About Vefa Publishing House
The meaning of our name
The Meaning of Vefa
Vefa means 'loyalty' and 'fidelity.' Vefa in Turkish, and Wafa' in Arabic, is a poetic term with deep spiritual resonances that bridge and connect diverse cultures.
Vefa is also the district's name in the heart of Istanbul – the literal center of the Ottoman city according to the master architect Sinan. The district takes its name after the pious scholar Shaykh Abu'l-Wafa' (Şeyh Ebül Vefa, d. 1490 CE), who lived and taught there in the time of Fatih Sultan Mehmet. This central location is where the Ottoman Grand Vizier Ali Paşa built his first public library in 1715 CE and endowed his extensive collection of books, including a beautiful copy of Shaykh Abu Bakr bin Salim's Arabic manuscript “Miftah al-Sara'ir wa-Kanz al-Dhakha'ir.”
The Manuscript in Istanbul
This precious manuscript from Şehid Ali Paşa's Library in Vefa is one of the earliest extant copies of Shaykh Abu Bakr bin Salim's first book composed in the Hadramawt valley. And it is the first book published by Vefa Publishing House as The Key to Inner Secrets and the Treasure of Provisions. This bilingual critical edition in the original Arabic with lucid English translation and commentary is based on the earliest manuscript copies from around the world – and many years of careful preparation. In it, Shaykh Abu Bakr bin Salim poetically speaks of wafa' or loyalty in one's relationship with the Divine.
Courtesy of Süleymaniye Library for The Key to Inner Secrets Critical Edition
Our Mission
Vefa Publishing House is committed to bringing out works that are deeply rooted in the most beautiful of ways, making scholarship and artistry relevant and accessible in our present age.