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Ottoman Africa Map from Tüccarzâde İbrahim Hilmi’s Umûmî Cep Atlası – “Afrika-i Osmanî”, Istanbul, 1324 (1906)

Description:

This original Ottoman Turkish coloured map, titled “Afrika-i Osmanî” (Ottoman Africa), comes from Umûmî Cep Atlası (General Pocket Atlas), written and published by Tüccarzâde İbrahim Hilmi Çığıraçan in Istanbul in 1324 (1906). The atlas was produced during the final decades of the Ottoman Empire and reflects the importance of geographical knowledge in understanding the empire’s extensive territories, political position, and international presence.

The map illustrates Ottoman territories and areas of North Africa, covering a broad geographical region that includes Algeria, Morocco, Libya, Egypt, and Palestine. Its coloured presentation distinguishes geographical and territorial areas, offering a visual record of how Ottoman Africa and the surrounding regions were represented in the early twentieth century. The map is particularly interesting for documenting the empire’s historical connections with North Africa and the eastern Mediterranean before the major territorial changes that followed.

Umûmî Cep Atlası was more than a conventional geographical reference. The publication also contained detailed texts and statistical information concerning the Ottoman Empire’s agricultural, economic, commercial, demographic, and military conditions. It therefore provides insight into how geographical information was connected with broader questions of administration, trade, resources, population, and military affairs during the empire’s final period.

Tüccarzâde İbrahim Hilmi Çığıraçan (1876–1963) was an influential figure in Turkish publishing history. Through his publishing house, Kitaphane-i Askerî, established in 1896 and later known as Çığıraçan Kitabevi, he produced numerous military, geographical, and technical publications, including maps and pocket atlases. This map is an appealing historical piece for collectors of Ottoman cartography, North African history, and early twentieth-century Ottoman publications.

Key Features:

• Map Title: Afrika-i Osmanî (Ottoman Africa)

• Source Publication: Umûmî Cep Atlası (General Pocket Atlas)

• Author / Publisher: Tüccarzâde İbrahim Hilmi Çığıraçan

• Date: 1324, corresponding to 1906

• Place of Publication: Istanbul, Ottoman Empire

• Region: North Africa

• Geographic Coverage: Algeria, Morocco, Libya, Egypt, Palestine, and Ottoman territories in North Africa

• Map Type: Original coloured geographical map

• Historical Context: Ottoman territorial presence and geopolitical position in North Africa during the early twentieth century

• Publication Context: An atlas containing geographical maps alongside information and statistics on Ottoman agriculture, economy, commerce, demographics, and military affairs

• Language: Ottoman Turkish

• Dimensions: 19.1 × 17.2 cm

• Condition: Handwritten annotations present on the reverse side of the map.