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The Müteferrika Press

Arabic Typography in an Ottoman Context
  • Orlin Sabev
  • Funded by: European Research Council
Language: English
Published/Copyright: 2025
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About this book

Open Access

This book provides an overview of the activity and the output of the first Turkish press in the Ottoman Empire. Known as the Müteferrika Press, it was founded in Istanbul and was operated most actively from 1726 until 1747 when its founder Ibrahim Müteferrika passed away, though there were some printing efforts before this period and they continued after his death.

This volume retells the foundation story and activity of this press, focusing on its publications that were printed in Turkish but in Arabic script. These publications are discussed in terms of publication objectives, authors, contents, format and graphic layout, print run, sales, and later reprints and translations into European languages.

The book also includes images of the opening and colophon pages of all 17 publications, as well as images of all the engravings, geographical maps and charts included in them or printed separately. This information will be of particular use to scholars of the history of printing and Arabic typography, as well as to librarians, collectors, and curators who need to identify and catalogue surviving Müteferrika publications (books, maps and charts).

Author / Editor information

Orlin Sabev, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria.

Publishing information
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
eBook published on:
May 19, 2025
eBook ISBN:
9783111386621
Hardcover published on:
May 20, 2025
Hardcover ISBN:
9783111384917
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
Front matter:
27
Main content:
404
Illustrations:
51
Coloured Illustrations:
49
Tables:
3
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