357

ACQUISITIONS OF 1970-9 (Or. 12.583, cont.)

these letters had not reached him there because of the war. ‘I hope your family and wife are well.’ It had finally been the Germans who, against the odds of an alliance of enemies, had awoken the Muslims. ‘May God grant you victory in the battle, Amen.’ Nasrullah had gone to the German consulate with a request that he be sent to the German Army as a volunteer, but they, regrettably, did not accept him. He asked Taeschner to send him the latest ‘war panoramas’ published in Germany and newspapers with them like the Illustration. His address was Bayezfd Sokagi No. 51. 7. 10 February 1915. A folded sheet, two pages. Sender received Taeschner’s letter of 21 January 1915 from Hamburg. ‘I got news from our friend Kurt that you were in Hamburg.’ He thanked Taeschner for the copies of Die Woche and Der Gross Zeit [sic]. Sender had informed him that he had to join the army soon. ‘You will of course write me from it, won’t you?’ The other person on the photograph he had sent him was an efendi who is his friend. Nasrullah is sure that the Central Powers will be victorious and expresses his hope that they will see each other after the victory. 8. 20 July [1]924. A folded sheet, two pages (see plate). Sender replies to a letter from Taeschner dated 4 July. The last time they had seen each other had been during the First World War, but eventually their contact had been broken off. What disaster had struck Taeschner! May his sufferings be soon overcome. Sender congratulates Taeschner on his appointment at Münster. He, Taeschner, had written that he would soon come to Istanbul and sender expresses his hope that they would meet see each other again many times and make some tours. It will be easy to have photographs taken. Greeting from his father, Nasullah Efendi. II. Five letters from Kilisli Mu‘allim Ri‘fat [Bilge, 1873-1953], professor of Arabic at Istanbul University and editor of Evliya Qelebi’s Seydhat-nüme, Vols 7-8 (1928) 9. 25 November 1928. A folded sheet of paper, one page (see plate). Sender thanks Taeschner for his letter and sends him twenty quires of the eighth volume of Evliya Celebi’s Seyahat-name which had just been printed. For the publication of the ninth volume he refers Taeschner to Köprülüzade Fu’ad Bey. The latter greatly liked and respected Taeschner. He asks Taeschner to list his, Rifat’s, publications and research projects in his article on Evliya Qelebi (followed by a list of fifteen items). [Although Taeschner mentioned Rifat’s involvement in the publication of the series, he did not adopt the suggested details, cf. ‘Die neue