The Ottoman sciences have long been considered a poor descendant of Islamic sciences. They have been largely ignored and even suppressed, partly due to their association with the “decline” of Islamic civilization and partly because of European perceptions of the Ottoman state as an enemy. The project “Scientific Literature in the Ottoman Period,” sponsored by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and conducted by the International Research Center for Islamic History, Culture and Arts (IRCICA), aims to highlight the achievements of Ottoman sciences and restore their rightful place.
Definition of Ottoman Sciences
The problem of defining Ottoman sciences is the beginning of the issues. The Ottoman dynasty ruled for 600 years, an extraordinary achievement in a region where states and empires emerge and then disappear within a few generations. During that time, the wealth and power of the Ottomans changed significantly. At the beginning of the 13th century, the Ottomans owned only a small area in northwestern Anatolia. But by the end of the 15th century, they were a major regional power, ruling most of modern Turkey and a large part of the Balkan Peninsula. During the 16th century, they became masters of a massive multinational empire stretching from Slovakia to Nubia and from Algeria to the Caucasus.
Position of Ottoman Scientific Literature
The position of Ottoman scientific literature presents another problem. Ottoman scientific works can be found not only in all the countries that were at one time part of the Ottoman Empire but also in Western Europe and the United States. In this regard, researchers have left no library, archive, or museum unexplored.
Study Results
The result is a massive achievement. It not only provides us with a true picture of the extent of Ottoman scientific activity but also upends the standard opinion. The traditional view is that the empire peaked around 1600 and then spent the next 300 years in general decline, with sciences disappearing and technologies evaporating. “Ottoman Astronomy” shows that science was very much alive in the Ottoman Empire until the 18th century when it transitioned to learning and assimilating European sciences through translations and adaptations.
Study Content
The study provides information about more than 600 original scientific minds, including those whose period of work is unknown, along with details of where they worked. Each entry provides a brief biography of the scholar, an outline of his scientific career, a list of his works in astronomy, and any secondary literature related to the author, along with an indication of the language in which it was written (usually Arabic, Turkish, and Persian). A brief history and complete bibliographic information for each work are also provided.
Much of this literature consists of theoretical and practical astronomy. The works include explorations of planetary orbits, the relationship between astronomy and Islam, Zijs (mathematical tables for calculating sunrise and sunset times and the positions of planets and eclipses, etc.), calendars, and astronomical instruments. The introduction gives a good overview of Ottoman astronomical institutions such as the Istanbul Observatory and the Kandilli Observatory’s timekeeping institution. A comprehensive references index provides a guide to modern literature on these topics.
“Ottoman Astronomy” is truly a monumental work that will be celebrated by historians of Islamic science everywhere. Not without faults – there are bad translations and numerous typographical errors – but these are largely insignificant given the project’s vast scope. The subsequent volumes in the project will focus on mathematics and geography, and they are sure to continue rewriting the history of Ottoman sciences.
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