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The works of Ibn Sina in the Süleymaniye Manuscript Library

Inscribed 2003

What is it

This is the largest collection of manuscript copies, some of them dating back to the 11th century, of the surviving works by Ibn Sina, often known in the West by the Latin name of Avicenna. The manuscripts are unique and some are rendered more precious because of their calligraphic style, illuminations, miniatures, illustrations and bindings.

Why was it inscribed

Ibn Sina, the great physician, scientist and philosopher of Islam during the 11th century made a major contribution to learning and was an important figure in the transfer and mutual contact between Arab and European cultures.

Where is it

Süleymaniye Manuscript Library, Istanbul, Turkey

Ibn Sina (980–1038) was born in Afshana, a village near Bukhara, now in Uzbekistan, and died in Hamadan, now in Iran. He was the most eminent scientist, philosopher, pharmacologist, theorist, poet and politician of his time. He is often known as a physician under the Latin name of Avicenna. He also wrote a large number of books, essays and treatises. Ibn Sina was so famous that he was entitled al-Shaikh al-Rais (‘The Chief Teacher’) by his compatriots or just ‘Shaikh’ by his disciples. His works gradually filtered to Europe where they were received with the same enthusiasm. Al-Qanun Fi’l Tıbb (‘The Canon of Medicine’)is the work that inspired European scholars to call him the Medicorum Principes.

Though there is no dispute about where Ibn Sina was born or where he died, his background is debated. However, according to his own words in Al-Qanun Fi’l Tıbb, it is reasonable to accept him as a Turk from Central Asia. The fact that he wrote mostly in Arabic is due to his desire to abide with the unwritten rule of the era: the language of religion was the language of science since both aimed to be understood universally. Consequently, Latin was used for scholarly works in the Christian World, while Arabic was the common language used by Muslim scholars.

The Süleymaniye Manuscript Library houses perhaps the richest collection of Ibn Sina manuscripts in the world, totalling 263 separate titles (with some multiple copies, reaching a total of nearly 600 volumes). All are manuscripts; some contain illuminations, some have thematic drawings and some have unique gilded bindings. The subjects covered include philosophy, logic, philosophy of religion, mysticism, linguistics, literature, mathematics, physics, chemistry, medicine, politics, geography and astronomy. Most of the works that carry a copy date were written between 1022 and 1728. One of the copies of Al-Shifa (‘The Book of Remedy’) is believed to have the authorization signature of Ibn Sina himself. This collection also includes his correspondence with the world famous philosopher al-Biruni.

Many of his books, especially the medical encyclopedia, Al Qanun Fi’l Tıbb, were translated into Latin and other Western languages. The ‘Canon’ was used between 1400 and 1600 as the main medical text in various medical schools in Europe, and by this route, much classical Greek medical knowledge was reintroduced into Europe, having been lost during the Dark Ages. There are fifty-eight copies of the ‘Canon’ in the collection as well as translations into Ottoman Turkish and Latin. The Latin version carries the date 1510 and includes a picture of a crowned Ibn Sina, between the great Roman and Greek physicians Galen and Hippocrates, which proves the importance given to this great scientist at that time.

A decorated chapter opening of a work by Ibn Sina

The first page of a copy of Al-Qanun

A decorated chapter opening of a work by Ibn Sina;

A gilded binding of an edition of Al-Qanun;

The title page from a copy of Ibn Sina’s Al-Qanun, better known to Renaissance Europe as ‘Avicenna’s Canon’, the great medical textbook;

A decorated page from a copy of Al-Qanun