Dürr-i Meknûn
Encyclopedia
Dürr-i meknûn, ‘The Hidden Pearl
(s)’ is a 15th century Ottoman Turkish
cosmography
in prose
, traditionally attributed to Ahmed Bican (died ca. 1466). It is a compilation of highly divergent material, arranged in a time running from the Time Before Time to the aftermath of the Apocalypse
. Metamorphosis constitutes a dominant theme: against a background of cosmic transformation take place many sorts of changes in shape and content.
. This makes the Dürr-i meknûn, with its volume and its varied subject matters, an important source for early Ottoman
culture and language. The book was deliberately written by Bican for the common people in the vernacular Turkish he so strongly advocated against the widespread use among the learned elite of Arabic and Persian. Over a hundred surviving manuscript copies (it never appeared in print) testify to its popularity well into the 19th century.
is unknown and might have been lost at some date.
The year of writing is unclear. Yerasimos, assuming an eschatological
mood in the work triggered by the Fall of Constantinople
, dates the book shortly after 1453. The Dutch scholar Laban Kaptein, however, disputes this claim after a minute analysis of the work's End Times contents.
.
Chapter 1:
On the heaven
s, the Throne
, the Throne(-heaven), the Tablet
and Pen
, Heaven and Hell
, the Moon
, The Sun
and the star
s, and the cherub
s
Chapter 2:
On the respective Earths and their marvels, the creatures living thereon, and on the Hell
Chapter 3:
About the Earth’s
surface and the creatures thereon
Chapter 4:
On the science of geodesy
‘handasa’), on climate zones and the days and the hours
Chapter 5:
On marvelous mountain
s
Chapter 6:
On the sea
s and the islands and their great variety of creatures
Chapter 7:
On cities, mosques, cloisters and climate zones
(Among other tales, the Turkish foundation legend of Istanbul, coined here by Bican)
Chapter 8:
On marvelous mosque
s and cloisters
Chapter 9:
About Süleyman’s (Solomon
's) throne
Chapter 10:
About the Throne of Bilqis, and her visit to Süleyman
Chapter 11:
On the duration of life
(The science of physiognomy
(‘firasa’) also receives a short treatment in this chapter)
Chapter 12:
On places destroyed by God’s wrath
Chapter 13:
On the properties of plants, fruits and stones according to the Doctores
Chapter 14:
On figures, statue
s; some stories on cities
Chapter 15:
On birds, among them the Simurg
Chapter 16:
On the occult science of jafr; on what goes on in this World and the Other World; on the secret signs of jafr
(jafr: islamic numerology, compare also ‘kabbalah
’)
Chapter 17:
On the Signs
of Judgement Day
Chapter 18:
On the End Time; some sermon
s
, Boğazkesen, chapter 4 (novel; authorised French translation Le roman du Conquérant, Paris 1996. ISBN 9782020251242).
Pearl
A pearl is a hard object produced within the soft tissue of a living shelled mollusk. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pearl is made up of calcium carbonate in minute crystalline form, which has been deposited in concentric layers. The ideal pearl is perfectly round and smooth, but many other...
(s)’ is a 15th century Ottoman Turkish
Ottoman Turkish language
The Ottoman Turkish language or Ottoman language is the variety of the Turkish language that was used for administrative and literary purposes in the Ottoman Empire. It borrows extensively from Arabic and Persian, and was written in a variant of the Perso-Arabic script...
cosmography
Cosmography
Cosmography is the science that maps the general features of the universe, describing both heaven and Earth...
in prose
Prose
Prose is the most typical form of written language, applying ordinary grammatical structure and natural flow of speech rather than rhythmic structure...
, traditionally attributed to Ahmed Bican (died ca. 1466). It is a compilation of highly divergent material, arranged in a time running from the Time Before Time to the aftermath of the Apocalypse
Apocalypse
An Apocalypse is a disclosure of something hidden from the majority of mankind in an era dominated by falsehood and misconception, i.e. the veil to be lifted. The Apocalypse of John is the Book of Revelation, the last book of the New Testament...
