# توفكجي tüfekçi



## cpas

Dear all, families bring history with them, and mine has an antique miquelet long arm. It is of the Ottoman era and likely manufactured in Turkey.  There is a plaque with an Arabic inscription, including a date. After researching, I think I managed to decipher the date (1284 Hijri, corresponding to 1867); please  correct me if I am wrong. As for the remaining inscription, I am in complete darkness.

Would any of you Arabic scholars be so kind to help me understand more of this piece of family history? I am attaching an image of the inscription.
Thank you and kind regards.


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## cherine

Could you please check the photo? It seems mirrored.


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## cpas

Thank you so much cherine!

This is how it appears when viewed from the right hand side with the gun pointing towards the right.
On the other hand, I know nothing regarding this elegant script. The new attachment is a mirror image (flipped horizontally) of the original.

Please let me know if you need another image.
Once again, thank you for your help!


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## cherine

You're welcome. 

Yes, this is a much better phot and has the right text direction. Actually, the writing isn't elegant, and doesn't have anything fancy, just the name of the person who made the piece:
عمل توفكجي حسين (if I'm reading this correctly, it says: work of/done by tewfikgi Hussein)
And then something like ط خبا حسن.

Hopefully someone else will help with a more accurate reading.


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## cpas

Thank you!!!
The name of the maker is by itself very important.
Did I get the date (1284) right?


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## cherine

Hi, sorry for the late reply. Yes, the date is right.


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## bamia

It most probably says tüfekçi Hüseyin, that would be the name and profession of the person who made this piece. Tüfekçi means gunsmith. The usage of a Turkish word like tüfekçi would indicate that the inscription is in Ottoman era Turkish I suppose, not Arabic.


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## cherine

Thank you very much for this added information, bamia, and welcome to the forum.


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## cpas

cherine said:


> Hi, sorry for the late reply. Yes, the date is right.


Thanks for all your help cherine!


bamia said:


> It most probably says tüfekçi Hüseyin, that would be the name and profession of the person who made this piece. Tüfekçi means gunsmith. The usage of a Turkish word like tüfekçi would indicate that the inscription is in Ottoman era Turkish I suppose, not Arabic.


Thank you bamia. Thank you very much indeed!


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## analeeh

I wouldn't be surprised if it was a misspelling of _İmal _'production' (إعمال) in which case it's probably the Turkish:

_İmâl-i Tüfekçi Hüseyin._


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## cpas

analeeh said:


> I wouldn't be surprised if it was a misspelling of _İmal _'production' (إعمال) in which case it's probably the Turkish:
> 
> _İmâl-i Tüfekçi Hüseyin._


It could be that spelling wasn't Hüseyin's strength. A great master Tüfekçi though!
Thank you analeeh!


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## Cahittinsan

İmâl-i tüfekçi Hüseyin yâni tüfekçi Hüseyin'in çalışması diyor ve Arapça değil, Osmanlıca. .


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