The History, Sources and Literature of the 'Sheikh'ul-Islam' Office
This study provides a description of the following concepts: the establishment and the development of the office of Şeyhülislam, the Ottoman learned class (ilmiye), ilmiye dignitaries, the mufti of Istanbul and kenar mufti, the function of the Şeyhülislam residences and sahilhanes in traditional order, the allotment of a permanent residence for Şeyhülislam as a necessity of specialization and institutionalization, gathering all departments related to Islamic law and religious establishment under the charge of Şeyhülislam, and later the revision of duties of the traditional institutions of the ilmiye establishment as well as the inauguration of the new council and its departments. Following the history of the office of Şeyhülislam, detailed information is provided on the archives, archive catalogs, defter series and biographical works, which constitute the main sources for the study of the office of Şeyhülislam. At the end, a bibliography consisting of books, theses and articles related to the concept of Şeyhülislam is prepared considering the impossibility of citing all sources on the ilmiye.
İLHAMİ YURDAKUL
