The aim of this course is to examine the book arts, which hold a significant place within the tradition of Turkish-Islamic art, from historical, technical, and aesthetic perspectives, and to enable students to develop theoretical and visual analysis skills in this field. The emergence, development, and prominent artists of book arts such as calligraphy (hüsn-i hat), illumination (tezhip), miniature painting, marbling (ebru), and bookbinding will be explored. Students will be encouraged to evaluate these arts within the framework of the Islamic civilization’s understanding of knowledge, aesthetics, and culture. Additionally, the course will address the relationship of book arts with manuscript culture, the master-apprentice tradition, workshop organization, and the processes of artistic production.

This course offers a comprehensive examination of Turkish-Islamic book arts, which have evolved within the framework of Islamic manuscript culture and developed a distinctive aesthetic identity over the centuries. Core disciplines such as calligraphy, illumination (tezhip), miniature painting, marbling (ebru), and bookbinding are explored in terms of their historical development, technical practices, stylistic features, and leading artists. The course also addresses the role of book arts within manuscript culture, focusing on production environments such as workshops (nakkaşhâne), art schools, and the master-apprentice tradition. Furthermore, students will engage in conceptual and visual analyses to understand the place of these arts within Islamic aesthetics, knowledge transmission, and cultural memory. By the end of the course, students will be able to interpret examples of Turkish-Islamic book arts within their historical, cultural, and artistic contexts.