Or 14353

This manuscript is part of Dimitrie Cantemir’s (26 October 1673-21 August 1723 CE) treatise on classical Islamic music. Cantemir was a historian, philosopher, and writer, and is referred to in Turkish sources as Kantemiroğlu. Alongside his political activities and his scholarship, Cantemir gained renown as a theorist of Turkish music. He was an expert in playing the tanbur and composed musical pieces in the Turkish tradition.

Cantemir penned his Kitabu İlmi’l-musiki ala vechi’l-hurufat (‘The book of the science of music according to the alphabetical notation’) in 1703–4 CE, dedicating it to Sultan Ahmet III. The work is known in Turkey as Kantemiroğlu edvarı (‘Cantemir’s book of the rules of music’).

The part of Cantemir's treatise in the present manuscript concerns the makamlar (makamat), or modes. Cantemir gives his own classification and description of the makamat, under seven categories. However, he also gives some account of a number of earlier authorities' classifications.

Cantemir classes the makamat as follows:

• 1. Makamat of nerm (‘low, bass’) perdeler.
• 2. Those of tez (‘high, treble’) perdeler.
• 3. Those of perdeler ranging from nerm to tez. 4. Those ranging from tez to nerm.
• 5. Compound makamat.
• 6. A makam known by name only.
• 7. Terkibat (compounds) employed as makamat.

The manuscript features gold text frames on ff 2v-3r (text frames are otherwise in red). 2v carries a small illumination with arabesque in gold and red. The colophon is on f 41r, and mentions the date of copying as 1233 AH/1817-18 CE. The work was probably copied in Istanbul.