Paris hosts exhibition on 16th century Ottoman genius Nasuh

PARIS – Anadolu Agency

Turkish Culture Minister Nabi Avcı inaugurated an exhibition on Ottoman scholar and intellectual Matrakçı Nasuh at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris on Oct. 27. 

“Nasuh was a famous 16th-century Ottoman philosopher, mathematician and historian. At the same time, he was an important scientist and an artist who came of age to be known as an athlete, poet, artist, painter, calligraphist and a miniaturist,” Avcı said at the opening ceremony.      
 
UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova was also present at the ceremony.

The exhibition, titled “Matrakçı Nasuh: A 16th Century Genius,” opened in Paris after it was showcased in Sarajevo, Belgrade, Istanbul, Vienna and Tokyo to mark Nasuh’s 450th death anniversary.
       
Nasuh (1480-1564) was an accomplished miniaturist. He depicted events realistically but stayed loyal to Islamic art conventions. His most famous works are a cityscape of Istanbul and volumes representing Sultan Süleyman I’s 1535-36 campaign in Iraq and Iran.        

The exhibition in Paris will run until Nov. 10 and will be displayed next in Washington in December.  
      
In 2013, UNESCO included Matrakçı Nasuh in its “remembrance and celebration anniversaries” agenda to mark the 460th year of his death.