Sign In

This map presents a detailed depiction of the vast territories within the Ottoman Empire, known at the time as "Turkey in Asia," encompassing Anatolia (modern-day Turkey), the regions of Georgia, Armenia, Kurdistan, Mesopotamia (Al Jazira and Iraq), and Syria.

The map offers a sweeping view of some of the most significant geopolitical areas of the 18th century, territories which had long been contested among powerful empires. The Ottoman Empire, having controlled much of this region for centuries, was at the time facing internal strife and external pressures, particularly from European and Persian forces.

The Ottoman Empire, under the reign of Sultan Mustafa III (1757–1774), remained a dominant power in the region, although its influence had begun to wane. This period saw increasing pressures from both the Russian Empire, under Catherine the Great, and the Persian Empire, then ruled by the Zand dynasty, creating tensions and leading to intermittent conflicts along the empire’s vast eastern borders. Persia, particularly under Karim Khan Zand, was beginning to stabilize after the fall of the Safavid dynasty but still remained a regional rival. 

The Ottoman Empire engaged in two significant wars that reshaped its influence over the regions depicted on this map. The Persian-Ottoman War (1743–1746) erupted as a result of long-standing territorial disputes between the two empires, particularly over control of Mesopotamia and the Caucasus. This conflict ended in a treaty in 1746, reaffirming prior borders but doing little to resolve underlying tensions. The war demonstrated the Ottoman Empire's weakening ability to enforce its will over the eastern regions, especially in Georgia and Armenia, areas consistently caught between the Ottoman and Persian spheres of influence.

The Russo-Turkish War (1768–1774) was a defining conflict during this period, directly involving many of the regions depicted on the map. The war was part of a broader rivalry between the Ottoman Empire and the Russian Empire, with Russia seeking to expand its influence over the Black Sea and the Caucasus. This war, ongoing when the map was published in 1771, saw major Ottoman defeats, particularly in Crimea and the Balkans, and would conclude with the Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca in 1774. The treaty marked a significant shift in the balance of power, granting Russia territorial gains and the right to protect Orthodox Christians within the Ottoman Empire, further eroding Ottoman control in its northern and eastern territories. 

The areas covered by this map were not only significant politically but also culturally and economically. The region of Syria and Iraq included important trade routes and cities such as Aleppo, Baghdad, and Mosul, which served as key commercial hubs for the empire. Meanwhile, Anatolia remained the heartland of the Ottoman Empire, anchoring its control over Asia Minor. The contested Caucasian territories of Georgia and Armenia were strategically important due to their position between the Ottoman, Persian, and Russian empires, serving as buffer zones that were frequently subject to diplomatic and military struggles.