The Manuscript Institution of Türkiye (TYEK), affiliated with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, was founded in Istanbul in AH 1432/2011 CE and manages libraries holding thousands of volumes in dozens of languages. Its mission includes conserving the manuscripts in these libraries, making them accessible for research through digitization and publication, and promoting their study both within Türkiye and internationally. These manuscripts cover a diverse array of subjects that reflect the rich cultural and intellectual history of Türkiye and the broader Islamic world.

Among the TYEK’s member libraries is the Süleymaniye, established in AH 1336/1918 CE within the 10th-century AH/16th-century CE Süleymaniye Complex, designed by master architect Sinan, and now also the headquarters of the Manuscript Institution. It holds volumes from the Süleymaniye madrasas as well as other institutions in the city. TYEK also oversees the Nuruosmaniye Library, containing the collections of the 12th-century AH/18th-century CE rulers Mahmud I and Osman III.

The Süleymaniye Library holds a wealth of manuscripts relating to architecture, an art that relies on measurement, engineering, and other mathematical sciences. The architectural memoirs or biographies displayed in AlMadar, including an exceedingly rare copy of the memoirs of Sinan (d. AH 996/1588 CE), offer fascinating insights into those processes at work. They especially emphasize the importance of geometry in the education of an architect.

Construction of the Süleymaniye Mosque, folios from the Tazkirat al-Bunyan, memoirs of the architect Sinan

This manuscript contains the memoirs of Sinan (d. AH 996/1588 CE), the renowned figure who served as chief architect of the Ottoman Empire for 50 years, designing nearly 500 buildings. Near the end of his life, Sinan sat with Mustafa Sa‘i Çelebi (d. AH 1004/1595 CE), a court poet and close companion, to craft this record of his accomplishments. The text discusses Sinan’s upbringing and education at the court, service in the army, and his many works for the Ottoman rulers Süleyman I (r. AH 926-74/1520–66 CE), Selim II (r. AH 974–82/1566–74 CE) , and Murad III (r. AH 982–1003/1574–95 CE). Interspersed among the factual anecdotes are verses composed by Sa‘i in praise of Sinan, his royal patrons, and the buildings themselves. This manuscript is considered to be Sa‘i’s own copy.

These pages describe how the four central columns of the Süleymaniye Mosque were brought to their building site in Istanbul, a great feat of engineering. One came from Egypt, another from Lebanon, the third from a deposit of architectural fragments in the Topkapi Palace, and the fourth from the Kıztaşı district in Istanbul. Interestingly, a map from the Vatican collection, also displayed in AlMadar, makes note of the alleged source of these columns in Luxor, Egypt, and describes their arduous journey to Istanbul.