1911 — Very Good Turkish, Ottoman (1500-1928) Fine red leather reward binding with art-nouveau decorations and Sultan Mehmed Resad tughra. 'Mükâfât' [i.e. Reward] written on board in very calligraphic Turkish with Arabic letters. Title gilt on spine. Light chipped on extremities of binding. Marbled endpapers. Blindstamped colophon. A finely printed book, a special paper. Cr. 8vo. (20 x 14 cm). In Ottoman script. (Old Turkish with Arabic letters). 181, [3] p., 1 errata, richly illustrated. The reverse side of the first pages including the portrait of Gustav V has a letter by Selim Sirri Tarcan bilingual in Swedish and Ottoman Turkish sent to Gustaf V, The King of Sweden, written in Pangalti, Constantinople. The book has a brilliant travel account to Sweden from a Turkish perspective. Only three institutional copies in Turkey (2) and Netherlands (1, Leiden) libraries in OCLC: 949541692.; Özege 2474. First and Only Edition. Swedish gymnastics gained institutional structure by the courtesy of Ling in the early 19th century and forced the dominance areas of German, French, and British systems, which were used in school physical education in Europe from the middle of the century, due to their fully defined and justified pedagogical, psychological, military and medical functions, and increased its impact in a short time. Civil or military personnel sent by European governments received education in Stockholm's Royal Central Institute of Gymnastics, which provided Swedish gymnastics education from 1813, and proved to be the most important, leading, and exemplary institution of its genre. On their return to their homelands, they pioneered and tried to introduce Swedish gymnastics in/into their own countries. Military and political conditions in his country would turn a soldier-engineer into a physical educator and pave the way for Selim Sirri Tarcan's travel to Sweden in 1909. German Gymnastics (Turnen) based French Amoros Gymnastics is one of the physical education movements which Turkey met after political reforms of 1839 (Tanzimat) and it was incorporated into first military school then civil school curricula as from mid-19th century. Selim Sirri Tarcan encountered this apparatus gymnastics course at Mekteb-i Sultani (today Galatasaray High School), whose curriculum was created according to the French system and came to the forefront with his skills. After his graduation from Military Engineering School, he put effort into teaching and promotion via media of this gymnastics, rather than dealing with his military duties. However, the posture caused by his muscular body he developed by strength exercises and liked to show on every occasion, and his general health problems would make him question the gymnastics system he was governed by. The problem was also in Europe's agenda, and physical education entered the area of interest of public health policies, and the opinion that it is the most convenient and economical means to improve individual and public health became widespread, which popularized Swedish gymnastics appealing to this field. As of the late-19th century, Swedish-style gymnastics began to be promoted by medical-gymnastics institutes founded in the Ottoman capital as well as by published articles on this system by physicians and intellectuals knowledgeable on a sport-health relationship. Selim Sirri Bey, who was also attracted by Swedish gymnastics, turned his penalty of being sent abroad due to his active participation as a soldier in the constitutional movement of 1908 to opportunity and asked authorities to send him to Stockholm's Royal Central Institute of Gymnastics. During his higher education on gymnastics, he was also impressed by Sweden's healthy social structure into which physical education was integrated, heard of Zander, whose therapeutic gymnastics exercises were being applied in clinics opened on his behalf in European cities, and took medical gymnastics and massage classes at Zander's clinic in Stockholm. Selim Sirri Bey recognized pedagogical and scie
