Türkiye Yazma Eserler Kurumu Başkanlığı TÜYEK (Presidency of Turkish Manuscript Institutions)

History and Founding

Türkiye Yazma Eserler Kurumu Başkanlığı (TÜYEK), the Presidency of Turkish Manuscript Institutions, was established by Law No. 6093 enacted on December 28, 2010, and began operations in May 2011. The institution is headquartered in the Fatih district of Istanbul and is affiliated with Turkey's Ministry of Culture and Tourism. It was created to take over the management of specialized manuscript libraries that had previously operated under different government structures, and to consolidate the cataloging, preservation, conservation, restoration, and digitization of Turkey's written cultural heritage.

Collections and Holdings

TÜYEK oversees a network of 26 manuscript libraries organized under three regional directorates (Istanbul, Ankara, and Konya), including the Süleymaniye and Beyazıt manuscript libraries in Istanbul. The institution is responsible for the custody of hundreds of thousands of manuscripts in Ottoman Turkish, Arabic, and Persian, spanning religious texts, scientific treatises, literary works, historical chronicles, and illustrated manuscripts with miniatures. The portal at portal.yek.gov.tr provides an online gateway to the institution's digital holdings and catalog.

Notable Materials

TÜYEK has undertaken major digitization projects, including the complete digitization and cataloging of the Fuat Sezgin and Ursula Sezgin Science History Library manuscript collection, made available on the anniversary of Fuat Sezgin's death in 2025. The institution produces scholarly publications on manuscripts, organizes national and international symposia, and offers certified training programs in traditional Ottoman crafts such as calligraphy (hat), illumination (tezhip), marbling (ebru), and bookbinding (ciltçilik).

Access and Usage

Researchers can access the digital portal at portal.yek.gov.tr, which requires account registration for full digital access to manuscripts. Physical consultation is available at member libraries during opening hours. The institution serves both Turkish and international scholars working with Ottoman and Islamic manuscript traditions.