# Turkish manuscript preservation and digitization efforts

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/turkish-manuscript-preservation-and-digitization-efforts
> Updated: 2026-10-05T14:08:59.000Z. Sources: 13. Developments: 2.

Turkey has undertaken several initiatives to preserve and provide access to historic Islamic and Ottoman-era manuscripts through facsimile printing and digitization.

In September 2026, the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism completed a facsimile printing of the 14th-century Mamluk Mushaf-ı Şerifi from the Taşlıcalı Hüseyin Paşa Mosque. This project, requested by the Islamic Union of Montenegro, aims to preserve a manuscript that has been maintained by Montenegrin Muslims for generations. The facsimile is to be delivered to Montenegro via the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities.

By October 2026, further preservation efforts were announced, including the release of a 16-volume facsimile edition of the exegesis ‘Ruhu’l-Beyan fi Tefsiri’l-Kur’an’ by Ottoman scholar İsmail Hakkı Bursevi. Additionally, the Turkish Institution of Manuscripts completed the maintenance and digitization of 525 rare manuscripts donated to the Süleymaniye Manuscript Library, making them available for global digital research.

## Claims

- Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy announced the publication of the facsimile edition of İsmail Hakkı Bursevî’s work. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- The facsimile edition consists of 16 notebooks. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- İsmail Hakkı Bursevî took approximately 23 years to complete the work. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- The publication was prepared in collaboration between the Presidency of Turkish Manuscripts and the Bursa Governorship. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan wrote a special introduction for the publication. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- İsmail Hakkı Bursevî authored more than 120 works across various fields. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- The publication commemorates the 300th anniversary of Bursevî’s death. (corroborated by 2 sources)

## Timeline

### 2026-10-05: Turkey preserves Ottoman heritage through new facsimile and digital manuscript access

Turkey has released a facsimile of İsmail Hakkı Bursevi's 16-volume handwritten tafsir and opened a 525-piece manuscript collection donated by Prof. İsmail Erünsal to digital access.

10 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/ismail-hakk-bursevs-16-notebook-manuscript-released-as-facsimile-edition

### 2026-09-14: Turkey completes facsimile printing of historic Montenegrin mosque manuscript

Turkey has completed a facsimile printing of the historic 14th-century Taşlıcalı Hüseyin Paşa Mosque Mushaf-ı Şerifi to be delivered to Montenegro.

6 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/turkey-completes-facsimile-printing-of-historic-montenegrin-mosque-manuscript

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Cite as: Turkish manuscript preservation and digitization efforts. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/turkish-manuscript-preservation-and-digitization-efforts