Description

[Tarih-i Tekvin yahut Hilkat/ The History of Creation of the World]

Istanbul: آرتين آصادوريان شركت مرتبيه مطبعه سى [Artın Asaduryan Şirket-i Mürettibiye Matbaası] 1310 [1894]

[together with:]

اساس علم هيئت

[Esas-i ilm-i heyet / The Basis of Astronomy]

Istanbul: استچان مطبعه سى [Astacan Matbaası] 1311 [1895]

Two Ottoman scientific books. The History of the Creation of the World and the Basis of Astronomy, which was the first printed science book in Ottoman language on the subject, were published in Istanbul in the late 19^th century.

Hoxhë Hasan Tahsini

Hoxha Tahsin or Hoxhë Hasan Tahsini is one of the most prominent scientists of the late Ottoman Empire. He served as the first rector of the Istanbul University from 1870 and was one of the founders of the Central Committee for Defending Albanian Rights.

He was born in Ninat, Konispol, in today’s Albania to a prominent family. He moved to Paris, where he studied mathematics and natural sciences at the Sorbonne, worked as a tutor of Turkish and science at the Ottoman School and as imam at the Ottoman Embassy. Hoxha Tahsin returned to Istanbul in 1869 and became the first rector of the newly established university there two years later.

According to the contemporary sources Hoxha Tahsin was the most educated man of his time in the Ottoman Empire. His introduction of the modern Western science to the students at the university often met a strong opposition from the religious leaders and he was accused of the witchcraft.

Hoxha Tahsin was also one of the founding members of the Central Committee for Defending Albanian Rights and helped developing a unique alphabet for the Albanian language.

Tahsin’s today most influential works were published from his manuscripts after his death: Psikoloji yahut Ilm-i Ruh (The Psychology, 1310/1894), where the word psychology is first mentioned in the Ottoman language, Esas-i ilm-i hey’ et (Cosmography, 1311/1895), which was the first printed popular science book in Turkic language, Tarih-i Tekvin yahut Hilkat (The History of Creation of the World, Istanbul 1310/1894) and Esrar-i Ab-i Hava (The Secrets of the Water and Air, 1309/1893).

References: Hasan Kaleshi, Tahsin, Hasan, in: Biographisches Lexikon zur Geschichte Südosteuropas. Bd. 4. Hgg. Mathias Bernath / Karl Nehring. München 1981, S. 266-268 [Onlineausgabe]; URL: https://www.biolex.ios-regensburg.de/BioLexViewview.php?ID=1743. OCLC: 777710648 & 1030749645. OCLC 828891111, 49366340, 949500598.