Miniature is the art of illustrating stories, events or knowledge by a method of painting. In Ottoman era, this art was called “nakış” or “tasvir” and its practitioners were called “nakkaş”, “müsavvir”, miniature artist, tasvir artist or “şebihnüvis”.

In the course of time, the art of Miniature has evolved in different schools and geographies. It has gained a new character by Islam. Miniatures which are applied to manuscripts has become the widespread visual arts.

Ottoman miniature school created a different illustration method by harmonizing the cultural diversity and the pluralism of empire geography with the principles of expression and narration evolved in centuries. Beginning from the 19th century, the areas where this art is applied has diversified and, in addition to books, miniatures have been applied more onto the materials like walls, canvas, wood, tile and leather.

Nakkaş paints the pictures to the papers which are glazed with the egg-white and which have blank areas for the pictures. Mostly used equipment are organic dyes and thin brushes made of bird feathers. Today, industrial dyes and equipment are also used.

Nakkaş, puts a paper made of cotton onto a marble platform and uses a tool made of ivory to straighten the paper and to make it luminous. Then, he or she decides on the sizes of the shapes and sketches them onto the paper. Sidelines of the shapes are drawn over in ink and the figures are painted and colored with madder which can preserve its luminous appearance for a long time.

Landscapes, ceremonies at palace like accession, circumcision, wedding and hunting scenes are depicted as the dominant subjects of miniatures. Miniatures give information about the daily life, clothes and rituals of the era. Therefore, they also function as a historical document.

“The Art of Miniature” was inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity on behalf of the Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkey and Uzbekistan in 2020.