Ottoman Empire Wind Chart Compass Rose Diagram 1913 Katip Çelebi Mediterranean Black Sea
Wind Chart ("Şekl-i Pusula") from Kâtib Çelebi's "Tuhfetü'l-Kibâr fî Esfâri'l-Bihâr" (1913 Edition)
Description:
This Ottoman Turkish wind chart, titled "Şekl-i Pusula" ("Form of the Compass"), is one of the most fascinating nautical diagrams included in the 1329 AH (1913) edition of "Tuhfetü'l-Kibâr fî Esfâri'l-Bihâr," published in Istanbul by the Matbaa-i Bahriye (Naval Printing House). Printed in black and white, the chart measures 32.5 × 24.3 cm and illustrates the traditional system of thirty-two winds used by seafarers across different regions of the maritime world.
The chart consists of two large compass roses, each presenting the names and directions of the thirty-two principal winds according to distinct nautical traditions. The right-hand compass records the terminology employed by Muslim mariners navigating the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, where the names and bearings of all thirty-two winds are carefully inscribed within the circular diagram. The left-hand compass reflects the maritime traditions of the Indian Ocean, presenting the wind names used by the peoples of India, Sind, and Persia (Iran). In this diagram, the outer circle identifies and numbers the traditional wind names in the local languages of Indian Ocean navigators, while the inner circle records the corresponding thirty-two winds together with their directions.
Rather than depicting geography, this chart serves as a practical navigational reference, illustrating the sophisticated understanding of winds and directional systems that underpinned Ottoman and Indian Ocean navigation. It highlights the exchange of maritime knowledge between different seafaring cultures and demonstrates how Ottoman scholars incorporated both Mediterranean and Eastern navigational traditions into a single educational work.
The source work is of exceptional historical importance. "Tuhfetü'l-Kibâr fî Esfâri'l-Bihâr" ("A Gift to the Great Concerning Naval Campaigns") was written in 1656 by the renowned Ottoman scholar Kâtib Çelebi and is widely regarded as the first comprehensive Ottoman book devoted to naval history and maritime organization. The work chronicles major Ottoman naval expeditions, conquests, and the careers of the Kapudan Pashas (Grand Admirals) from the foundation of the Ottoman state through the mid-seventeenth century.
The book was printed only twice during the Ottoman period: first in 1141 AH and later in 1329 AH (1913). This chart comes from the second and final Ottoman edition, making it particularly desirable for collectors of Ottoman naval history and cartography.
Beyond its practical navigational purpose, the chart reflects the Ottoman Empire's broad maritime outlook, acknowledging both the Mediterranean and Indian Ocean as interconnected spheres of navigation and commerce. By preserving multiple systems of wind nomenclature within a single illustration, it documents the international character of pre-modern seafaring knowledge and the Ottoman scholarly tradition of synthesizing information from diverse maritime cultures.
For collectors, this is an exceptional piece combining the history of navigation, Ottoman scholarship, and scientific illustration. Its detailed compass roses and multilingual representation of traditional wind systems make it especially appealing to collectors of Ottoman cartography, maritime history, navigation, and rare printed books.
Key Features:
• Type: Ottoman printed nautical wind chart
• Title: Şekl-i Pusula (Wind Chart / Compass Diagram)
• Author of Source Work: Kâtib Çelebi
• Source Edition: 1329 AH (1913) Ottoman edition
• Publication Place: Istanbul
• Printer: Matbaa-i Bahriye (Naval Printing House)
• Language: Ottoman Turkish
• Dimensions: 32.5 × 24.3 cm
• Color: Black and white
• Subject: Traditional thirty-two wind system and compass directions
• Special Feature: Two detailed compass roses illustrating the wind systems used respectively in the Mediterranean–Black Sea and the Indian Ocean maritime traditions
• Historical Context: Published in the final Ottoman edition of Kâtib Çelebi's celebrated naval work, demonstrating the transmission of navigational knowledge across the Mediterranean, Persia, India, and the Indian Ocean
• Rarity: From the second and final Ottoman-era printing of Kâtib Çelebi's famous work
• Collectible Significance: Highly desirable for collectors of Ottoman cartography, navigation, maritime history, scientific instruments, and rare printed books.