The scriptorium in Foča in XVI th century

Abstract

Some people in Bosnia were professional transcribers. Sometimes they collectively copeid old books, by copying different parts of a book separately and after the copying was finished the separated parts of the book were binded into one book. Such organized collective work was in practice in Foča, an important cultural centre in the 16 th century Bosnia. A manuscript dealing with the Islamic law under the title »Sadr aš-Šarí'a, a commentary to the work al-Wiqaya, gives evidence that in Foča there was a group of benefactors who subsidized the book copying. The benefactors hired a group of copyists, each of them had to copy determined part of a book for a benefactor. Each of the benefactors gave his contribution (vakuf) for the completed book. On the above mentioned manuscript worked 25 learned men. Among them there were some benefactors. The copies were corrected, the chief corrector was the dilligent professor (muderis) Šaban efendija Nevesinjac, a distinguished person in the field of science and culture in Bosnia of that time. This manuscript was finished in Foča 996 A. H. (1587 A. D.)