İbrahim MÜTEFERRIKA 1674-1747

He is a pressman, publisher, author, and translator. He was the first person to establish a printing house in the Ottoman Empire and publish a book.

İbrahim Müferrika, one of the first names that come to mind when it comes to printing, was born in 1674 in Kolojvar, Hungary.

His name before he became a Muslim is unknown. In 1692, he was captured by the Ottomans in the wars after the Second Siege of Vienna (Battle of Vienna). He was brought to İstanbul as a prisoner, where he converted to Islam. He learned the laws and methods of the Ottoman Empire in a short time and rose rapidly and worked as a müteferrika. During the expedition to Austria in 1715, he served the state in communications.

İbrahim Müferrika was fluent in Latin, Hungarian, Arabic and Persian. For this reason, he was involved in delegations that communicated with foreign states. His official duties included diplomat, host, translator, müteferrika and hacegân. During his studies in Hungary, he learned printing. When he returned to İstanbul, he established a printing house. İbrahim Müferrika published 17 different books throughout his life in the printing house he founded. In 1743 he went to Dagestan to carry out an appointment order. After returning from this journey, he was appointed historian of the Divan-ı Hümayun and left this position on November 7, 1745.

İbrahim Müferrika died in 1747. His body was first buried in Aynalıkavak Cemetery.

Later, in 1942, it was taken from there and transferred to the Galata Mevlevihanesi.