Abstract
Nakkas Nigari’s Heroic Poem (Gazavatname) in Praise of Admiral Sinan Pasha
Nigari, or Haydar Reis, was a significant painter of miniatures in the XVIth century, known primarily for his portraits of Sultan Selim II and Barbarossa which brought influences from Western-style portraiture to the Ottoman tradition of miniature painting. In addition, Nigari was a long-serving commander in the Ottoman navy, fighting in many sea battles and proving his usefulness as a military leader. Moreover, Nigari was a poet, and, while some of his shorter poetry can be seen beneath his paintings, his major literary work is the heroic poem in praise of Admiral Sinan Pasha, “Kaptan-ı Derya Sinan Paşa Gazavatnamesi”. In this book of poetry, Nigari tells of the naval battles that occurred under Admiral Sinan Pasha which he witnessed personally. Although this manuscript has long been known about, no study has been conducted on it specifically until now. In this paper, we will first outline Nigari’s life, style and major works before exploring his literary style through the heroic poem in praise of Admiral Sinan Pasha.
Keywords
Nigari, Haydar Reis, Ottoman miniature painting, gazavatname, Sinan Pasha.