Shiraz

Şiraze (Persian: شیرازه) is the term used in Ottoman bookbinding art for the braided strip woven at the head and tail ends of a book’s spine. The term is believed to have Persian origins and derives its name from the city of Şiraz. Indeed, the Kâmûs-ı Türkî includes the explanation: “Perhaps it was invented in the city of Şîrâz and thus named.”^【1】

Lexical Meanings and Derivatives

In Ottoman Turkish dictionaries, şiraze refers not only to the fine braided strips woven at both ends of a book’s binding, but also metaphorically to concepts such as foundation, essence, order, system, and bond. Several terms derived from the word also exist: şîrâze-bend (one who makes şiraze, one who imposes order), şîrâze-gîr (a book suitable for şiraze binding), and şîrâze-keş (bookbinder, one who binds books).^【2】 In modern Turkish, two idioms and one fixed adjective usage related to şiraze persist: şirazeden çıkmak (to lose one’s mental balance, as when a book’s pages come apart), şirazesi kaymak (to lose one’s composure, to lose control), and şirazesi bozuk (disordered, mentally unbalanced).

Structure and Technical Features

Şiraze is woven onto the head and tail ends of a book’s spine after the sewing process. Each şiraze consists of two distinct weaves. The primary weave is a column stitch that connects the spine cushion to the book’s structure and secures the şiraze in place. The secondary weave, crafted using two threads, forms the visual element of the şiraze by being woven over or around the spine cushion. In both Western and Eastern manuscript traditions, when books were bound in the classical style, şiraze was always woven; the durability of a manuscript depended on the strength of its şiraze, and a book with a damaged şiraze would quickly fall apart.

Islamic and European Bookbinding Şirazeleri

Faredişi Islamic Binding Şiraze (Elif Serra Aydınlı)

Handmade books are classified into two main groups based on their structural and artistic characteristics: Islamic binding and European binding; the şirazeleri in these two traditions differ structurally and functionally.

In Islamic binding şiraze, leather strips serve as the cushion. The column stitch typically runs through all the signatures, and the weave is created using two needles over the column threads. The ends of the şiraze cushion are either cut flush with the weave or glued to the text block. The primary structural function of this şiraze is to hold the signatures together. The most common type of şiraze in Islamic bindings is the faredişi (chevron) weave; other patterns such as baklava, geçmeli, düz, verev, bottom-weave, and top-weave have also been used. Research indicates that in Islamic bindings, a two-hole stitch was applied in approximately 80 percent of cases.

European Binding Şiraze (Elif Serra Aydınlı)

European binding şiraze uses organic materials such as vellum, rolled parchment, or leather as the cushion. The primary and secondary weaves are not applied sequentially but simultaneously. The column stitch passes through only a few signatures, and the cushion ends are fixed to the covers; the primary structural function of this şiraze is to attach the covers to the book. European şirazeleri can be woven using double or triple winding techniques over a single cushion, or they can be constructed with two cushions and two layers, as seen in Carolingian or Armenian bindings.^【3】

Usage in Classical Turkish Poetry

Due to its semantic and functional significance, şiraze became one of the terms from Ottoman bookbinding art employed by divan poets to express emotions, thoughts, and ideals. In couplets, şiraze is associated through literary devices such as simile, association, allusion, and leff ü neşr with numerous concrete and abstract concepts.

In classical Turkish poetry, the central metaphor involving şiraze is the beauty of the beloved. When the beloved’s beauty, or cheek, is likened to a book, anthology, mushaf, or nüsha, the hair (zülf), headband (kâkül), locks (perçem), and quince hairs (hat) are imagined as şiraze. In poetry, hair appears under names such as zülf, perçem, and kâkül, or through compound phrases such as târ-ı gîsû, zülf-i misk-âsâ, zülf-i müşgîn, and class="italic" style="white-space: pre