Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
PALIMPSESTO IBERA/ANATOLIA, Joan Bernat Pineda Pérez,Rafel Arnal Rodrigo, Editör, L'EXIAM Edicions, Teruel, ss.237-244, 2025
The academic research project “Palimpsest” investigates a multidimensional
stratification of space and socio-cultural context. Grounded in the idea of preserving
and transmitting social, cultural, and spatial memory across generations, the selected
historical site is the Süleymaniye Manuscript Library, located within the Süleymaniye
Complex. The complex was commissioned by Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent between
1548 and 1557 in the Fatih district of Istanbul, and its architect was Mimar Sinan.
This structure serves as a memory center that reflects the social and cultural life of the
Ottoman Empire. The complex comprises a mosque, madrasas, a hospital (darüşşifa),
a soup kitchen (imaret), a bathhouse (hamam), an elementary school (sıbyan mektebi),
a library, a caravanserai, and shops, all functioning within the framework of the waqf
(foundation) system that catered to diverse societal needs.
The library section, initially formed with palace books, was established as an independent
building in 1752. Over the centuries, the complex endured destructive events such as
fires, natural disasters, and earthquakes; however, its architectural infrastructure was
consistently rebuilt upon the existing structure without severing it from its historical
context. In 1918, the conversion of the first and second madrasas of the complex into a
library led to its designation as the Süleymaniye Public Library. Comprising valuable
collections of manuscripts and printed works, the library was formed by gathering
books from various libraries across different districts of Istanbul.
Today, the library archive houses 168 collections, 100,000 manuscripts and printed
works, and over 70,000 printed volumes, including rare manuscripts in the fields
of exegesis (tafsir), hadith, medicine, astronomy, and literature. These collections
provide evidence of how cultures were formed and how human knowledge has been
transmitted through time. With its history, architecture, and enchanting atmosphere,
the Süleymaniye Library represents a cultural treasure of humanity, a monumental
heritage of nearly 500 years that has continuously evolved with modern conditions.
Nevertheless, it has preserved its spatial identity while transmitting knowledge across
generations through manuscripts and books as the most fundamental medium of
cultural continuity.
Keywords: Palimpsest, Spatial Continuity, Mimar Sinan, Manuscript, Library