Significance of paratext: Süheyl Ünver's Yazma Kitap Kılavuzu (a guide to Islamic manuscripts) and his suggestions on cataloging Islamic manuscripts [Zarfın ehemmiyeti: Süheyl Ünver'in Yazma Kitap Kılavuzu adlı eseri ve yazmaların kataloglanmasına dair önerileri]

Official URL: https://dx.doi.org/10.54462/kadim.1256661

During his visits to the Istanbul Manuscript libraries, Süheyl Ünver (1898-1986) recorded interesting details on small cards and classified them as subject-based files. One of the most outstanding works he created during these sessions in libraries is Yazma Kitap Kılavuzu (A Guide to Islamic Manuscripts). The work is in Süleymaniye Library with call number Süheyl Ünver Dosya 151. In this work, the points he indicates and suggests to be recorded in catalog entries reflect his novel approach to Islamic manuscripts. His examination of the relationship between text and paratext (tr. zarf-mazrūf) elements regarding manuscripts demonstrates his innovative perspective on the “zarf” concept. This article highlights Ünver's claim for defining the paratext (zarf) concept as a new field of scholarship, focusing on how to apply modern terminology to paratextual elements and which elements are termed “zarf”. Accordingly, it scrutinized Ünver's views on the theory of cataloging. Considering Ünver's other works, the article asserts that "Yazma Kitap Kılavuzu" is one of the earliest works discussing the paratext in modern studies. Within this framework, the article systematically presents relevant sections of the work and exemplifies the “zarf” concept.