|
||
|
|
|
|
This richly detailed map illustrates the Ottoman Empire's European territories and neighboring regions. It provides a comprehensive depiction of the political and geographic landscape of the mid-17th century, capturing both the vast expanse of Ottoman rule and the intricate relationships with its tributary states and bordering powers.
The map encompasses territories stretching from the Carpathian Mountains to the Black Sea and the Aegean Sea, including Hungary, Transylvania, Wallachia, Moldavia, and the Crimean Khanate, along with the Balkan heartlands of the Ottoman Empire.
The central focus is on the Ottoman-controlled lands in Europe, particularly Hungary, which was divided between Ottoman and Habsburg rule, reflecting the intense struggle for control in Central Europe. Transylvania is shown as a semi-autonomous principality under Ottoman suzerainty, maintaining its own governance while serving as a critical buffer zone. Similarly, Wallachia and Moldavia, also tributary principalities, highlight the Ottoman strategy of indirect rule over the Danubian frontier. The Crimean Khanate, depicted as "Little Tartary," underscores the strategic significance of the Black Sea region, with its Tatar rulers serving as loyal vassals and crucial allies in Ottoman military campaigns.
At this time, the Ottoman Empire was still a dominant force in Southeastern Europe, though it faced increasing challenges from European rivals and internal pressures. The map illustrates the administrative and economic importance of the empire's Balkan provinces, which connected Constantinople to Central Europe and the Mediterranean through key trade routes. Cities such as Buda, Adrianople, and Constantinople are prominently marked, symbolizing their strategic and political relevance.
The tributary states of Transylvania, Wallachia, and Moldavia provided both a buffer against external threats and significant economic contributions through taxes and resources. The depiction of these regions reveals the complex interplay of autonomy and dependence that characterized Ottoman governance in Europe.
Nicholas Sanson (1600-1667) is considered the father of French cartography in its golden age from the mid-seventeenth century to the mid-eighteenth. Over the course of his career he produced over 300 maps; they are known for their clean style and extensive research. Sanson was largely responsible for beginning the shift of cartographic production and excellence from Amsterdam to Paris in the later-seventeenth century.
Sanson was born in Abbeville in Picardy. He made his first map at age twenty, a wall map of ancient Gaul. Upon moving to Paris, he gained the attention of Cardinal Richelieu, who made an introduction of Sanson to King Louis XIII. This led to Sanson's tutoring of the king and the granting of the title ingenieur-geographe du roi.
His success can be chalked up to his geographic and research skills, but also to his partnership with Pierre Mariette. Early in his career, Sanson worked primarily with the publisher Melchior Tavernier. Mariette purchased Tavernier’s business in 1644. Sanson worked with Mariette until 1657, when the latter died. Mariette’s son, also Pierre, helped to publish the Cartes générales de toutes les parties du monde (1658), Sanson' atlas and the first French world atlas.
![[ Kos (Κως) / Fournoi and Leipsoi ] (Lango, Colipo, Molini, Arangia, Fornoli, Lipso, Crusia, Mandria)](https://storage.googleapis.com/raremaps/img/small/107838.jpg)
![Turkey in Asia [Including Cyprus]](https://storage.googleapis.com/raremaps/img/small/98704.jpg)
![[ Catholic Missions in the Ottoman Empire ]. Carte Ecclesiastique de L'Empire Ottoman d'apres les Missiones Catholicae](https://storage.googleapis.com/raremaps/img/small/88303.jpg)
