In the Atlas Nursî trial edition: Bediüzzaman’s life, works, and era in a single digital atlas

We have some good news for those asking, “What happened to Atlas Nursî?”: The digital atlas, which the Istanbul Science and Culture Foundation has been working on for quite some time, is now open to the public in its beta version. Atlas Nursî was designed as a digital atlas that brings together the life of Bediüzzaman Said Nursî, the Risale-i Nur Collection, and the historical events of the era through the lenses of time, place, and archival records. During the beta period, it can be explored at test.atlasnursi.com.

What does the atlas contain?

The backbone of the atlas is the concept of “A life, a collection, a memory of civilization.” The “Journey of Life” section traces Bediüzzaman’s life across six periods:

• Life beginning in the village of Nurs; the early upbringing he received from his family and his turn toward scholarship at a young age
• His education, moving from one madrasa to another; his quest to synthesize classical and modern sciences
• His years in Istanbul, his sermons in Damascus, and his experiences on the front lines; a stance of direct engagement with the issues facing society
• The Barla exile: the place where the majority of the Külliyat was written; the transformation of solitude into an opportunity for authorship
• A series of lawsuits and forced residencies; service continued under restricted conditions
• The widespread dissemination of his works, the growing number of students, and the legacy left behind following his passing in Urfa in 1960

The “Collected Works” section features brief introductions to works such as *Sözler*, *Mektubat*, *Lem’alar*, *Şualar*, *İşârâtü’l-İ’câz*, and *Asâ-yı Mûsâ*. The Time & Place Atlas, meanwhile, presents significant events in his life, the writing processes of his works, and historical developments on a chronological timeline; it also displays the cities where Bediüzzaman resided, his places of exile, and important locations on interactive maps. Students, scholars, and other figures associated with his life are also presented in the “People” section along with their biographical information.

The archive collection compiles photographs, letters, manuscripts, and historical documents in a digital archive format; every document, text, photograph, and event is recorded with bibliographic information in accordance with academic standards.

How does it work?

Atlas Nursî is built on a “relational data model”: events, people, works, and places are modeled as interconnected; this makes it possible to move from a letter to the city where it was written, then to the events of that same year, and finally to the people who witnessed those events. Four perspectives complement one another: bibliographic information (text and documents), place (map), time (chronology), and person (biography).

The project’s logo also encapsulates this concept: the pointed shape at the top represents a compass needle guiding toward the truth; the two wings at the bottom symbolize the Risale-i Nur and the archives being open to everyone, depicted as an open book. “The compass of knowledge, the atlas of truth.”

About the Beta Version

The version currently available is a beta release: content, maps, and chronologies are still being added; some sections may be missing, and the design and functionality may change over time. Our goal is to make the atlas an open resource for researchers, academics, students, and curious readers. That’s why your feedback is valuable to us: if you notice a missing document, a date that needs correction, or a topic you’d like to contribute to, you can reach us through the atlas’s contact page or via our foundation.

Knowledge deepens as we share it. To explore the Atlas Nursî: test.atlasnursi.com