corpses sliced in two； the clash of opposing armies； the soldiers of the
83
miserable infidels quaking before our cannon； the troops defending the
crenellated towers of besieged castles； rebels being decapitated and the fury of
horses attacking at full gallop。 I mit everything I behold to memory： a new
coffee grinder； a style of window grating that I’ve never seen before； a cannon；
the trigger of a new style of Frankish rifle； who wore what color robe during a
feast； who ate what； who placed his hand where and how…”
“What are the morals of the three stories you’ve told？” asked Black in a
manner that summed everything up and ever so slightly called me to account。
“Alif；” I said。 “The first story with the minaret demonstrates that no matter
how talented a miniaturist might be； it is time that makes a picture ”perfect。“
”Ba；“ the second story with the harem and the library； reveals that the only
way to escape time is through skill and illustrating。 As for the third story； you
proceed to tell me； then。”
“Djim！” said Black confidently； “the third story about the one…hundred…
and…nieen…year…old miniaturist unites ”Alif‘ and “Ba’ to reveal how time
ends for the one who forsakes the perfect life and perfect illuminating； leaving
nothing but death。 Indeed； this is what it demonstrates。”
84
I AM CALLED “OLIVE”
After the midday prayers； I was ever so swiftly yet pleasurably drawing the
darling faces of boys when I heard a knock at the door。 My hand jerked in
surprise。 I put down my brush。 I carefully placed the work…board that was on
my knees off to the side。 Rushing like the wind； I said a prayer before opening
the door。 I won’t withhold anything from you； because you； who can hear me
from within this book； are much nearer to Allah than we in this filthy and
miserable world of ours。 Akbar Khan； the Emperor of Hindustan and the
world’s richest shah； is preparing what will one day bee a legendary book。
To plete his project； he sent word to the four corners of Islamdom inviting
the world’s greatest artists to join him。 The men he’d sent to Istanbul visited
me yesterday； inviting me to Hindustan。 This time； I opened the door to find；
in their place； my childhood acquaintance Black； about whom I’d forgotten
entirely。 Back then he wasn’t able to keep our pany； he was jealous of us。
“Yes？”
He said he’d e to converse； to pay a friendly visit； to have a look at my
illustrations。 I weled him so he might see it all。 I learned he’d just today
visited Head Illuminator Master Osman and kissed his hand。 The great master；
he explained； had given him wise words to ponder： “A painter’s quality
bees evident in his discussions of blindness and memory；” he’d said。 So let
it be evident：
Blindness and Memory
Before the art of illumination there was blackness and afterward there will also
be blackness。 Through our colors； paints； art and love； we remember that Allah
had manded us to “See”！ To know is to remember that you’ve seen。 To see
is to know without remembering。 Thus； painting is remembering the
blackness。 The great masters； who shared a love of painting and perceived that
color and sight arose from darkness； longed to return to Allah’s blackness by
means of color。 Artists without memory neither remember Allah nor his
blackness。 All great masters； in their work； seek that profound void within
color and outside time。 Let me explain to you what it means to remember this
darkness； which was revealed in Herat by the great masters of old。
85
Three Stories on Blindness and Memory
ALIF
In Lami’i Chelebi’s Turkish translation of the Persian poet Jami’s Gifts of
Intimacy； which addresses the stories of the saints； it is written that in the
bookmaker’s workshop of Jihan Shah； the ruler of the Blacksheep nation； the
renowned master Sheikh Ali Tabrizi had illustrated a magnificent version of
Hüsrev and Shirin。 According to what I’ve heard； in this legendary manuscript；
which took eleven years to plete； the master of master miniaturists；
Sheikh Ali； displayed such talent and skill and painted such wonderful pictures
that only the greatest of the old masters； Bihzad； could have matched him。
Even before the illuminated manuscript was half finished； Jihan Shah knew
that he would soon possess a spectacular book without equal in all the world。
He thus lived in fear and jealousy of young Tall Hasan； the ruler of the
Whitesheep nation； and declared him his archenemy。 Moreover； Jihan Shah
quickly sensed that though his prestige would grow immensely after the book
was pleted； an even better version of the manuscript could be made for
Tall Hasan。 Being one of those truly jealous men who poisoned his own
contentment with the thought “What if others e to know such bliss？”
Jihan Shah sensed at once that if the virtuoso miniaturist made another copy；
or even a better version； it would be for his archenemy Tall Hasan。 Thus； in
order to prevent anyone besides himself from owning this magnificent book；
Jihan Shah decided to have the master miniaturist Sheikh Ali killed after he’d
pleted the book。 But a good…hearted Circassian beauty in his harem
