Description

4°. 180 pp., [2], reverse collation, printed on pink paper with illustrations within text, original wrappers, on pink and ten paper with gilt decoration, bound in contemporary black cloth binding, leather spine with gilt lettering in Ottoman, marbled endpapers (very good, spine slightly worn on the edges, hardly noticeable staining, mostly in margins, two pages with light folds and tiny tears and loss of paper in the upper corners). 
 
A larger world almanac in Ottoman language is elaborately printed on pink paper with gilt decorations on covers and was probably intended for diplomatic purposes or to be used by the higher Ottoman society. It includes a calendar, short texts, various data and portraits and images from leaders and places from all over the world, such as:  

– Princess Alice of the United Kingdom, the Grand Duchess of Hess (1843-1878),

– Nicholas II of Russia (1868-1918),

– Abdur Rahman Khan (between 1840 and 1844 –1901), Emir of Afghanistan,

– Alfred III, Prince of Windisch-Grätz 1851-1927), an Austrian prime minister,

– Karlovy Vary (Karlsbad), 

– Guangxu, Chinese Emperor (1871-1908), and a Chinese admiral,

– portraits of the Japanese royal family,…  

The portraits of political leaders and noblemen/women are followed by texts and date on their countries.  

The author Mehmed Salahi (or Salahaddin, 1857-1910) was known as a modern author on the current affairs, diplomacy and language. His most famous work is the first modern Ottoman encyclopedia Kamus-ı osmani with Arabic and Farsi translations of the words. Salahi or Salahaddin is not to be mixed up wiht Şehzade Mehmed Selaheddin (1861-1915), the only son of sultan Murad V. 

This is apparently the first and only issue of such an almanac. 

We could find 5 institutional examples on Worldcat (Chicago University Library, Stanford University, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Universiteitsbibliotheek Leiden, Library of Congress).

References: OCLC 31888824, 269200525, 163077740, 66716972, 283391357.