Libraries

This page includes a list of research libraries and manuscript libraries:

Topkapı Palace Museum Library

The Archive and Library of the Topkapı Palace Museum (Topkapı Sarayı Müzesi) contain some of the most important documents and manuscripts pertaining to Ottoman and Islamic history. The Library and Archive are both located on the grounds of Topkapı Palace in the Sultan Ahmet district of Istanbul.

İSAM (İslam Araştırmaları Merkezi)

İSAM is the best research library in Turkey for Ottoman and Islamic studies. The research center’s strength rests in its combination of a relatively extensive collection of printed volumes with a number of important digitized collections of archival documents. The Research center is located in the Bağlarbaşı neighborhood of Üsküdar Municipality, Istanbul.

Süleymaniye Library

Süleymaniye Kütüphanesi (Süleymaniye Library) is the largest manuscript library in Turkey and preserves one of the world’s most extensive collections of Islamic manuscripts. Since its establishment in 1918, the library has served generations of scholars. The library is located within the Suleymaniye Mosque complex in the Fatih district of Istanbul.

2 Replies to “Libraries”

  1. I am an independent researcher in Malaysia. I am 79 years old. I have been told that the Topkapi museum library has a letter from Sultan Mehmed II al-Fatih to the Sultan of Malacca (MALAKA) dated 1435. Can I have a photostat copy of the letter because at the moment I am writing on the history of Malacca in the 15th century. I would be much obliged if anyone could help me because I have no means of getting a copy of the said document.

    1. Hello. We are not an archive; we are a guide to research. We cannot provide this service. If you send us an email (hazineblog@gmail.com), we can try to connect you to a researcher in Turkey however, during the pandemic, the libraries are closed.

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