Suez Canal and Egypt Region WW1 Ottoman Empire 1917 Military Map Army Sinai Peninsula
Ottoman Military Map of the Suez Canal and Egypt – Erkan-ı Harbiye Matbaası, 1333 (1917)
Description:
This original Ottoman Turkish military map depicts Egypt and the strategically important Suez Canal region. Printed in 1333 (1917) by Erkan-ı Harbiye Matbaası (Ottoman General Staff Printing House), it dates from the First World War, when the Ottoman Empire was engaged in military operations against British forces on the Sinai and Palestine fronts. Measuring 82.2 × 56.8 cm, this is a large-format military map produced by the Ottoman military printing establishment during one of the most significant periods in the empire’s modern military history.
The geographical focus of the map is particularly important in relation to the Ottoman campaigns against the Suez Canal. The canal and the Sinai Peninsula were central to the First and Second Suez Canal Expeditions of 1915 and 1916, as Ottoman forces attempted to challenge British control of this vital strategic waterway. The map belongs to the subsequent period of military operations and defensive preparations on the Sinai and Palestine fronts, when accurate geographical information was essential for understanding desert routes, terrain, and strategic positions.
The topographical representation includes mountainous areas, valleys, natural passages, and other geographical features, rendered through brown contour lines and hachure-style shading. Such details were particularly relevant to military planning in the Sinai region, where knowledge of terrain, water sources, valleys, and accessible routes played an important role in troop movements and logistical operations. As a product of the Ottoman General Staff, the map demonstrates the military importance attached to detailed geographical documentation during the First World War.
Original Ottoman military maps from this period are significant examples of wartime cartography and military ephemera. Their production by the General Staff distinguishes them from ordinary commercial maps, while their connection to the Sinai and Palestine campaigns gives them particular historical interest. This large-format example is an appealing piece for collectors and researchers interested in Ottoman military history, First World War cartography, the Suez Canal campaigns, and the history of Egypt and the Middle East.
Key Features:
• Map Subject: Suez Canal and Egypt
• Publisher: Erkan-ı Harbiye Matbaası (Ottoman General Staff Printing House)
• Date: 1333, corresponding to 1917
• Historical Period: First World War
• Region: Egypt and the Sinai Peninsula
• Strategic Significance: Suez Canal, Sinai and Palestine Fronts
• Historical Context: Ottoman First and Second Suez Canal Expeditions of 1915 and 1916, and subsequent military operations in the region
• Topographical Details: Mountainous terrain, valleys, natural passages, and geographical features represented through contour lines and hachure-style shading
• Map Type: Large-format Ottoman military topographical map
• Language: Ottoman Turkish
• Dimensions: 82.2 × 56.8 cm
• Condition: Light creasing on the left side.