On March 29th 2018, Center for Turkish Studies will host Ahmet Üstüner* under the discussions theses-articles. Atabaş will deliver a speech about Levâmi'u'n-Nûr (Text - Assesment) based on his thesis.**

“Katip Çelebi, one of the important figures of Ottoman scientific world and lived in the 17th century, has achieved to make his mark thanks to his written works over the centuries. One of them is Levâmi'u'n-Nûr fi-Zulmet-i Atlas Minor and also took its place in literature as an his translation/copyright work. There are over 10 copies of the work stateside and abroad at the present time.  Levâmi'u'n-Nûr fî-Zulmet-i Atlas Minor, a translation for the famous Latin work "Atlas Minor" of Gerardus Mercator who is originally a Dutch geographer, cites to historical geography according to general classification of continents, furthermore contains historical, geographical, political, judicial and legendary knowledge about the whole world, starting Europe. Additionally, the examined work involves the copies of 148 maps drawn according to Mercator projection and then copied by Kâtip Çelebi. Levâmi'u'n-Nûr fî-Zulmet-i Atlas Minor was translated in order to be used as a source for Kâtip Çelebi's well-known work "Cihânnümâ". In this regard, when Cihannüma was written second time due to a new arrangement, Levâmi'u'n-Nûr fî-Zulmet-i Atlas Minor was especially used as a basic source for the chapters regarding Europe of Cihânnümâ. Besides translated texts from Latin, comments and rewiews made by Katip Çelebi have a large space in Levâmi'u'n-Nûr fi-Zulmet-i Atlas Minor which is an important tool for the transfer of geographical developments in Europe to the Ottoman Empire.  The copies of Levâmi'u'n-Nûr fî-Zulmeti Atlas Minor were searched and then examined, and the Nuruosmaniye copy that is an autor's lettering of Levâmi'u'n-Nûr fî-Zulmeti Atlas Minor was transcribed by us to add it to the current literature. The original Latin "Atlas Minor" was examined together with the Katip Çelebi's translation for obtaining accuracy of its content and translation, and the importance of Levâmi'u'n-Nûr fî-Zulmet-i Atlas Minor was evaluated in terms of geographical studies done in its time and after. Furthermore, information about the autor and the translators of Cihânnümâ was provied.”***

*Dr., Istanbul University

** The speech will be conducted in Turkish.

***Doktoral Thesis, Istanbul University, 2017