This article was automatically translated from the original Turkish version.
Ottoman education system contains madrasas, which were the primary institutional structures through which scholarly activity was conducted. Madrasas were not merely places where specific disciplines were taught; they also functioned as institutions that reflected the intellectual understanding, social relations, and educational practices of their time. The differences between madrasas and modern universities stem from the distinct historical, social, and intellectual contexts in which each structure developed.
Ottoman madrasas operated largely through the waqf system. Thanks to waqfs, these institutions achieved material continuity, ensuring the payment of professors’ salaries, students’ stipends, and the maintenance of educational spaces. This structure enabled madrasas to exist over long periods in a stable and sustained manner. In madrasas, the instruction process was centered on the professor. Unlike modern universities, which follow centralized and standardized curricula, the core texts and courses taught in madrasas were largely shaped by the professor’s scholarly expertise and the institutional standing of the madrasa.【1】 A student’s scholarly competence was certified upon completion of education through an ijaza. This system highlights the relational and flexible character of madrasa education.
Modern universities, by contrast, operate within a centralized and institutionalized structure. Academic degrees, course content, and research fields are organized according to predefined standards. Teaching activities are carried out within fixed timeframes and assessed through standardized methods. Moreover, scientific research is recognized as one of the fundamental functions of the modern university. Laboratories, research centers, academic projects, and publication activities are key components of the university’s knowledge production processes.
A Representative Comparison of Ottoman Madrasas and Modern Universities (Generated with AI Assistance)
The differences between madrasas and modern universities are also evident in their conceptions of knowledge. Ottoman in their madrasas knowledge was understood within a framework balancing transmitted (naqlī) and rational (aqlī) sciences. Disciplines such as tafsir, hadith, and fiqh occupied a central position, while fields like logic, mathematics and astronomy were taught in a supportive role. The value of knowledge was tied to scholarly authority, tradition, and continuity. Knowledge was viewed as a heritage to be transmitted and preserved.
Modern knowledge, by contrast, is grounded in experience, observation, and measurability. The validity of knowledge is linked to the consistency of the method employed and the verifiability of the data obtained. This epistemological approach is directly connected to the development of modern science. The emergence of specialized academic fields and the proliferation of interdisciplinary studies are also consequences of this understanding.
In this context, Ottoman madrasas and modern universities represent institutional models of knowledge production and transmission that differ fundamentally. Both institutions were shaped to meet the social and intellectual needs of their respective eras and acquired meaning within their own historical contexts.
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Osmanlı medreselerinde okutulan dersler ve kitaplar medreselerin derecelerine göre farklılık göstermekteydi. Sahn-ı Seman ve Süleymaniye medreseleri gibi yüksek dereceli medreselerde fıkıh, hadis ve kelâm gibi ilimler belirli klasik eserler üzerinden okutulurken, 30’lu ve 40’lı medreselerde temel ve orta düzey ders kitapları tercih edilmekteydi. Bu durum, Osmanlı medreselerinde merkezi bir müfredattan ziyade hiyerarşik ve kurumsal bir eğitim yapısının varlığına işaret etmektedir. Bknz. İnalcık, 2016, 179–185.