Şam Evrakı Koleksiyonu'nun Teşekkül Ettiği Kadim Bir Arşiv: Kubbetü'l-Hazne ve Tarihi

The Damascus Documents in the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts is a collection of manuscripts that were transferred from Damascus to Istanbul in the early 20th century. In addition to Qur’anic manuscripts, this manuscript collection involves different types and languages, including manuscripts on the Islamic sciences, texts from other religions, official documents, anddocuments related to social life, and is of great importance for manuscript research, especially for the study of maṣāḥif [collection of sheets/copy of Qu’ran]. How this collection was formed can be revealed by elucidating upon the history of the building in which it had been preserved. Qubbat al-Khazna in the courtyard of the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus is a sheltered structure that has been used for different functions throughout history and in which a large collection of manuscripts has accumulated. Understanding the history of this building, as whether it was just a modern library, a giant archive, or just a warehouse remains unclear, will be essential for revealing the exact nature of the Damascus Documents. This article deals with the building known as Qubbat al-Khazna and the manuscript collection contained within. The research aims to reveal the chronological history of the Qubbat al-Khazna corpus and is based on Ottoman archival documents and written literature on the history of the Qubbat al-Khazna, as well as own personal research on the Collection of Damascus Documents. As a result, this article illuminates the story of the Qubbat al-Khazna, from which the Damascus Documents Collection had been formed, from its early years to the present day, and also reveals the actions Ottomans took to protect this collection. This study on the history of a manuscript collection that is considered cultural heritage has multifaceted importance in that it contributes to the research on manuscript culture and sheds light on the sociopolitical relations of the period.