Manuscript is a cumulative information tool that is embodied in the triangle of author or müellif, copyist or müstensih and the reader, in other words, its main element is the text, but it also contains elements other than the main text. As these elements travel through centuries and geographies, they become enriched with new inputs. One of the elements of manuscripts is copying records. In addition to providing the reader with the imprint information of the book and the copy, copying records also contain external information that will shed light on and be a source of social and cultural life.

Although not as titillating as Alaattin's magic lamp but not too far from it either, manuscripts have a side that surprises, excites and invites people to mystery. In the manuscripts, apart from the author's text, there are many elements dating back centuries, such as fevâid records and external records (records regarding humans, nature and copies in general). Thanks to these elements, various informations about people, time and place are preserved among the copies for centuries. It is possible to witness any snapshot of life between life and death on any leaf of any copy. Systematic and patient studies on the copies outside the text will help open the door to this promising world and fill the gap left by primary sources in historiography.

With the kind permission of Dr. Sami Arslan, Director of FSM Center for Manuscript Studies: “Hâlet-i Rûhiyyenin Aynası Olarak İstinsah Kayıtları: Rodos’ta Bir Sürgünün Gizli Feryadı”. Divan: Disiplinlerarası Çalışmalar Dergisi 24, sy. 46 (Ağustos 2019)