KATIP CELEBI               

       There are some people in history who were a treasure of knowledge. Former people called these "hezarfen" or "library with feet". Some of them take their knowledge with them when they pass away, and get forgotten in a short time. Some of them register their name with immortals notebook with their thoughts and knowledge. Katip Çelebi, one of these immortal people, has a distinguished place among them, as a great Turkish scholar who wrote famous books on history, geography, administrative law, finance and seamanship in 17th century.

 

       The real name of Katip Celebi is Mustafa. Since he was called as Katip Çelebi or Hadji Halife in his period, his real name was forgotten. His nickname "Katip Celebi", meaning a gentleman living in his own world only reading and writing, survived only. The Westerners know him as "Haci Kalfa".

 

       Katip Celebi was born in Istanbul in 1609. His father is Abdullah Effendi, who served a duty linked to "Silahdar group" of Ottoman palace. Old father spent much efforts to bring this bright intelligence who asked, sought and examined everything, up in the best way possible. He sent him to the most well-known scholars of his age. Mustafa was taught religious sciences by some of them, and Arabic and Persian from others. He got interested in Latin and French not being content with these. He studies mathematics, history, geography, before anyone who knows.

 

       A thin youth about twenty four years old with clerk cap was strolling around in Aleppo bazaars. He was going to go to pilgrimage, but he had much things to conclude first. He was a student of science, that is a mollah in school. He was learning science. Well, he was a clerk of Janissaries indeed, but this was to earn a living. He did not have time enough to go to all villages and towns and collect his winter provisions in one month, Ramadan. He really wanted science.

 

       This was why he spent his limited money on books. Aleppo bazaar tradesmen had known this young boy. They knew they would sell none of their handwritten books for its real price when they said "again he comes". Çelebi Mustafa sometimes hired these books to read in one night. He really read great volumes in one night... His expenditure was only a candle he bought for two silver coins. His will and hardworking for learning science left no profit desire in the tradesmen.

 

       When Mollah Mustafa turned back to Aleppo School, he sometimes had many books with him. He kneed and lighted his candle by the window, took his pen out, and started to take notes on papers sizzling his reed pen: "Hadikatü's-Süeda... eser-i merhum Fuzuli Muhammad Efendi... Karbala event and story of Hasan-Huseyin and events about Prophet Mohammed", and then the clerk preparing the copy of the book page by page.

 

       Mollah Mustafa was writing all of those himself one by one. In 1633, he returned to Istanbul when he was 24. He devoted himself to reading and learning completely. He said he was only thus being able to provide an equilibrium in his life. His whole work was to read, write and learn.

 

      He strolled all old booksellers of Istanbul and gave all his money for books, and recorded into his notebook those he could not buy. He found and read all books he have heard of. Thus, he introduced many important books which are thought to be lost or not known.

 

       The new booksellers who newly have known and loved him:
      "Mollah, these are written by whoever wrote them, so why do you record them again?". Or other mollahs in the same school bantered: "Janissary clerk? What is that you do with books? You buy none of them, do not possess, you write and write... You steal other's knowledge. Is your aim to earn a living or are you compiling a book?".

 

       Katip Celebi Effendi, since he was a good-mannered and polite person, only laughed kindly at these barters. He did not take them serious. He knew that science was not in lines, but in your heart. However, because of the impossibility of collecting so many books, since it was natural to forget hundreds and thousands of books, he knew with experience that he should record at least their subjects in a notebook.

 

       As a matter of fact, as notebooks increased, they formed a great volume. Katip Çelebi, who had been running around in Aleppo bazaars, became a caliph on his field. Concerned people even from outside of Ottoman country came and investigated his books.

 

       His big book he formed in the candle light in a stone room of school, Keşfüzzünun, was a unique book summarizing all books on the sciences known until then. So much that the book, reproduced with handwritten copies was considered as one of the most valuable books of Hadji Calip, in other words, Katip Celebi, who is known as Haci Kalfa by Western world. Kesfuzzunun is a unique bibliography listing more than 1450 books on science and giving brief and essential information on them. Kâtip Çelebi's Cihan-nümâ, Fezleke, Tuhfetü'l-Kibâr, Mîzânü'l-Hakk, Düstûru'l-Amel and Takvîmu't-Tevârîh are his heading books.

 

       Those who bartered saying "what are you doing Janissary clerk?" now turned into old cadi people who were obliged to look for the originals the books mentioned in his book and learn their details to advance in science.

 

       Haci Kalfa summarized and translated his books into foreign languages. Thus, he made himself known in all of the world. He was honored to form the first bibliography, book information and list of Turkish history by classifying sciences and summarizing all books on them.

 

       One day, the well-known poet of his period, Sheik of Islam Yahya, said to Katip Çelebi: Çelebi, it is said that you possess more than a thousand history books, is that true? He replied: There should be... Sheik of Islam had a suspicion. The great scholar, being sad because of this, hired ten mules from the bazaar next day. He loaded about five hundred books on these ten mules and sent to sheik of Islam's house. And conveyed the following message to him: The number of those at home is more than those. They can come and see if they wish.

 

       For Katip Celebi, science was a guide and group of facts forming and directing societies and keeping them in existence. Scholars are as valuable as the heart and brain of people. All types of science is useful. Therefore, Katip Çelebi was considered as an encyclopedia mostly...

 

       Previous people call such people forty granaries. They talk about all issues, they know everything. For example, take Katip Çelebi's book named Cihannüma, which is wide-known and translated in various foreign languages. You cannot consider this book as only a world geography. It mentions about everything regarding the countries. History, geography, economy, politics, morals etc...

 

       In his period, many Eastern scholars advocated that the world was flat like a tray and was on the horns of a yellow ox, however he proved that the earth is round and rotates around the sun with convincing information. His such loyalty to positive sciences made the school teachers oppose him, and so, he was disliked by them. The book by Kâtip Çelebi named Mîzânü'l-Hakk interprets various events and concludes within the framework of positive sciences.

 

        His book named Düstûru'l-Amel criticizes the process of affairs of the state and showing the true paths. Tuhfetü'l-Kibâr talks about seamanship, and Dürer-i Münteşire from law.

 

        Katip Celebi died when he was 48 on 6 October 1657 Saturday, in his most productive age. He left more than twenty books behind. These books were to be translated by European scholars into their own languages after some time to be published.

 

        Katip Çelebi attached great importance to history among his books and was able to give historical events completely impartially. His book named Fezleke frequently criticizes bitterly Ottoman sultans and administratively inadequate statesmen.