عموم ممالك محروسه شاهانه خريطه سى [General Map of the Imperial Guarded Domains]

Description

Wall Map of the Ottoman Empire

MECLIS-I MAARIF (Imperial Council of Education) – MEKTEB-I FÜNÛN-I HARBIYE-I ŞÂHÂNE [Imperial School of Military Sciences].

Istanbul: مكتب حربيه شاهانه مطبعه سى [Mekteb-i Fünûn-ı Harbiye-i Şâhâne Matbaası / Imperial School of Military Sciences Press i.e. Ottoman War Academy Printing House] 1312 [1896]

Lithograph in colour, 150 x 120 cm (59 x 47.2 inches), originally dissected, mounted on linen (professionally restored and mounted on modern linen, small cracks, tears and holes in paper, partly repaired loss of margins, light water staining).

 

A monumental late 19th century wall map of the Ottoman Empire, extending from the Balkan Peninsula in the north to the Arabian Peninsula and Red Sea in the south, and from North Africa in the west to parts of Iran in the east. Two inset maps provide additional regional detail: one of Libya, and another of the southeastern Arabian Peninsula, covering Qatar and the territories corresponding today to the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and parts of Saudi Arabia.

Compiled by professors of the Imperial School of Military Sciences in Istanbul, the map is distinguished by its meticulous rendering of routes, settlements, mountain ranges, and river systems. The level of detail suggests an academic and strategic purpose, reflecting contemporary Ottoman cartographic and military interests.

This is the largest single sheet printed Ottoman map we have encountered. It is exceptionally rare: we previously owned one example in 2018, and no examples are reco