The Libraries in the Ottoman State

Abstract

Libraries, from past to present, have played a vital role in the process of developing, preserving and passing down culture by providing the information that the society, in which they have a place, have needed. Libraries, at the same time, are the institutions which are a part of the society and reflect the features of the society. With these aspects, libraries have an important position in the lives of societies and states both historically and culturally. In this study, libraries established in the Ottoman Empire from its foundation to collapse have been handled within a historical scope in general terms. In addition, in this study, both the effects of Ottoman library tradition upon political, social and cultural lives and the effects of the changes in the political, social and cultural lives in the Ottoman Empire on the libraries have been analyzed. Within the scope of the study, a general evaluation has been held in the area of library types ranging from the Waqf Libraries to Turkish Hearths Libraries established in Ottoman Empire.