Anthology of Ottoman Literature 1885 Ottoman Turkish Book Empire Ebüzziya Tevfik
Nümûne-i Edebiyyât-ı Osmâniyye – Matbaa-i Ebüzziya Edition (1302 AH / c. 1885)
Description:
This is a hardcover Ottoman-era literary anthology titled Nümûne-i Edebiyyât-ı Osmâniyye, authored by Ebüzziya Tevfik and printed in Istanbul (Constantiniyye) around 1302 AH (circa 1885) at Matbaa-i Ebüzziya.
The work is widely regarded as the first Western-style prose anthology in Turkish literary history. It brings together selected prose examples from Ottoman literature in a chronological order, presenting a structured overview of the development of Ottoman literary expression.
The anthology begins with examples from Sinan Paşa, one of the prominent 15th-century classical prose masters, and continues through to the works of Şinasi, a key figure of the 19th-century modernization movement. This chronological structure highlights the evolution of Ottoman prose from classical to modern forms.
Ebüzziya Tevfik prepared this work upon the suggestion of Namık Kemal while he was in exile in Rhodes in 1875. This context adds historical depth to the book, linking it directly to the intellectual currents of the Tanzimat-era reformist literary movement.
Beyond being a simple selection of texts, the work also includes critical remarks and evaluations about the authors and their writings, giving it the character of an early literary history as well as an anthology. In this sense, it serves both as a reference collection and as an interpretive study of Ottoman prose literature.
Printed by Matbaa-i Ebüzziya, one of the most important private printing houses of the late Ottoman period, the book also reflects the modernization of publishing practices and the rise of individual intellectual production in the empire.
Key Features:
• Title: Nümûne-i Edebiyyât-ı Osmâniyye
• Date: 1302 AH (circa 1885)
• Place of Publication: Constantiniyye (Istanbul)
• Printer: Matbaa-i Ebüzziya
• Author: Ebüzziya Tevfik
• Language: Ottoman Turkish
• Format: Hardcover Literary Anthology
• Content: Selected Ottoman prose texts in chronological order
• Scope: From Sinan Paşa (15th century) to Şinasi (19th century)
• Origin: Prepared in Rhodes during exile (1875), upon Namık Kemal’s suggestion
• Genre: Literary anthology; early literary history
• Historical Context: Tanzimat-era intellectual and literary modernization
• Significance: First Western-style Ottoman prose anthology
• Cultural Context: Development of modern Turkish literary consciousness
• Collector Appeal: Foundational work in Ottoman literary historiography