Summary View

Country

United Kingdom

City

London

Institution

British Library

Repository

St. Pancras

Collection

Oriental Manuscripts

Shelfmark

Add. 7918

Contents

İskendername (Ahmedî, 1334?-1413)

Author

Ahmedî, 1334?-1413

احمدي

Show other names

Tācüddı̄n İbrāhı̄m bin Ḫıżır, 1334?-1413

Tāj al-Dīn Aḥmad b. Ibrāhīm al-Aḥmadī

Ahmedî, 1334?-1413 (authorised)

Tācüddı̄n İbrāhı̄m bin Ḫıżır, 1334?-1413 (variant)

Ahmedi, Taceddin, 1334?-1413 (variant)

Taceddin İbrahim ibn Hızr Ahmedi, 1334?-1413 (variant)

Tāc al-Dīn İbrāhīm bin Ḫiżir, 1334?-1413 (variant)

Tacettin İbrahim, 1334?-1413 (variant)

احمدي (variant)

Biographical notes

An Anatolian poet and man of letters from the late fourteenth and early fifteenth-century, Aḥmedī composed both in Old Anatolian Turkish and Persian. Although his date of birth and origins remain debatable, the strongest evidence points to his origins from the Germiyan (Turkey) region of western Anatolia. After furthering his education in Cairo studying under the religious scholar Akmal al-Dīn Bābartī in the late 14th century [1300-1399 CE], he returned to western Anatolia where he received the patronage of local rulers such as that of the Aydınids based in Ayasuluk and the Germiyanid ruler, Süleymān Shāh (r. 1367-1388) of Kütahya. He later entered Ottoman service and dedicated his literary works to Bayezid I's son, Süleymān Çelebi (Emīr Süleymān). Perhaps the most prolific Anatolian of his generation, Aḥmedī did much to advance the Islamic literary culture of Rūm, producing a variety of works in both Turkish and Persian, dealing with a range of poetic and religious themes.

Title

İskendername

اسکندرنامه

Notes

Ahmedî, 1334?-1413 did not translate the İskendername of Niẓāmī Ganjavī, 1140 or 41-1202 or 3. As he says himself in the prologue, f. 24r, he did not tread in the footsteps of any one, nor did he appropriate an man's work

Although adopting in its main features the Alexander legend of Niẓāmī Ganjavī, 1140 or 41-1202 or 3, the author tells it in his own way, an adds much original matter. He weaves int the narrative philosophical digressions on th origin and figure of the world, on man, hi bodily structure and mental faculties, virtue and vices, etc.

The date of composition is given with great precision, and according to four different eras in the epilogue of (Uk_Harl_3273, pp. Harl. 3273), f. 319.The poem was com pleted on the first day of Rabīʿ II, 792 [1390 CE], corresponding to the years 1700 [1390 CE], 759 [1390 CE], and 310 [1390 CE] of Melikshāh

This copy of the work is imperfect at beginning and end. It wants 8 or 9 leaves at the beginning, corresponding to ff. 4-13 of the preceding copy, and about 23 at the end ( (Uk_Harl_3273, pp. Harl. 3273), ff. 308-320). Of this last portion, however, a single leaf relating to the death of Alexander, the Great, 356 B.C.-323 B.C. ( (Uk_Harl_3273, pp. Harl. 3273), ff. 312v-313r) has been preserved and is prefixed to the manuscript. A few single leaves are also missing in the body of the volume

Main language of text

Ottoman Turkish

Bibliography

Editions

Ahmedî, . İskender-nāme: inceleme-tıpkıbasım. Edited by Ünver, İsmail. Ankara: Türk Tarih Kurumu Basımevi, 1983.

Ahmedî, . İskendername'den seçmeler. Edited by Akdoğan, Yaşar. Ankara: 1988.

Catalogue

Rieu, Charles. Catalogue of the Turkish manuscripts in the British museum. London: British Museum, 1888, 164.

