Sami Efendi (, Modern Turkish: ''Hattat Mehmet Sâmi Efendi'') (1858-1912), was an Ottoman

calligrapher Calligraphy () is a visual art related to writing. It is the design and execution of lettering with a pen, ink brush, or other writing instruments. Contemporary calligraphic practice can be defined as "the art of giving form to signs in an exp ...

Life and work

He was born Mehmed Sami on 13 March 1838 in Haydarhâne district of Fatih in Istanbul. His father was Mehmed Efendi, an official of the Quilt-makers Guild and his mother was Nefise Hanim. He studied calligraphy with Kibriszade Ismail Hakki Efendi and Haydar Bey (182-1870). He was also student of Sheikh Sadik Efendi, who had learned his art in 19th-century Bukhara and his students, including Sami, helped to carry it into the 20th-century. He was inspired by the work of Mustafa Raq'im (1757 - 1826) He also learned the art of paper making and the art of marbling paper by studying with Edhem Efendi. His personal style was most evident with ''Celî''. These plates were generally written on black paper with yellow colored ink, or sometimes with gold. Sami designed the most attractive designs for vowell signs, refined many aids to reading and also developed the ''tezînyat'' (decorations) and numbers. These techniques are still in use in modern calligraphy. The

Tughra A tughra (; ) is a calligraphy, calligraphic monogram, Seal (emblem), seal or signature of a sultan that was affixed to all official documents and correspondence. Inspired by the Tamga, tamgha, it was also carved on his seal and stamped on the co ...

(monogram) found its "definitive shape" with Sami Efendi during the era of

Abdulhamid II Abdulhamid II or Abdul Hamid II (; ; 21 September 184210 February 1918) was the 34th sultan of the Ottoman Empire, from 1876 to 1909, and the last sultan to exert effective control over the fracturing state. He oversaw a Decline and modernizati ...

. For many years, he taught at the Topkapi Palace. His students included many calligraphers who went on to have notable careers including: Nazif Bey, Huhiso Efendi, Puza Efendi, Okyay Necmeddin and Kâmil Akdik. Following the proclamation of the Constitutional monarchy, he retired. He was paralyzed in his final years and died 1 July 1912. He was buried in the Hazrat Mosque Mosque. His former student, Hacı Kâmil Efendi (Akdik) wrote his epigraph with celî sülüs.Uğur Derman, M., "Sami Eendi, İsmâil Hakkı", '' iographical Notes ''Islam Encyclopedia,'
Online (in Turkish):
Note that Bloom and Blair state that he was buried in the Cemetery of the Fatih Mosque, ''Grove Encyclopedia of Islamic Art and Architecture, OUP, 2009, vol. 3, p. 180 His work adorns fountains, mosques and gravestones in Istanbul.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sami Efendi Culture of the Ottoman Empire Calligraphers from the Ottoman Empire 19th-century births 1912 deaths 19th-century artists from the Ottoman Empire 20th-century artists from the Ottoman Empire Burials at Fatih Mosque Graveyard, Istanbul

Life and work

See also

References