The Our First Turkish Treatise on Practical Geometry, Risale-i Misâha

Abstract

ABSTRACT

As a result of the studies on the history of science in Islamic civilization, the science culture that this civilization formed between the IX. and XII. centuries was revealed in every aspect. According to the results, scientif- ic studies in Islamic civilization started with practical purposes related to worship, and the theoretical structure of science was not abandoned in these studies. Applied geometry, which is a branch of mathemati- cal sciences, is one of the most important sciences that are put forward with theoretical foundations while serving practical purposes in Islamic civilization. Misâha, which is the name of applied geometry in Islamic civilization, is a science that is used in many fields from land surveying to the construction and decoration of architectural structures.

The science of mesaha became a popular science and a literature about this science was created in the Ottomans, who took over the scientific heritage of Islamic civilization. When the literature mentioned is examined, it is seen that the language of the works written especially in the Ottoman classical period is Arabic, but it is rarely possible to come across works written in Turkish. Here in this study, the piece named Risale-i Misâha, which was written in the borders of Ottoman Empire and is also said to possibly be the first work on the science of surveying in Turkish, will be analyzed. Following the introduction part, the science of surveying will be briefly introduced in the introduction section of our study consisting of two parts, followed by the first section. In the first section, general information on the accumulation of surveying from the Islamic Civilization to the classical period of the Ottoman Empire will be given; and following this information, the content of Risale-i Misâha will be stated and an evaluation regarding the place of the work in Ottoman surveying literature will be made. The content of the Risale-i Misâha will be presented in the most general form first through the introduction of the work and then by explaining the parts of the work. In our study, the chapters of Risale-i Misâha will be expressed in terms of content and quality, and in the related chapter, problems of mathematical importance, if any, and solutions of these problems will be shared with their adapted state. For the solution of the problems included in our study, the drawings given in the work will take place in the computerized form adhering to the work, and the solutions of the related problems will be explained through these drawings. In the evaluation section, an explanation will be given regarding the place of Risale-i Misâha in the Ottoman mesaha literature. And in the second part of our study, a simple transliteration of Risale-i Misâha from Arabic letters to Latin letters will be given.