Want to read Ottoman documents but don't know where to start?
Ilhan with Ottoman Turkish is a completely free app that teaches you step-by-step how to read real archival documents—including dates written in various calligraphic styles, document origins and destinations, epithets (titles), and standardized expressions.
Moreover, you do this not like a dry lesson, but in a STORY MODE: you become the apprentice of the archive, progressing section by section under the guidance of the master, deciphering the secret of each document and unlocking the next stage.
HOW IT WORKS? • You work with real archival images—not fabricated examples. • Cinematic sections unlock sequentially: Letters and Patterns, Document Locations, Dates, Epithets, Plural Expressions, and Full Document Reading.
• As you complete each section, the next one unlocks; eventually, you decipher a real document from beginning to end yourself.
LEARNING METHODS
• Classic (see, think, reveal the answer)
• Multiple choice
• Fill in the blanks
• Select from image
• True/False
• Review mode
SMART REPETITION
Knowing something once isn't enough. The app brings up what you've learned day by day, making it permanent. Struggling entries are also tracked.
YOUR PROGRESS
Choose your name and avatar; track your progress step by step, your daily streak, and your rank.
WHY THIS APP? • Completely FREE
• NO ADS
• Works OFFLINE — no internet required
• NO ACCOUNT REQUIRED — download and start
• Your data stays on your device, never sent anywhere
WHO IS IT FOR?
History researchers, theology and history students, genealogy and archive enthusiasts, in short, anyone who wants to learn Ottoman Turkish.
The goal is clear: to enable you to read complex archival documents independently.
Start your journey — the master's door is open.
Learn to read Ottoman archival documents step-by-step within a narrative context.