SIGNED AHMAD BIN MUHAMMAD BIN 'ALI, MARGHUS, OTTOMAN BALKANS, 19TH CENTURY

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MUSTAFA BIN SHAMS AL-DIN AL-QARAHISARI AL-AKHTARI (D. 1560 AD): AKHTARI KABIR
SIGNED AHMAD BIN MUHAMMAD BIN 'ALI, MARGHUS, OTTOMAN BALKANS, 19TH CENTURY
An Arabic-Turkish dictionary, 269ff. plus three fly-leaves, each folio with 35ll. of small neat black naskh script, some words and phrases in red or overlined in red, text within black and red-ruled gold frame, opening folio with gold and polychrome illuminated headpiece, with catchwords, colophon signed and dated 27th of Rabi' II without giving the year, a seal impression giving the name 'Ayyub' and the date of (1)281, in fine 17th or 18th century gilt stamped brown morocco binding with flap, with marbled paper doublures
Text panel 8 7/8 x 5 ¼in.(22.6 x 13.3cm.); folio 11 3/87 ¾in. (28.9 x 19.5cm.)

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Lot Essay

This work is one of the best known dictionaries of the Ottoman period. First composed in 1545 AD, it was widely edited in the 19th century with more than 15 editions recorded between 1826 and 1906.

The colophon indicates that the scribe, Ahmad bin Muhammad bin 'Ali, was Preacher in the Old Mosque of Marghus. The city of Marghus is probably the same as Margus, now the modern town of Pozarevac in eastern Serbia. Also known in Ottoman Turkish as Pasarofca, it is mentioned in the 16th century as part of the Sanjak of Sernendre. The town is famous for its role in the Treaty of Passarovitz (Pasarofca) which ended the Austro-Turkish war of 1716-18.

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