Occult Tools for Health and Protection in Ottoman Bosnia: Talismanic Charts at the National Museum in Sarajevo

Seminar in Ottoman and Turkish Studies presents

"Occult Tools for Health and Protection in Ottoman Bosnia: Talismanic Charts at the National Museum in Sarajevo"

With the spread of the Ottoman system of knowledge in which esoteric sciences played a vital role, the occult became a new bridge among Bosnia’s diverse religious communities, as well as a trajectory for Bosnia’s participation in the transfer and exchange of esoteric sciences across and beyond the Ottoman Empire. Focusing on rare, large-format talismanic charts held in the Ethnological collection of the National Museum in Sarajevo, the paper discusses the links between material and written culture associated with magic practices in Ottoman Bosnia. Densely arranged to produce a magical synergy, these icono-textual objects intended to grant health and protection draw elements from Islam's rich esoteric tradition while also providing an important glimpse into the motives and choices made by the talisman maker.