Cam, İnsanlığın ilk dönemlerinden günümüze dek geçen sürede teknik ihtiyaçtan, gündelik kullanıma; lüks tüketim maddesinden, endüstriyel ürün olarak kullanımına kadar yaşamın hemen her alanında kullanılagelmiştir. Kırılganlığı ve korunmaya muhtaç özelliği gereği günümüze kadar çok azı ulaşmış olan ve gelişim süreci ile ilgili kesin kayıt ve belgeleri bulunmayan Türk Cam Sanatının ilk örneklerine kısıtlı olarak Selçuklu ve Osmanlı dönemlerinde rastlarız. Mimari ve malzeme zenginliği açısından kendine özgü üslubu olan Anadolu Selçukluları, el sanatlarında da zengin bir üretime sahiptir. Nerede üretildiklerine dair farklı bilgilerin olduğu, Selçuklu dönemi cam sanatı örnekleriyle ilgili önemli bulgulara, Beyşehir Gölü kenarında, Anamas Dağı eteklerinde bulunan, Sultan Alaeddin Keykubad'ın yazlık olarak kullandığı Kubad Abad Sarayı kazılarında rastlanılmıştır. Osmanlı cam işleme sanatı, temelini Selçuklu camcılığından almış; ancak kendine özgü tarzını yaratarak özellikle 19. Yüzyılda en parlak dönemini yaşamıştır. Süleymaniye cami ve imareti (1550-1557) yapımında Osmanlı Dönemi camcılığı ile ilgili belgeler bulunmasına rağmen, dönemin camcılarının üretim ve biçimlendirmeleri ile ilgili hiçbir belge bulunmamaktadır. Bu konuda en açıklayıcı belge olarak, III. Murad döneminde oğlu Şehzade Mehmed' in sünnet törenini (1582) anlatan "Surname-i Hümayun" da Nakkaş Osman ve ekibi tarafından yapıldığı bilinen minyatürün olduğu söylenebilir. Bu araştırmada geleneksel el sanatları bağlamında kültür ürünleri olarak Türk Cam sanatıyla ilgili bilgi ve belgelere ulaşabilmek amacıyla betimsel tarama modeli kullanılmış, veriler doküman incelemesi ve alanyazın yoluyla elde edilmiştir. Belge olarak Surname-i Hümayun konu bütünlüğü içerisinde analiz edilmiştir.

Glass, which is thought to have been discovered in the Bronze Age at the age of 3 B. C. and the first examples of which can be seen in a great number places from Mesopotamia to Egypt, Mediterranean to Anatolia, has had an important place in almost every part of our lives from technical needs to daily use, from luxurious consumer goods to industrial products. Glass is an artifact and it can be found in nature as obsidian and rock crystal/natural quartz (pebble). Rock crystal, also known as natural quartz, is almost colorless and semi transparent. Examples such as the lion’s head from the fourth quarter of 3000 B.C. found in Troy and the Hittite statue made in 13th and 14th centuries B.C. show that rock crystal has been used in Anatolia from very old times (Canav, 1985: 19). In line with the resources and the data obtained, leaving the primitive methods in processing glass with the discovery of glass blowing pipe in Syria in 50 B.C. is considered as the radical change used in glass processing. Antique glass products: Roman glass (100 B.C.–400 A.D.) other residential areas within Italy, England, France, Spain, Belgium, Balkans, Anatolia, North Africa, Cyprus, Syria, Alexandria and Roman Empire; Byzantine glass (5–15 A.D.), Eastern Mediterranean coastal areas that produced most advanced containers and ornaments as well as mosaic and plain glass with free blowing technique, Ottoman glass making which occured at the same time with the bright periods of Bohemian glass making in the 19th century, Beykoz style glasses with their unique technique and ornaments are all named according to their methods of processing and modeling with their periods. Ottoman art of glass brought out works which were called “Turkish Style” in Europe. The first examples of Turkish Glass art can be seen in Seljukian and Ottoman periods. Anatolian Seljukians who had a unique style in terms of architecture and richness of material also had a rich productivity in terms of handicraft. There is different information on where Seljukian period glass art examples are produced; important examples of this period were seen in excavations of Kubad-Abad Palace, on the foot of Anamas Mountain, which was used as the summer palace of Sultan Alaeddin Keykubad. Ottoman art of glass had its foundations in Seljukian glass making; however, it created its unique style based on the examples today and experienced its brightest period especially in 19th century. Glass industry developed especially after the conquest of İstanbul in the Ottoman period. In Ottoman period, guilds had very firm rules for everything from getting the raw materials necessary for the art or occupation, to processing, forming and