Ottoman Talisman Seals with Examples from Anatolian Museums
Talisman seals, which constitute an important part of the Ottoman cultural heritage and memory, are therapeutic works produced to protect the body, remove mental illnesses and meet various expectations in the Ottoman Empire. It has been observed that the seals, which occupy a large place among the Ottoman seals, could not be fully classified in the museums, and they were included in the lodge objects in some museums. In the study, 29 talisman seals, 27 of which are metal and 2 of which are agate, belonging to the Ottoman period from 14 different museums from Anatolia are examined. Seals were brought to museums mainly through purchase. Care has been taken to ensure that the samples examined are of different contents and shapes. The scarcity of specimens in museums has revealed the need for the collective evaluation of specimens by bringing them together. The study aims to reveal the difference in the examined samples and other seals in terms of their contents/(texts) and uses. As talisman seals are considered as dervish/lodge seals in literature and museums, the most important purpose of this study is to make the technical distinction through scientific examples and to determine their place in Ottoman seals. In the samples examined, it has been observed that none of the original talisman seals, all of which were handcrafted, had their purpose specified on them. It turned out that only one example was made as a love/affection talisman and that the names of the suitor and the matlub(desired person) were hidden in its content. The content meanings of the examples reveal that they were made for very comprehensive wishes and expectations such as healing, protection, and love talismans. The fact that the content written in vefk/(magical square) is more esoteric strengthens the possibility that the seals may also have been produced for negative content. Some examples; It has been understood that it will be difficult to fully solve its mysteries because it contains vefk orders, abjad/(letter/ number/symbol)equivalents and various symbols.
Anadolu Müzelerinden Bazı Örneklerle Osmanlı Tılsım Mühürleri
Osmanlı kültür mirasının ve hafızasının önemli bir parçasını oluşturan tılsım mühürler, Osmanlı da bedeni korumak, ruhsal hastalıklardan kurtulmak ve çeşitli beklentileri karşılamak için üretilmiş terapötik eserlerdir. Osmanlı mühürleri içerisinde geniş bir yer kaplayan tılsım mühürlerin, müzelerde tam tasniflerinin yapılamadığı ve bazı müzelerde tekke objeleri içerisinde yer verildiği görülmüştür. Çalışmada, Anadolu’dan 14 farklı müzeden Osmanlı dönemine ait 27’si madeni, 2’si akik olmak üzere toplam 29 tılsım mühür incelenmektedir. Mühürler, müzelere ağırlıklı olarak satın alma yoluyla kazandırılmıştır. İncelenen örneklerin farklı içerik ve şekillerde olmasına özen gösterilmiştir. Müzelerdeki örneklerin sayısal azlığı örneklerin bir araya getirilerek toplu değerlendirilmesi ihtiyacını ortaya çıkarmıştır. Çalışma, incelenen örneklerin diğer mühürlerden farkını, içeriklerini/(metinleri), yapılış amaçlarını ve kullanımlarını ortaya koymayı hedeflemektedir. Tılsım mühürlerin, literatürde ve müzelerde derviş/ tekke mühürleri olarak ele alınması nedeniyle özellikle teknik ayrımın bilimsel örnekler üzerinden yapılabilmesi ve Osmanlı mühürleri içerisindeki yerinin çıkarılması bu çalışmanın en önemli amacını oluşturmaktadır. İncelenen örneklerde; tamamı el işi olarak üretilmiş orijinal tılsım mühürlerin hiçbirinin üzerinde yapılış amaçlarının belir= tilmediği görülmüştür. Sadece tek bir örneğin sevgi/muhabbet tılsımı olarak yapıldığı ve içeriğinde de talip ile matlubun adlarının gizlendiği ortaya çıkarılmıştır. Örneklerin içerik anlamları; şifa, korunma, sevgi tılsımı gibi çok kapsamlı istek ve beklentiler için yapıldıklarını ortaya koymaktadır. Vefklerle yazılan içeriklerin daha ezoterik olması tılsım mühürlerin olumsuz içerikler için de üretilmiş olabileceği ihtimalini güçlendirmektedir. Bazı örneklerin; vefk düzenleri, ebced karşılıkları ve çeşitli semboller içermesi nedeniyle gizemlerinin tam olarak çözülmesinin zor olacağı anlaşılmıştır.
In the research, 29 talisman seals belonging to the Ottoman Period, selected from the museums in the cities whose names are announced in the catalogue studied in Anatolia, are examined. The talisman seals, 27 of which were scientifically introduced for the first time in the study, except for 2 of them, belong to the Ottoman period and are all handcrafted original pieces. Only seven of the talisman seals examined have inscriptions, and the first of the dated seals is dated to the end of the 17th century, the other four to the first and second half of the 19th century, and in a single example to the first half of the 20th century. Other examples are undated. Two of the talisman seals are double= faced, and the other seals are single=sided and have a fixed table. Typologically, the seals are shaped according to their tables, nineteen circles, one bow, the other three square, one rectangular, one oval, one polygonal (octagonal) forms, one hand and one Zulfiqar motif. The contents of the talisman seals are mainly created in a framework woven with religious contents such as verses from suras, various prayers, names of religious elders, square endowments, seven seal symbols, and the Seal of Suleiman motif. In the texts of the talisman seals, there are also prayers such as the Jaljalutiya Prayer, the Prayer of the Veiler (of Sins), the Call to Ali, Blessed Salutations, the Word of Oneness made to Allah after the surahs and the Most Beautiful Names of Allah. When the prayers written on the seals are recited, Allah’s help is expected to remove troubles, to seek remedies, to find healing and to meet various requests. In the study, the purpose of making is not stated on any of the original talisman seals, all of which are handcrafted. On the other hand, in Work Numbered 2, it was made as a love/(love) talisman, and the talisman was prepared by hiding the names of the suitor and the desired. In this talisman of love prepared with Surah Taha 39, letters containing the initials of the names “Talib” and “Matlubun” in two parts of the verses, thus “ع ve ث “were crafted in each line, hidden in different squares. This example, unlike other talisman seals, stands apart due to the fact that the front side is personalized. In WorkNumbered 23, the letters that make up the Arabic letter were written one by one without connecting with each other. The purpose of its creation in this way is to think that prayers are important for better or talismans or healing for a faster effect. Works Numbered 14 and 15 show fish figures considered as a pair. Fish is a symbol that represents sexuality, fertility, life and continuity in ancient times. As a pair of seals, it is seen that fish figures have human=like facial features such as eyebrows and eyes. It is also clearly understood that the figures stylised with the inscription “zodiac sign” between the two fish in the talisman seal No. 14 are a pair of fish in the Zodiac belt. It is thought that the figures of fish as a couple were probably made in the seals for the solution of a problem in sexuality, reproductive infertility or a problem in marriage between couples. Talisman seals at that time were equipped with content that gives strength and strength to those who believe in people and use them against their spiritual problems or worldly desires, protects them from evil eyes and provides psychological support to people. The works they produce by trying to benefit from their positive effects or to meet the expectations they write, draw or actually hide from others are works that contain extremely valuable knowledge and cultural accumulation in terms of reflecting the tradition of the period, the economic power of the society, the materials used, the quality of the workmanship and the content of the texts written on them, a rich unity in terms of art, literature and sociology. Ottoman talisman seals are richer and at the same time more mysterious than objects such as healing bowls and talisman shirts. There is also the possibility that the seals may have been produced for negative content, as the content written in endowments is more esoteric. Due to the fact that the Ottoman talisman seals have different texts and examples that do not specify the reason for their construction, the issues of what the desire or expectation is in the seals are many and varied, and there are still unknowns in this regard.
