Ismail Gaspirali (1851–1914)

Ismail Gaspirali (1851–1914) was born near Bakhchysarai and became famous as a Tatar-speaking intellectual, publisher, and politician. He was particularly committed to providing the Muslims of the Russian Empire with better education and access to modernization. The solidarity of all Turkic-speaking peoples and an orientation towards Europe were primary interests. Toward this end, he not only ran his newspaper Tercüman (1883–1914), but also founded the Union of Muslims (İttifaq-i Müslimin) with others in 1907.

Ismail Gaspirali (Ismail Gasprinskij, 1851–1914), black and white photograph, before 1914, unknown photographer, in: Enciclopedia Istorii Kryma, without place and year; source: Wikimedia Commons, http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:IGasprinskiy.jpg?uselang=en, public domain.