advised him that blinding the master miniaturist would suffice。 Jihan Shah
forthwith adopted this clever idea； which he passed on to his circle of
sycophants； until it ultimately reached the ears of Sheikh Ali。 Even so； Sheikh
Ali didn’t leave the book half finished and flee Tabriz as other； mediocre
illustrators might’ve done。 He didn’t resort to games like slowing down the
progress of the manuscript or making inferior illustrations so it wouldn’t be
“perfect” and thereby forestalling his imminent blinding。 Indeed； he worked
with even more ardor and conviction。 In the house where he lived alone； he’d
begin working after the morning prayers and continue illustrating the same
horses； cypresses； lovers； dragons and handsome princes by candlelight in the
middle of the night again and again until bitter tears streamed from his eyes。
Much of the time； he’d gaze for days at an illustration by one of the great old
masters of Herat as he made an exact copy on another sheet。 In the end； he
pleted the book for Jihan Shah the Blacksheep； and as the master
86
miniaturist had expected； he was at first praised and showered with gold
pieces； before being blinded with a sharp plume needle used to affix turban
plumes。 Before his pain had even subsided； Sheikh Ali left Herat and went to
join Tall Hasan the Whitesheep。 “Yes； indeed； I am blind；” he explained to Tall
Hasan； “yet I remember each of the splendors of the manuscript I’ve
illuminated for the last eleven years； down to each mark of the pen and each
stroke of the brush； and my hand can draw it again from memory。 My
Excellency； I could illustrate the greatest manuscript of all time for you。 Since
my eyes will no longer be distracted by the filth of this world； I’ll be able to
depict all the glories of Allah from memory； in their purest form。” Tall Hasan
believed the great master miniaturist； and the master miniaturist； keeping his
promise； illustrated from memory the most magnificent of books for the ruler
of the Whitesheep。 Everyone knew the spiritual power provided by the new
book was what lay behind Tall Hasan’s subsequent defeat of the Blacksheep
and the victorious Khan’s execution of Jihan Shah during a raid near Bing？l。
This magnificent book； along with the one Sheikh Ali Tabrizi made for the late
Jihan Shah； entered Our Sultan’s treasury in Istanbul when the ever…victorious
Tall Hasan was defeated at the Battle of Otlukbeli by Sultan Mehmet Khan the
Conqueror； may he rest in peace。 Those who can truly see； know。
BA
Since the Denizen of Paradise； Sultan Süleyman Khan the Lawgiver； favored
calligraphers over illustrators； unfortunate miniaturists of the day would
recount the present story as an example of how illustrating surpasses
calligraphy。 However； as anyone who pays close attention will realize； this tale
is actually about blindness and memory。 After the death of Tamerlane； Ruler of
the World； his sons and grandchildren set to attacking and mercilessly battling
one another。 In the event that one of them succeeded in conquering another’s
city； his first action was to mint his own coins and have a sermon read at the
mosque。 His second act as victor was to pull apart the books that had e
into his possession； a new dedication would be written； boasting of the
conqueror as the new “ruler of the world；” a new colophon added； and it
would all be bound together again so that those who laid eyes on the
conqueror’s book would believe that he truly was a world ruler。 When
Abdüllatif； the son of Tamerlane’s grandson Ulu？ Bey； captured Herat； he
mobilized his miniaturists； calligraphers and binders with such haste； and so
pressured them to make a book in honor of his father； a connoisseur of book
arts； that as volumes were in the midst of being unbound and the scripted
87
pages destroyed and burned； the corresponding pictures became mixed up。
Since it did not befit the honor of Ulu？ Bey for his son to arrange and bind
albums without a care for which picture belonged to which story； he
assembled all the miniaturists in Herat and requested that they recount the
stories so as to put the illustrations in proper order。 From each miniaturist’s
mouth； however； came a different account； and so the correct order of the
plates was confused all the more。 Thereupon； the oldest surviving head
miniaturist was sought out。 He was a man who’d extinguished the light of his
eyes in painstaking labor on the books of all the shahs and princes who’d
ruled over Herat for the last fifty… four years。 A great motion ensued when
the men realized that the old master now peering at the pictures was indeed
blind。 Some laughed。 The elderly master requested that an intelligent boy； who
had not yet reached the age of seven and who couldn’t read or write； be
brought forward。 Such a child was found and taken to him。 The old
miniaturist placed a number of illustrations before him。 “Describe what you
see；” he instructed。 As the boy described the pictures； the old miniaturist；
raising his blind eyes to the sky； listened carefully and responded： “Alexander
cradling the dying Darius from Firdusi’s Book of Kings… the account of the
teacher who falls in love with hi