. Metamorphosis constitutes a dominant theme: against a background of cosmic transformation take place many sorts of changes in shape and content.
Importance
The first half of the 15th century has been crucial in the development of the Turkish languageTurkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
. This makes the Dürr-i meknûn, with its volume and its varied subject matters, an important source for early Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
culture and language. The book was deliberately written by Bican for the common people in the vernacular Turkish he so strongly advocated against the widespread use among the learned elite of Arabic and Persian. Over a hundred surviving manuscript copies (it never appeared in print) testify to its popularity well into the 19th century.
Authorship and dating
Dürr-i meknûn, an anonymous work, is attributed to Ahmed Bican. Linguistic analysis and a comparison to other works known to be from his hand seem to consolidate this tradition. It’s autographAutograph
An autograph is a document transcribed entirely in the handwriting of its author, as opposed to a typeset document or one written by an amanuensis or a copyist; the meaning overlaps with that of the word holograph.Autograph also refers to a person's artistic signature...
is unknown and might have been lost at some date.
The year of writing is unclear. Yerasimos, assuming an eschatological
Islamic eschatology
Islamic eschatology is concerned with the al-Qiyāmah . Like the other Abrahamic religions, Islam teaches the bodily resurrection of the dead, the fulfillment of a divine plan for creation, and the judgement of the soul; the righteous are rewarded with the pleasures of Jannah while the unrighteous...
mood in the work triggered by the Fall of Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
, dates the book shortly after 1453. The Dutch scholar Laban Kaptein, however, disputes this claim after a minute analysis of the work's End Times contents.
Synopsis
Bican has divided the work in 18 chapters, analogous to the 18,000 world created by GodGod
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
.
Chapter 1:
On the heaven
Heaven
Heaven, the Heavens or Seven Heavens, is a common religious cosmological or metaphysical term for the physical or transcendent place from which heavenly beings originate, are enthroned or inhabit...
s, the Throne
Throne
A throne is the official chair or seat upon which a monarch is seated on state or ceremonial occasions. "Throne" in an abstract sense can also refer to the monarchy or the Crown itself, an instance of metonymy, and is also used in many expressions such as "the power behind the...
, the Throne(-heaven), the Tablet
Tablet (religious)
A tablet, in the religious context, is a term traditionally used for religious texts.Jews and Christians believe that Moses brought the Ten Commandments from Mount Sinai in the form of two stone tablets. According to the Book of Exodus, God delivered the tablets twice, the first set having been...
and Pen
Pen
A pen is a device used to apply ink to a surface, usually paper, for writing or drawing. Historically, reed pens, quill pens, and dip pens were used, with a nib of some sort to be dipped in the ink. Ruling pens allow precise adjustment of line width, and still find a few specialized uses, but...
, Heaven and Hell
Hell
In many religious traditions, a hell is a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells as endless. Religions with a cyclic history often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations...
, the Moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
, The Sun
Sun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
and the star
Star
A star is a massive, luminous sphere of plasma held together by gravity. At the end of its lifetime, a star can also contain a proportion of degenerate matter. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun, which is the source of most of the energy on Earth...
s, and the cherub
Cherub
A cherub is a type of spiritual being mentioned in the Hebrew Bible and cited later on in the Christian biblical canons, usually associated with the presence of God...
s
Chapter 2:
On the respective Earths and their marvels, the creatures living thereon, and on the Hell
Chapter 3:
About the Earth’s
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
surface and the creatures thereon
Chapter 4:
On the science of geodesy
Geodesy
Geodesy , also named geodetics, a branch of earth sciences, is the scientific discipline that deals with the measurement and representation of the Earth, including its gravitational field, in a three-dimensional time-varying space. Geodesists also study geodynamical phenomena such as crustal...
