Information Package / Course Catalogue
Ottoman Diplomatics I
Course Code: TAR327
Course Type: Required
Couse Group: First Cycle (Bachelor's Degree)
Education Language: Turkish
Work Placement: N/A
Theory: 2
Prt.: 0
Credit: 2
Lab: 0
ECTS: 4
Objectives of the Course

It is aimed in this course to increase students' knowledge and skills on reading and evaluating complex pre-printed texts belonged to the classical and post-classical Ottoman period.

Course Content

Archieves where the Ottoman archival materials, providing information about font types used in the Ottoman Empire, the characteristics of Divanî font types, special formulas found in Ottoman documents (notables), the Protocol section (invitation Tuğra, Title) and sample document reading, Ottoman documents used in elkab and sample document reading, orders in the Ottoman documentation, the terms and sample document reading, tekid Ottoman documents, threat and instance document reading, of the formula and sample document be taught as a result of the Ottoman documents in Ottoman documents dating and space-i tahrir and examples on the document, Ottoman sultans used in documents, palaces, government names and instance document be taught with abbreviations, written by the Costa font of features and rica simple documents, written by the Ta'lik font of features and postpone a simple documents, sülüs written in font of the features and thuluth simple documents, characteristics and be taught a simple document type of writing Tevki'i.

Name of Lecturer(s)
Prof. Tanju DEMİR
Learning Outcomes
1.to be able to define “elkablas” and the texts in Ottoman language to whom were written.
2.to be able to explain the types and contents of Şer'iyye Sicilleri (Kadı Courts)
3.to be able to read the dates and periodization in History
4.to be able to assess the text
5.to be able to focus on the changing process on the Ottoman documents written between the 15th and the 19th Centuries
6.to be able to recognise the Ottoman Bureaucratic correspondences in the beginning of the 19th Century and very beginning of the Tanzimat Era; and the differences before reform processes
Recommended or Required Reading
1.Yılmaz Kurt, Osmanlıca Dersleri I, , Akçağ Yayınevi, Ankara 2010.
2.F. Kadri Timurtaş, Osmanlı Türkçesine Giriş, İÜ, Ed. Fak. Yay., İstanbul, 1981.
Weekly Detailed Course Contents
Week 1 - Theoretical
Informing the Students About the Purpose and Limits of the Course; Granting Bibliographic Information on the Content
Week 2 - Theoretical
İnforming the students on Elkab and Rükn; and reading them
Week 3 - Theoretical
Classification of the Ottoman documents in the 17th and the 18th Centuries; and the definition of Şer’iyye Sicilleri (the Kadı Courts)
Week 4 - Theoretical
The importance of Şer'iyye registries and reading registration documents
Week 5 - Theoretical
How should be evaluated the documents of Ottoman registers belonging to various Ottoman cities and different periods; examples of work index.
Week 6 - Theoretical
The importances of Tereke, Narh and Tevzi Books; their readings and the mistakes made while reading
Week 7 - Theoretical
Giving information about the Ottoman Financial Records and the siyakat script; reading tugras and the dates of the documents.
Week 8 - Theoretical
The mistakes while reading the handwriting documents and the names of the people, and the right ways of reading.
Week 9 - Theoretical
The mistakes while reading the handwriting documents and the names of the places, and the right ways of reading.
Week 10 - Theoretical
Common words and combinations that are not easily read
Week 11 - Theoretical
The documents belonging to transformation to Rik’a script period and the characters of Rik’a Script
Week 12 - Theoretical
Reading the texts on the coins, seals, banknotes and stamps
Week 13 - Theoretical
The documents belonging to transformation to Rik’a script period and the characters of Rik’a Script
Week 14 - Theoretical
Examples of documents written in Rik’a Script in the beginning of the 19th Century
Assessment Methods and Criteria
Type of AssessmentCountPercent
Midterm Examination1%40
Final Examination1%60
Workload Calculation
ActivitiesCountPreparationTimeTotal Work Load (hours)
Lecture - Theory142256
Assignment72014
Reading121012
Midterm Examination1718
Final Examination113114
TOTAL WORKLOAD (hours)104
Contribution of Learning Outcomes to Programme Outcomes
PÇ-1
PÇ-2
PÇ-3
PÇ-4
PÇ-5
PÇ-6
PÇ-7
PÇ-8
PÇ-9
PÇ-10
PÇ-11
PÇ-12
OÇ-1
3
OÇ-2
OÇ-3
OÇ-4
OÇ-5
OÇ-6
Adnan Menderes University - Information Package / Course Catalogue
2026