GLOBES OF SALIH SIDKI HADŽIHUSEJNOVIĆ MUWAQQIT

During their rich history, Muslims of Bosnia and Herzegovina have studied both the traditional and the exact sciences, particularly mathematics, physics, geography and astronomy. Since their religious duties and holidays (daily prayers, fasting, hajj, Eid etc.) are associated to accurately defined times, knowledge of the listed sciences allowed them timely performance of their religious, as well as social obligations. Application of the acquired knowledge was made easier by use of devices and aids such as globes, spheres, astrolabes, quadrants (rub'tahtas), sextants, sundials and clocks.

In the mid-19th century Bosnia and Herzegovina saw the establishment of the first official astronomical institutions, muvakkithanes, where accurate time was determined and the calendars drawn up. The first muvakkithane in Sarajevo was founded next to the Imperial Mosque in 1854, and five years later, in the courtyard of the Gazi Husrev-bey Mosque, the second muvakkithane was established.

Besides various astronomical instruments, staff of muvakkithanes used globes, which were hand-made. Gazi Husrev-bey Library in Sarajevo holds two hand-made globes, works of Salih Sidki Hadžihusejnović, also known as Muwaqqit, who worked in Gazi Husrev-bey muvakkithane, upon its establishment in 1859, for as long as 30 years.

He was born in 1825, and upon completing the maktab attended the Đumišić (Drvenija) madrasa in Sarajevo. He began service as the imam, and later on devoted himself to astronomy and history. From 1864, he was also a librarian in Gazi Husrev-bey Library, where he made the first list of its books and manuscripts holdings.

Judging by the seals which are imprinted on both globes, he made the first one in 1861 and the second one, the stand of which has also been preserved, in 1881. Sources have recorded that, besides the two globes, Muwaqqit also made a hemisphere with identified stars which could be seen from Sarajevo. Unfortunately, the hemisphere has not been preserved.

According to his son Akif, Muwaqqit made the globes in the following way: “He would cut a mukava (thick candle coated with cardboard) like watermelon slices, tape it up and make two halves. He would join the halves and put a spindle through the middle. He would then take a white paint and color his work every morning. He would put the ball on a chest; I would turn it and he would smooth and embellish it. When it was done, he began to draw on it.”

All writings on the globes were made in black and red ink. Bigger letters were used for names of continents, oceans, countries, the North and the South Pole, while other toponyms were written in smaller letters. Borders of countries were not drawn, and the hydrographic network was only poorly marked. Antarctica was not drawn on the globes, since it had not been discovered at the time when the globes were made. Under the influence of Arabic toponymy, where every toponym was always accompanied with its geographic description (e.g. ğabal mountain), Muwaqqit also sometimes used descriptions of geographic toponyms (e.g. baḥr sea), though he was often inconsistent in doing so.

Besides his successful involvement in astronomy, Muwaqqit also expressed interest in history and poetry. His most important work is Tārīẖ-i Bosna, where he presented an overview of the history of Bosnia under Ottoman rule. Muwaqqit's History of Bosnia has been published in Bosnian translation, in two volumes, and has been translated by Abdulah Polimac, Lamija Hadžiosmanović, Fehim Nametak and Salih Trako.

He also tried his hand in poetry, and two of his chronograms are known as of today: one written on the occasion of building the muvakkithane by the Bey Mosque in 1276 Hijri year/1859 A.D., and the other one on the occasion of death of Bosnian vali Topal Osman-pasha, in 1291 Hijri year/1874A.D.

This outstanding cultural worker died in Sarajevo on 12 March 1888 and was buried in the cemetery of the Vinograd Mosque, where his tombstones can still be seen.

References

• Mehmedović, Ahmed, Leksikon bošnjačke uleme, Gazi Husrev-bey Library in Sarajevo, Sarajevo, 2018, pp. 205-206.

• Mulaomerović, Jasminko, Sikirić, Edina, „Globusi Zemlje Saliha Hadžihusejnovića Muvekita“, Prilozi za orijentalnu filologiju, 44-45/1994-95, Sarajevo, 1996, 391-403.

• Mulaomerović, Jasminko, „Muvekkithane, muvekkiti i mjerenje vremena“, Anali GHB, vol. XV-XVI, 1990, pp. 268-281.