Mü’ellife Övgü: Musavver (Resimli)Tezkirelerde Yazar Portreleri

Abstract

Praising the ‘Mü’ellif’ (Author): The Author Portraits in Illustrated Tazkiras

Abstract

This study aims to discuss the author’s representation in the illustrated

biographical writings (tazkiras) of the Islamic literature both in Persian

and Ottoman works. Tazkiras serve to establish origins and display a celebrated

person’s type through his or her life, actions and sayings. The word

tazkira comes from the root “zikr” which means “to remember” or “to

recollect”; therefore tazkira works are also memorial writings (reminders).

Despite the large amount of the tazkiras written in Arab, Iran and Ottoman

lands and cultures, only a small group of them have been illustrated so as

to visualize the texts. A rare group of tazkiras have the representation of

the author as well as the other personage. The depiction of the author accompanying

the text in biographical writings is an element that served the

same aim: to carry the information and the visual image of the author into

the future. In this paper, the author portraits from the Persian and Ottoman

illustrated tazkiras are discussed according to text-image relationship and

general scheme of composition.