Libya in the Ottoman Archive Documents

Dedicated to Libya under IRCICA’s series on the “History of Muslim countries as in the Ottoman archive documents”, this publication will valuably assist the researchers concerned whose working language is Arabic. It contains the translations and image-copies of 683 original official documents of varying lengths selected by the author, Dr. Fazıl Bayat, from the funds of the Ottoman Archive in Istanbul (attached to the Presidency of Türkiye) on the basis of their subjects, purposes and relevance for history studies. These documents dating from different centuries are rare first-hand sources, highly demanded by historians.

The book begins with the Foreword of IRCICA Director General Prof. Mahmud Erol Kılıç explaining the aims and importance of IRCICA’s research program resulting in this series of books on the history of different countries of the Arab world and the Muslim world in general as reflected in the documentation of Ottoman governance, development policies and local administrations. This is followed by the author’s Presentation of the book where he gives information on the documentary funds contained in the Archive and describes the research method, selection criteria, and principles of classification observed in the study. These are followed by Dr. Bayat’s 16-page outline of the history of Libya during the centuries of Ottoman rule based on primary and secondary sources, an indispensable background on the subjects of the documents transmitted. The latter are arranged in thematic and/or chronological sequences under 13 chapters. The list of contents at the beginning of each volume is user-friendly with its clear description of the subject of each document. A 10-page section of historical maps at the end of Vol. I and a comprehensive compound index at the end of Vol. II complete the work.

IRCICA gives importance to facilitating worldwide accesses to primary sources on the history of Muslim countries by publishing their printed or digital editions with studies and translations. Future editions are planned, to focus on the history of different countries.