Minyatür, el yazması eserlerin içeriğini açıklamak amacıyla metne eklenen derinliği olmayan, hacimsiz, ışık ve gölge oyunlarından uzak resimdir. Yazılı metne bağlı olarak anlam kazanan minyatürler, yapıldıkları dönem hakkında bilgi vermeleri yönüyle, tarihi belge niteliği taşımakta, ortaya konulduğu dönemin yaşam şeklini, hayata bakışını, beklentilerini, kaygılarını yansıtmaları açısından önemlidir. Oldukça uzun bir geçmişe sahip olan minyatür sanatına, Osmanlı Devleti’nin katkısı büyüktür. Dini, hikâyeci, bilimsel, edebi karakterlerden izler taşıyan Osmanlı minyatürleri, taşıdığı gerçeklikle öteki uygarlıkların ortaya koydukları minyatürlerden ayrılmaktadır. İmparatorluğun gücüne ve gelişmesine paralel bir gelişme gösteren ve dönem özelliklerini, düşünce yapısını yansıtan Osmanlı minyatürlerinin önemli bir grubunu XV. – XVII. Yüzyıllar arasında meydana getirilenler kapsamaktadır. Bu yüzyıllar arasında meydana getirilen konular çeşitlilik arz etmekle birlikte bu çalışma, sürrealist izler taşıyan minyatür örneklerinden bazılarını kapsamaktadır. Sürrealist bakış açısıyla ortaya konan bu tasvirlerde aynı konuları, farklı bakış açısı ve üsluplarla ele alan nakkaşlar; dünyanın yaratılması, Peygamberin hayatı, deniz canlıları, kıyamet, ölümden sonraki yaşam, Dabbetü’l Arz, cinler, şeytanlar, melekler, cehennem, burç tasvirleri gibi konularla ilgilenmiş, bunları anlatırken de Kur’an ve hadislerde yer alan ifadelerden yola çıkarak, gözlem yeteneği ve hayal gücüyle, bilinçaltında kurguladığı şekilleri sürrealist bir biçimde işlemiştir. Acaibü’l Mahlukat, Al – Dur Al – Muazzam, Fal – ı Kuran, Ahval-i Kıyamet, Falname, Metaliü’l Saade, Dav-etname, Tarih-i Hind-i Garbi sürrealist minyatürler barındıran yazma eserlerden bazılarıdır.

Miniature is the massless painting with no depth which is free from chiaroscuro and added into the text to explain the contents of manuscripts. Miniatures which gain meaning according to the written text have the characteristics of historical document by means of giving information about their era. They are also important in terms of reflecting the life style, worldview, expectations, and concerns of their era. Earliest pieces of Turkish painting have been presented by Uighurs who adopted Manichaeism and Buddhism in A.D. VIII century. Uighurs who have headed to the art of painting in conjunction with religious change has produced manuscripts and decorated them with painting to spread their religion. Uighur painting which has been affected by Gandhara, China, Tibet, Scyth, Sasanian Empire, Part, Greco – Buddhist and Byzantine has formed its style starting from IX century and grown into maturity in XI - XII centuries. It is well known that Uighurs' sense of art has moved to west after Battle of Talas. Thanks to the works of art from Umayyad and Abbasid eras, it appears that the painting art exists in the early periods of Islam. It is known that religious structures of these periods were geometrical and botanical, on the other hand civil structures were decorated with ornaments generated by figures. Uighur effect as well as Orientalisation seen in works of art proves that Islamic art has adopted Central Asian Turkish painting style. Uighur painting style has therefore passed via Abbasids to Islamic countries such as Fatimid and Ghaznavid. The effect of this style has not been limited to mural paintings and also applied to book paintings. In Islam, although the systematic manuscripting has started at IX century by Caliph Memnun to make ancient books translate into Arabic, first manuscripts with miniatures are from Seljuk Empire at the end of XI century. This is because the paintings of the translated works of art have started to be duplicated. The fact that the miniature has been considered important in the era of Seljuks, and the art of miniature has also been performed in the Ottoman Empire which has ruled over Anatolia after that period of time is understood thanks to the extant documents and made a big contribution to the art of miniature. It is well known that the art of miniature which has reached an advanced level in that period has been presented as collective work products by muralists, illuminators, masters named Cetvelkeş, calligraphers affiliated with Craftsman organization and actively located in Enderun from XV century to XVIII century. Ottoman miniatures which bear traces of religious, storyteller, scientific, literary characters stand out with their real subjects as well as their depictions with surrealistic approaches. Surrealism which is suggested first by Andre Breton at France in XX century intends to reveal the mental disorders of human totally. The artist gravitates to its own shell by disconnecting from nature. Surrealism which is based on psychoanalysis idea of Freud argues that the art should rise not from logic, morals, aesthetical judgments, but directly from what exists in subconscious. Subconscious is therefore the fundamental source of surrealism. Surrealists have suggested that the subconscious is a large store due to suppressed emotions and ideas, and have believed that the society would develop through examination and liberalization of the treasure in this store and have presented two different methods. First method is the abstract surrealism which is based on psychoanalysis, and stands up for absolute weakness of will, and gives voice to expressing the emotions in subconscious through symbols; second method is the truthful surrealism which defends the fact that the objects are reminiscents of dream, nightmare or incubus and it is appropriate to present them in irrational environments. The large parts of surrealists have preferred to benefit from extraordinary beings as an indicator of spiritual w