Sicilyalı Michele Amari’nin Hayatı, İlmi Faaliyetleri, Şarkiyatçılığı Meselesi ve Eserleri
The Life, Scholarly Activities, Question of Orientalism, and Works of Michele Amari of Sicily

Summary/Abstract: Purpose: The paucity of research conducted on Michele Amari within the context of Türkiye is a matter of note. The present study aims to present Amari’s life, his scholarly activities, his works on Islamic thought, and the question of his Orientalism, thereby addressing the existing gap in the literature in Türkiye concerning Amari. Amari, born in 1806 in Palermo, Sicily, was a thinker, activist, and orientalist who was involved in education, research, and political activities. He was subjected to exile, and advocated for the intellectual and political independence of Sicily. It is widely acknowledged that he is a significant figure in this field, particularly due to his research on the period of Islamic rule in Sicily and his works in this area. Method: The sources of this study consist primarily of Michele Amari’s own works; Turkish-language materials on him (including an encyclopedia entry and a translation of a brief text); as well as studies in English and Italian. In addition, online resources and library catalogue records have been utilised, with a particular emphasis on those that are instrumental in identifying Amari’s works. In the compendium of sources, priority has been accorded to Amari’s own writings, followed by a comprehensive review of the secondary literature concerning him. For sources that were difficult to access, assistance was sought by contacting the libraries of the University of Bologna, the Galileo Institute in Florence, and the University of Naples. Works available only in Italian were analyzed to the extent possible, and their interpretations were verified and clarified with the aid of digital language tools. In order to ensure a comprehensive analysis, relevant sections from English and Arabic articles were translated and incorporated into the study. A comparative analysis was conducted on English translations that had already been published, in addition to their Italian originals. Thus, an attempt has been made to present Amari’s life, scholarly activities, the question of his Orientalism, and a classified list of his works as comprehensively as possible, in all their dimensions. Findings: The research process has revealed a paucity of studies on Michele Amari in Türkiye. It is therefore essential, at the outset, to introduce Amari’s life, works, scholarly activities, and the question of his Orientalism. A significant proportion of Amari's oeuvre is dedicated to the civilisation, history, and thought of Islamic Sicily. As an orientalist who studied the Islamic period of Sicily, a region which represented the western sphere of Islamic civilization, Amari occupies a significant contribution to the study of Islamic civilisation in this area. It has thus been established that Amari constitutes an important reference point for the study of Islamic history, thought, and civilization. Conclusion: This study not only introduces Michele Amari in terms of his life, works, scholarly activities, and his approach to Orientalism, but also represents an effort to fill a notable gap in the Turkish literature concerning him. Moreover, the study may be considered as drawing attention, through the example of Amari, to the general scarcity of research on Italian orientalists in Türkiye. It is recommended that Amari’s works on the civilization and thought of Islamic Sicily be translated into Turkish and examined through further academic research. Additionally, investigating the orientalist institutions in Italy with which Amari was directly involved or to whose establishment he contributed, and producing studies aimed at introducing these institutions, would make significant contributions to the field.

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