . The text tells that Felriyanus, who was chosen to execute Jesus, was made by God to look exectly like Chirst and was executed instead, whereas Jesus Christ was ascended to heaven by angels. This is shown in the section above where jesus is being lifted bu two angels. Below are Feltiyanus and others astonished at the sudden ascension of Christ. This is a rare representetion of the Ascension and iconographically an interesting version.

Besides stories of several other prophets, there is a representation of Mirac, Prophet Mohammed’s night journey (fig. 15). The Prophet is shown in this miniature sitting in a mosque with Ali, Hasan, Hüseyin and friends. The descending angels and Gabriel who has landed just behing the Prophet are ready to take him on his night journey. A detailed descrption of the Mirac is not found in the text, but obviously the scene takes place in a mosque, possibly the Kubbet’us Sahra. In Islamic miniatures Mirac is a popular subject, but in almost all examples the Prophet is seen mounted on his on his Buraq riding among clouds accompained by angels. In this scene there is no Buraq. The Prophet’s daily environment and the celestial world he is about to enter are depicted at the same time, yet, as two seperate sections. Here the painter has chosen to represent this very important episode in the Prophet’s life in an everday environment, and the celestial world he is about to enter is depicted above in a separate section.

All the other miniatures in the manuscript depicting the stories of the realistic approach that Marks the Ottoman painter of the period of Murad III, the classical period in the history of otoman miniature painting. A document recently found in the State Archives has shown that the manuscript was produced by a group of prominenet artists, of the time. Thirteen painters and illuminators in the manscript. Painter Osman, Lütfü, Ali and Mehmed, illuminators Molla Kasım and Hüseyin, are mentioned in the document as well as several calligraphers and bookbinders. The more familiar style of painer Osman distinguished by excellent compositions, and a variety of bright but subtle colors is noted several miniatures (fig. 5,7,9,10). His figures are striking in the individuality and variety of expressions. They ar eslim but not verytall and very often they seem to communiate with each other.
A second painter’s style is noticced in several other miniatures marked by more static compositions reflecting closely the offical cout style of the period. Gold is used abundantly in these miniatures and particularly noteworthy is the minuteness of detail. The facial types reflect a certain similarity whereby the eyes are rarter almond shaped and the complections are light colored (fig. 6,8,14, 15). This is a style also found among the Hunername miniatures of the same period and can possibly be attributed to a painter named Mehmed.

A third style is markes by compositions where diagonal lines are preferred. There is more shading and the figures seem to be more slender (fig 11,12).

The portraits of the twelve otoman sultans follow closely the models set out by painter Osman in other portrait albums of the period and may have been executed by one or two painters under Osman’s direction.
The miniatures of the Zundat-al Tawarikh are of great significance iconographically and stylistically and certaily present interesting examples of Ottoman religious painting and portraiture during the period of Murad III.