Show filiations

British Library Add. 7905

British Library Harl. 3273

British Library Or. 1376

Ankara Milli Kütüphane 119

Ankara Milli Kütüphane 309

Ankara Milli Kütüphane 119

Milli Kütüphane 144

Topkapı Sarayı Müzesi Kütüphanesi 243

Türk Tarih Kurumu Ktp. 137

Koğuşlar Kitaplığı 952

İstanbul Üniversitesi Nadir Eserleri Kütüphanesi 848

İzmir Milli Kütüphane 1300

İstanbul Üniversitesi Nadir Eserleri Kütüphanesi 921

Türk Dil Kurumu Kütüphanesi Türkçe Yazmaları 151

Türk ve İslam Eserleri Müzesi 1921

Türk Dil Kurumu Kütüphanesi Türkçe Yazmaları 531

Türk Dil Kurumu Kütüphanesi Türkçe Yazmaları 149

Atatürk Kitaplığı 102

Bursa İnebey Yazma Eser Kütüphanesi 2123

Ankara Üniversitesi Yazma Eserleri Kütüphanesi 337

Ankara Üniversitesi Yazma Eserleri Kütüphanesi 34

Beyazıt Devlet Kütüphanesi 3691

Cebeci Halk Kütüphanesi 309

İstanbul Üniversitesi Nadir Eserleri Kütüphanesi 409

Hacı Selim Ağa Yazma Eser Kütüphanesi 385

Edirne Selimiye Yazma Eser Kütüphanesi 2307

İstanbul Üniversitesi Nadir Eserleri Kütüphanesi 166

Mevlana Müzesi 97

İzmir Milli Kütüphane 1419

Türkiye Büyük Millet Meclisi Kütüphanesi 243

Ankara Milli Kütüphane 2303

Mevlana Müzesi 3894

Süleymaniye Yazma Eser Kütüphanesi 110

Süleymaniye Yazma Eser Kütüphanesi 1995

Süleymaniye Yazma Eser Kütüphanesi 4186

Süleymaniye Yazma Eser Kütüphanesi 271

Süleymaniye Yazma Eser Kütüphanesi 240

Türk Tarih Kurumu Ktp. 402

Bibliothèque Nationale de France Ancient fons turc 310

Bibliothèque Nationale de France Ancient fons turc 311

Bibliothèque Nationale de France Ancient fons turc 309

Vatican Library 89

Avusturya Dükalık Ktp pt. 29

Avusturya Dükalık Ktp pt. 30

Academy of Sciences Turkish Manuscripts L53

Berlin Staatsbibliothek Turkish Manuscripts 1060

Avusturya Dükalık Ktp pt. 28

Biblioteca Marciena 90

Kitābkhana-i Meclis-i Şura-i Milli Türkçe Yazmaları 7807

Atatürk Kitaplığı 206

İstanbul Üniversitesi Nadir Eserleri Ktp. 6044

İstanbul Üniversitesi Nadir Eserleri Ktp. 593

İzzet Koyunoğlu Ktp. 13644

Milli Kütüphane no. A 2303

Milli Kütüphane 3869

Süleymaniye Yazma Eser Kütüphanesi 3572

Bibliothèque Nationale de France 634

Bibliothèque Nationale de France 641

Bibliothèque Nationale de France 635

Academy of Sciences Turkish Manuscripts K5

Ankara Üniversitesi Dil Tarih Coğrafya Fakültesi 155

Ankara Üniversitesi Dil Tarih Coğrafya Fakültesi 34

Ankara Üniversitesi Dil Tarih Coğrafya Fakültesi 337

Edirne Selimiye Yazma Eser Kütüphanesi 287

Ankara Türkiye Büyük Millet Meclisi Ktp. 51

Milli Kütüphane 3401

Koğuşlar Kitaplığı 812

Koğuşlar Kitaplığı 813

Topkapı Sarayı Müzesi Ktp. 679

Bibliothèque Nationale de France 345

Bibliothèque Nationale de France 346

Bibliothèque Nationale de France 309

Bibliothèque Nationale de France 310

Bibliothèque Nationale de France 311

Berlin Staatsbibliothek Turkish Manuscripts 1271

Berlin Staatsbibliothek Turkish Manuscripts 825

Berlin Staatsbibliothek Turkish Manuscripts 965

Kitābkhana -i Malik 4948

Süleymaniye Yazma Eser Kütüphanesi 294

Princeton University 1140

Türk Tarih Kurumu Ktp. 105

Physical Description

Number of folios

251 ff

Dimensions of folio

width 14cm, height 22.9cm

Columns

1

Ruled lines

15

Decoration

Red-ruled margins

History

Date of copy

Probably end of 15th century