Switzerland 1910s Ottoman Atlas Map Empire Europe

Ottoman Turkish Map – Switzerland (ca. 1910s)

Description:

19.4 × 17.2 cm, the map appears to have been published as part of an Ottoman Turkish atlas during the 1910s. It presents the territory of Switzerland in its entirety together with the neighbouring regions and international boundaries of Germany, France and Italy.

The map records the Swiss cantonal boundaries and incorporates geographical features including the Alps, topographical elevation shading, lakes and mountain passes. These elements are rendered within the cartographic conventions of Ottoman Turkish map publishing, providing a compact yet detailed representation of Swiss geography.

The map is particularly interesting as an example of the Ottoman intellectual and cartographic interest in European geography. Its use of Ottoman Turkish and Arabic script reflects the period before the 1928 Turkish alphabet reform, when geographical knowledge of Europe and the wider world continued to be published in Ottoman Turkish.

For collectors of Ottoman cartography, European maps and historical geographical ephemera, this small-format Switzerland map is an attractive surviving example of early twentieth-century Ottoman mapmaking. Its detailed depiction of Switzerland, Alpine geography and neighbouring European territories makes it a particularly interesting piece for collections focusing on Ottoman printed maps, historical geography and the visual transmission of European geographical knowledge.

Key Features:

• Title: Switzerland Map

• Subject: Switzerland and neighbouring European territories

• Geographic Coverage: Switzerland, Germany, France and Italy

• Cartographic Features: Swiss cantonal boundaries, Alpine topography, elevation shading, lakes and mountain passes

• Colour: Coloured map

• Dimensions: 19.4 × 17.2 cm

• Date: Approximately 1910s

• Language: Ottoman Turkish

• Script: Arabic script

• Historical Context: Ottoman cartographic publishing before the 1928 Turkish alphabet reform

• Cartographic Significance: Reflects Ottoman interest in European geography and the production of geographical knowledge in Ottoman Turkish

• Collectible Significance: A surviving early twentieth-century Ottoman map of Switzerland, suitable for collectors of Ottoman cartography, European historical maps and geographical ephemera