Matrakçı Nasuh show debuts in Maryland

WASHINGTON - Anadolu Agency

An exhibition titled “16th Century Genius Matrakçı Nasuh” recently opened at the museum in the Turkish Directorate of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) Center in Washington, focusing on the life and work of the Ottoman polymath.

The exhibition is being jointly hosted by Turkey’s U.S. Embassy and the Diyanet.

“Matrakçı Nasuh is an important person who left a great mark on our history. I am glad to be here today,” said Turkish Ambassador to the U.S. Serdar Kılıç at the opening ceremony.

“We are talking about a genius who was a polymath, mathematician, teacher, historian, geographer, cartographer, sword master, navigator, inventor, painter, farmer and miniaturist,” Kılıç added.

The exhibition was previously held in Sarajevo, Belgrade, Istanbul, Antalya, Vienna, Austria, Tokyo, Japan, Paris, France and Rome.

It will be showcased at the National Museum of Hungary in Budapest (Magyar Nemzeti Museum) as its final stop, following Washington, from Nov. 22 to Dec. 28.

The exhibition in the U.S. can be visited until Oct. 13.

Nasuh was a famous Ottoman polymath, writer and knight who produced important books in several fields, making contributions in the fields of mathematics, geography, history and calligraphy. He also invented a military lawn game called “Matrak,” a kind of animation
of battle.

Nasuh was also a skilled illuminator and painter, taking part in several expeditions and sketching the outlines of townscape paintings from life.