Mehmed Esad Yesari
d. 1798 · Istanbul
Mehmed Esad Yesari was born in Istanbul, probably in the mid-1730s, the son of Kara Mahmud Ağa, a bailiff of the Anatolian chief judge's court. He was born with his right side paralysed and his left hand also impaired; the name Yesari refers to the left. The leading ta'lik master of the day, Veliyyüddin Efendi, refused him as a pupil, but Dedezade Mehmed Said Efendi taught him and gave him his ta'lik licence in 1167/1754. He first wrote in the manner of the Persian master Mir Emad, then from about 1190/1776 selected and adjusted Mir Emad's letterforms into what became the Ottoman style of ta'lik. Mustafa III made him calligraphy teacher at the palace, and under Abdülhamid I and Selim III he wrote many jali ta'lik inscriptions for buildings in Istanbul. He taught many pupils, among them his son Yesarizade Mustafa İzzet, who continued his style. He died in Istanbul on 20 December 1798.
Achievements
- From about 1190/1776 shaped a distinct Ottoman style of ta'lik by selecting and adjusting the letterforms of the Persian master Mir Emad.
- Received his ta'lik licence in 1167/1754 despite being paralysed on his right side.
- Was appointed calligraphy teacher at the palace by Mustafa III.
- Wrote jali ta'lik building inscriptions in Istanbul, including Beylerbeyi Mosque (1192/1778), the Hacı Selim Ağa Library in Üsküdar (1196/1782) and the inner door of Mehmed II's tomb (1199/1785).
- Before his 1792 pilgrimage, Selim III asked him to write the Aynalıkavak Pavilion inscription and gave him 12,500 kuruş for the journey.
- His son Mustafa İzzet carried the Ottoman ta'lik style further.
Taught by: Dedezade Mehmed Said Efendi
Taught: Yesârîzâde Mustafa İzzet Efendi, Mir Mehmed Emin, Arapzade Mehmed Sadullah, Mehmed Şehabeddin, Mektubi İbrahim Edhem, Şerif İhya
His work
1754 · Topkapı Palace Library, Istanbul
Photo: Wikimedia Commons, public domain
1761–62 (1175 AH) · collection not stated
Photo: Wikimedia Commons, CC0
These are the works in open collections that can be attributed with certainty.
Write in the tradition this hand shaped.
Write in this tradition now →Living calligraphers you can buy from — signed originals on paper, from AED 550: Anwar Alhulwani (Thuluth) · Ahmed Alhawary (Jali Thuluth, Naskh) · Rasha Kasim (Kufi).
Sources
- TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi, 'YESÂRÎ MEHMED ESAD' (M. U. Derman, 2013): life, licence, Ottoman ta'lik, palace post, inscriptions, students, death islamansiklopedisi.org.tr
- English Wikipedia: life, inscriptions, students en.wikipedia.org
- Arabic Wikipedia: Arabic name, 1213/1798, students ar.wikipedia.org
- Wikidata item wikidata.org
Written by the MASHQ studio · last updated 2026-10-05. Further reading, the standard references in English: Sheila S. Blair, Islamic Calligraphy (Edinburgh University Press, 2006) · Annemarie Schimmel, Calligraphy and Islamic Culture (New York University Press, 1984) · Yasin Hamid Safadi, Islamic Calligraphy (Thames and Hudson, 1978).