İzmir National Library unveils rare manuscript exhibition

The İzmir National Library has launched a new exhibition titled ‘In the Footsteps of Documentary Heritage: Rare Works of İzmir’ at the Ahmed Adnan Saygun Art Center. Organized in collaboration with the İzmir Metropolitan Municipality, the exhibition showcases 61 rare items selected from the library’s extensive collection.

The collection includes 26 manuscripts, 2 lithographs, and 33 printed books. Notable highlights include the ‘Düstûrnâme-i Enverî’, written in verse between 1464 and 1465, which serves as a significant source for Ottoman history and Turkish culture. Other featured works include a 1732 edition of Kâtip Çelebi’s ‘Cihannüma’ printed by the İbrahim Müteferrika press, a 1531 Latin edition of Aristotle’s collected works printed using Gutenberg’s movable type technique, and a rare handwritten copy of the Qur’an by Hasan Âşıkî.