The guests learned about the history and activities of the University Library and viewed rare and valuable editions in Turkish.
Dr. Selçuk Aydın from the Library Diplomacy and Projects Department at Istanbul University presented a lecture on library diplomacy as a new tool for cultural diplomacy. Prof. Alpaslan Hamdi Kuzujoglu spoke about Istanbul Medeniyet University and presented its activities for the preservation of cultural heritage.
The director of the Istanbul University Library, Sonay Tahmaz Kaledzhi, gifted the University Library with a facsimile edition of a manuscript created in Istanbul in 1566. “Divan-i Muhibbi” contains poems by Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent (1520-1566) and is richly illustrated with floral elements, gold and silver decorations, created by the prominent artist Kara Memi.
The manuscript, considered one of the most interesting Ottoman literary works of the sixteenth century, was transferred from the Topkapı Palace Library to the Yıldız Palace Library, and then, by order of Kemal Atatürk, it was transferred to the library of Istanbul University, where it is currently kept. The facsimile edition was printed in 2016.