‘handasa’), on climate zones and the days and the hours
Chapter 5:
On marvelous mountain
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
s
Chapter 6:
On the sea
Sea
A sea generally refers to a large body of salt water, but the term is used in other contexts as well. Most commonly, it means a large expanse of saline water connected with an ocean, and is commonly used as a synonym for ocean...
s and the islands and their great variety of creatures
Chapter 7:
On cities, mosques, cloisters and climate zones
(Among other tales, the Turkish foundation legend of Istanbul, coined here by Bican)
Chapter 8:
On marvelous mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
s and cloisters
Chapter 9:
About Süleyman’s (Solomon
Solomon
Solomon , according to the Book of Kings and the Book of Chronicles, a King of Israel and according to the Talmud one of the 48 prophets, is identified as the son of David, also called Jedidiah in 2 Samuel 12:25, and is described as the third king of the United Monarchy, and the final king before...
's) throne
Chapter 10:
About the Throne of Bilqis, and her visit to Süleyman
Chapter 11:
On the duration of life
(The science of physiognomy
Physiognomy
Physiognomy is the assessment of a person's character or personality from their outer appearance, especially the face...
(‘firasa’) also receives a short treatment in this chapter)
Chapter 12:
On places destroyed by God’s wrath
Chapter 13:
On the properties of plants, fruits and stones according to the Doctores
Chapter 14:
On figures, statue
Statue
A statue is a sculpture in the round representing a person or persons, an animal, an idea or an event, normally full-length, as opposed to a bust, and at least close to life-size, or larger...
s; some stories on cities
Chapter 15:
On birds, among them the Simurg
Simurgh
Simurgh , also spelled simorgh, simurg, simoorg or simourv, also known as Angha , is the modern Persian name for a benevolent, mythical flying creature...
Chapter 16:
On the occult science of jafr; on what goes on in this World and the Other World; on the secret signs of jafr
(jafr: islamic numerology, compare also ‘kabbalah
Kabbalah
Kabbalah/Kabala is a discipline and school of thought concerned with the esoteric aspect of Rabbinic Judaism. It was systematized in 11th-13th century Hachmei Provence and Spain, and again after the Expulsion from Spain, in 16th century Ottoman Palestine...
’)
Chapter 17:
On the Signs
Semiotics
Semiotics, also called semiotic studies or semiology, is the study of signs and sign processes , indication, designation, likeness, analogy, metaphor, symbolism, signification, and communication...
of Judgement Day
Chapter 18:
On the End Time; some sermon
Sermon
A sermon is an oration by a prophet or member of the clergy. Sermons address a Biblical, theological, religious, or moral topic, usually expounding on a type of belief, law or behavior within both past and present contexts...
s
In popular culture
Nedim GürselNedim Gürsel
Nedim Gürsel is a Turkish writer. In the late 1960s, he published novellas and essays in Turkish magazines. After graduating from Galatasaray High School in 1970, he studied at the Sorbonne. In 1974, he graduated from the Sorbonne's Department of Modern French Literature...
, Boğazkesen, chapter 4 (novel; authorised French translation Le roman du Conquérant, Paris 1996. ISBN 9782020251242).
Literature
- Laban Kaptein, Eindtijd en Antichrist (ad-dağğâl) in de islam. Eschatologie bij Ahmed Bîcân († ca. 1466). Leiden 1997. ISBN 9073782902 (contains facsimile of Chapter 17, manuscript Leiden, Universiteitsbibliotheek Leiden, Cod. Or. 1301, with topic by topic analysis and translation in Dutch)
- Laban Kaptein, Ahmed Bican Yazıcıoğlu, Dürr-i meknûn. Kritische Edition mit Kommentar. Asch 2007. ISBN 9789090214085
- Jan Schmidt, review of Kaptein 2007, Bibliotheca Orientalis LXIV 5-6 2007: 793—797.
- Stéphane Yerasimos, Légendes d’empire. La foundation de Constantinople et de Sainte-Sophie dans les traditions turques. Parijs 1990. ISBN 2906053155