Matrâkçı Nasûh’un Süleymân-Nâmesi

Nasuh b. Karagöz El-Priştevî, or as he is more commonly known, Matrakçı Nasuh, is one of the most important figures among 16th-century Ottoman historians. Matrakçı Nasuh entered the Enderun and completed his education there. An excellent swordsman, Nasuh took lessons from the era’s renowned scholars during his time there. Although he was also interested in mathematics, (his first work was in that field) Nasuh’s true area of interest was history. Indeed, he authored a world history spanning from the first human to the year 1551, which also included Ottoman history. However, it was his work titled Süleymân-nâme that truly earned him his fame as a historian. Matrakçı Nasuh pioneered a completely new era in Ottoman historiography by incorporating topographical miniatures devoid of human figures into his works, which he wrote in an exceptionally literary style. A significant portion of this illustrated history of the Ottoman Empire, which he left behind, is based on his own firsthand observations. At the same time, his human-less miniatures, which focus on the geography he depicted, are considered one of the most important sources on 16th-century Ottoman geography, architecture, seafaring, and Istanbul.