selling these raw materials. This situation brought an order to the relations both among producers and between the producer and the user. In documents that belong to the period of Suleyman the Magnificent, there are names of glass makers. Camger Hasan and Yusuf are well-known names. According to a census in İstanbul during the period of Sultan Murat IV, Evliya Çelebi mentions the number of glass workshops working for the government, the shops and the workers in these shops and workshops. Although there are documents about Ottoman glass making in the construction of Suleymaniye mosque and imaret (1550-1557), there are few documents about the production and modeling of the glass makers of the period. Thus, Ottoman period miniatures are accepted as the strongest written and visual documents of their times. One of the most important documents is the miniature by muralist Levni which depicts the circumcision feast of Sultan Ahmet III’s four sons and the show of “şişebaz”s in poet Hüseyin Vehbi’s “Surname-i Vehbi”. This miniature is in Topkapı Palace Museum. Another important document is the miniatures by muralist Osman in Surname-i Hümayun which depict the circumcision feast of Sultan Murad III’s son Mehmed in 1582 which lasted for 52 days and 52 nights and also the parade of the Ottoman glass producers and workers. With this aspect, the work is a historical resource that shows the 10th – 16th centuries Ottoman life, economy, social life, culture, art and entertainment life. Preparing a mobile glass workshop in which glass is blown, even with the purpose of making a show to the sultan, presents many difficulties considering the conditions of the period. The workers around the platform produce glass. In another miniature, Camgers of the Camgeran guild which march by carrying glass in their hands show off their skills. Glasses used in the show are typical Ottoman glass and ceramic products. The color blue used in the glass is also seen in Ottoman style chinaware art. When considered from this aspect, it can be seen that the arts of glass and ceramic developed together in the Ottoman Empire. One of the interesting areas that do not come to mind immediately while speaking of traditional Turkish glass making is the use of colorful glasses in architecture. Within the traditional construction, glazed windows were used frequently in palaces and konaks. In the 402nd page of Surname-i Hümayun, which is in Topkapı Palace, makers of glazed windows can be seen. The tradition of colorful glass plaster window is known to be used intensively. The miniature that depicted architects and engineers with a model of Süleymaniye mosque made of wood and ivory is remarkable since it represents Sinan the Architect who was most probably alive then and the magnificence of Ottoman art through is most monumental construction (Tamcan, 2007). Another important visual of this miniature is the use of colorful glass in the top windows of the model of the mosque. The present study used a descriptive survey model to reach information and documents about Turkish art of glass as cultural products of traditional artifacts and the data was collected through document analysis and the literature. As document, Surname-i Hümayun was analyzed within the integrity of the subject. From 17th century onwards, workshops of glass gathered around İstanbul. These workshops were mainly in the areas of Eğrikapı, Balat, Ayvansaray and Bakırköy (Beykoz Camları,1997:7). Thin and white sand which is suitable for making glass was found from Kum Burgaz around Yedikule. As can be understood from Surname-i Hümayun, the art of glass continued with the support of Sultan subject to the palace. Glass was produced within specific rules. The products produced outside these rules were broken and the craftsmen who made these were punished. In 18th century, all bottle and glass workshops were taken inside Tekfur palace during the reign of Mustafa III. It can be understood from examples that 19th century was a bright period for Ottoman art of glass. As a conclusion, as well as being an important work that purified miniatures from all foreign effects and causing them to become a unique tradition of picturing and reflecting typical characteristics of The Ottoman period and giving examples of traditional Turkish art, Surname-i Hümayun also gives information about the production and development of Turkish art of glass. It is also very important as a cultural record.