Abstract:

Manuscripts, which bare the role of firsthand source to obtain data pertaining to our literary and cultural history, contribute considerable assistance by the different data they are transferring to various fields in daily life. On the dusty shelves of the libraries, these works, which undertake the mission of transmitting culture from one generation to another, have indespensable value for those who are eager to carry out research on the branch of science/instructions such as religion, history or philosophy all of which are virtually of the same age with humanity. Yet, manuscripts which have the value of a literary work not only ensure cultural accumulation of societies, but also theydo provide information on societies’languages and forming their identities. In this respect, one of the significant charecteristics of the manuscripts deal with is that they include texts having the language peculiarities of Eastern and Western Turkish(Cagatay, Azeri,Ottoman Turkish) which were ramified in the historical process of Turkish language. Manuscripts are made up of various folk tales, which take place in the era of venerated the Prophet and Ali, generally embelished with religious motifs. In terms of formal features, they are made up of works both in verse and in prose. In the first part of this study,which is carried out about the Turkish Manuscripts that are in Baku Manuscript Institution, only the works of folk literature are introduced. In this study,an inventory of the Turkish Manuscripts in the library is prepared and data of their identity are given; therefore,it is embarked on a method to render a general assessment of the manuscripts

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