Fuat Sezgin and The Re-writing of The History of Geography

Year 2019, Issue: 77, 1 - 22, 24.12.2019

Detlev Quıntern

https://doi.org/10.32704/erdem.656964

Abstract

ABSTRACT

Fuat Sezgin has shown in his deep studies on the history of
mathe- matical geography and cartography in Islam and its continuation in the
West that during the reign of Abbāsid caliph al-Maʾmūn (813- 833 AC) the disciplines
had been further developed decisively. The al-Maʾmūn era went hand in hand
with an early enlightenment. While introducing a new world view – not least
into the history of cartography – European mapmakers started from the mid of
the 13th century onwards to adapt the Arabic rational cartography. Against the
background of current debates on theoretical approaches towards history of
sciences, the contribution will discuss motives behind mapmaking. World maps
reflect intentions beyond pure cartographies, thus also with regard to various
meta-scientific and extra-scientific objectives. Map-making in Venice in the
first quarter of the 14th century was motivated by imperial expansion. The
world map of Marino Sanuto (1260-1331) is an outstanding example of early
imperial geography and cartography. Geographical and cartographical knowledge
of so far unknown regions and oceans, especially the Indian Ocean, was a pre-condition
for expansionist proto-imperialism of European powers in the footsteps of the
so-called crusades. In contrast to the travel reports of the Venetian traveller
Marco Polo (1254-1324) – still playing an important role in Eurocentric
geographies, cartographies and in so- called history of discoveries – the
“Secret Book of the Holy Crusade” (liber secretorum fidelium crucis) spoke
plainly on the desire to con- quer Egypt and Palestine. In the context of
resent debates on theoretical approaches towards history of science which
mainly discuss problems of e.g. global or entangled history, it  will be asked for motivations and intentions
of map makers. As history of science and techniques in general, not least
history of geography, cartography and so-called discoveries are in urgent need
to be discussed critically. The following paper will, based on the
path-breaking findings of Fuat Sezgin, contribute to the decolonization of
early European map-making.

Keywords

Fuat Sezgin, History of cartography, al-Maʾmūn era, Marino Sanuto, Marco Polo, Imperial map making, decolonial history

Fuat Sezgin ve Coğrafya Tarihinin Yeniden Yazımı

Abstract

Fuat Sezgin, İslam Dünyası ve onun devamındaki Batı
matematiksel coğrafya ve kartografi üzerine derin çalışmalarıyla, Abbasi
halifesi el- Me’mûn’un hükümdarlığı döneminde (813-833) bu alanların belirgin
bir biçimde ilerlediğini göstermiştir. el-Me’mûn dönemi, bir erken
aydınlanmayla el ele gelişmiştir. XIII. yüzyılın ortalarından itibaren Avrupalı
haritacılar, -yalnızca coğrafya tarihi bakımından da değil- yeni bir dünya
anlayışını tanıtırken Arap rasyonel kartografisini benimsemeye başladılar.
Bilimler tarihindeki güncel teorik tartışmaların aksine bu katkı, haritacılığın
ardındaki motivasyonları tartışacaktır. Dünya haritaları salt kartografi
değildir, niyetleri de yansıtır; dolayısıyla farklı farklı meta-bilimsel ve
bilimin dışındaki hedefleri de hesaba katarlar. XIV. yüzyılın ilk çeyreğinde
Venedik’teki haritacılık, emperyal yayılmacılık motivasyonuyla yapılmıştır.
Marina Sanuto’nun (1260-1331) dünya haritası, erken emperyal coğrafyacılık ve
haritacılığın çok önemli bir örneğidir. Özellikle Hint Okyanusu gibi uzak ve
bilinmeyen bölgelerin coğrafi ve kartografik bilgisi, Avrupa güçlerinin sözde
Haçlı seferlerinin devamındaki yayılmacı proto-emperyalizminin ön koşuluydu.  Venedikli gezgin Marco Polo’nun (1254-1324)
gezi raporlarının aksine- Marina Sanuto hâlâ Avrupa merkezli coğrafyalar,
kartografiler ve sözde keşifler tarihi kitaplarında önemli yerler alan- Kutsal
Haçlı Seferinin Gizli Kitabıʼnda (liber seretorum fidelim crucis), Mısır’ı ve
Filistin’i fetih isteğinden açıkça bahsetmektedir.

Bu çalışmada bilim tarihinde küresel ya da dolanık tarih
gibi problemlerini tartışan çağdaş kuramsal yaklaşımlar bağlamında,
haritacıların motivasyonları ve niyetleri soruşturulacaktır. Yalnızca coğrafya,
kartografi ve sözde keşifler tarihi değil, genel anlamda bilim ve teknikler
tarihi de ciddi bir biçimde eleştirel düşünmeye ihtiyaç duymaktadır. Fuat
Sezgin’in çığır açan bulgularını temele alan bu makale erken dönem Avrupa haritacılığının
dekolonizasyonuna katkı sağlayacaktır.

Keywords

Fuat Sezgin, Kartografi Tarihi, el-Me’mûn dönemi, Marina Sanuto, Marco Polo, emperyal haritacılık, dekolonizasyon tarihi

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