The greatest contribution of Ottoman art is in the fields of manuscript painting and ceramics. Ottoman ceramics, mass-produced to supply both local and foreign markets, enjoyed the widest circulation and the highest reputation of all portable Turkish objects. By contrast, illustrated manuscripts were zealously guarded in the Palace libraries throughout Ottoman history and only a meager amount were given away as presents, captured during battles or, as in the past century, sold or taken from the imperial collections. Consequently, limited quantities of miniatures were accessible to the outsiders. With the advent of the Republic all the imperial libraries became public museums, enabling students and scholars to study this unique form of Ottoman art. The art of the book is basically an Islamic tradition with court-sponsored poets, calligraphers, illuminators, miniaturists and bookbinders working together to create an illustrated manuscript.
