1814 Thomson / Neele Map of the Ottoman Empire, Turkey in Asia

A fine example of John Thomson's vibrant hand-colored 1814 map of 'Asiatic Turkey,' that is, the Asian portion of the Ottoman Empire, published in his New General Atlas in 1815.

A Closer Look

Ranging from Greece to Egypt and from the Caucasus to Basrah, near the Persian Gulf in Iraq, this map lists cities, towns, and other settlements in fantastic detail. Mountains, waterways, roads, caravan routes, and other features are also noted. Ottoman provinces (eyalets) are color-shaded for easy distinction. Some hand-written annotations around Arabkir (Arapgir) in Turkey, west of Lake Van. A red line running through the Black Sea and the Mediterranean demarcated the boundary of Europe and Asia.

Historical Context

When this map was produced, the Ottomans were desperately trying to shore up their frontiers in the face of multiple threats. To their north, the Russians had chipped away at their domain in a succession of wars over the preceding century. To the south, the Wahhabi movement had broken loose Ottoman control over Arabia, including the all-important holy cities of Mecca and Medina. To the west, nascent national resistance movements threatened the European portion of the Sultan's realm. And to the southwest, after regaining control of Egypt from the French, the Ottomans struggled to maintain influence as one of their own generals, Muhammad Ali, gained primacy over several rivals; he would eventually go on to found an independent dynasty that threatened the Sultanate itself (reconquering Arabia for the Sultan before doing so). Reform efforts were launched to manage these and other problems, but struggled amid factional infighting and resistance from entrenched interests, including the famed janissary corps.

Publication History and Census

This map was prepared by John Thomson and engraved by Samuel John Neale (or Neele) for inclusion in Thomson's New General Atlas, which went through multiple printings in Edinburgh, London, and Dublin between 1815 and 1817. Examples of the map display different pagination (or none at all) and other minor details depending on the printing, with the plate number here (No. 45) seemingly added separately from the main plate. Compared to the example held by the David Rumsey Historical Map Collection (List No. 1007.049, published in London by Baldwin, Craddock, and Joy), the present map has a different title and slightly wider scope, including, for example, more of the Crimean Peninsula and Egypt. It is also noticeably more detailed on road networks and settlements. All these facts suggest that Thomson made an entirely new plate for the present printing, whereas plates for most other maps in the atlas were only slightly modified, if at all, for different printings.