Eclipse Records in Ottoman Calendars (1550–1710): A Comparative Study Through the Texts of Takvîm-i Sâl and Ahkâm-ı Tâliʿ-i Sâl

This study aims to examine eclipse records in Ottoman calendars from terminological and quantitative perspectives. Within the scope of the research, Ottomancalendars dating from 1550 to 1710 were surveyed, and samples of Takvîm-i Sâl (annual calendars) and Ahkâm-ı Tâliʿ-i Sâl (prognostications for theascendent of a year) compiled in Ottoman Turkish were analysed. Accordingly, the eclipse records in these texts were comparatively analysed in terms of terminology, quantitative data, temporal expressions, and visual representations. The scope of this analysis encompasses the terminologyassociated with eclipses, classification systems based on eclipse types, onset and termination times, and the criteria used to express eclipse magnitudes. The findings indicate that eclipses were not merely recorded as natural phenomena but were systematically classified throughquantitative expressions such as küllî (total), cüzʾî (partial), and halkavî (annular), alongside the funda-mental terms küsûf (solar eclipse) and husûf(lunar eclipse). Furthermore, the expression of eclipse magnitudes using the unit of isbâʿ (digits), combined with the evaluation of textual recordsalongside symbols and diagrams, demonstrates that astronomical knowledge was represented both quantitatively and visually. In conclusion, this study reveals that eclipses were recorded within a systematic conceptual framework in Ottoman calendars and were presented in distinct formats depending on the context of use in Takvîm-i Sâl and Ahkâm-ı Tâliʿ-i Sâl genres. By simultaneously evaluating the textual, quantitative, and visualcomponents of eclipse records, this comparative approach offers new insights into the circulation, utility, and representation of astronomical knowledge, thereby contributing to the understanding of continuity within the classical period of the Ottoman astronomical tradition.