Old Map of Turkey in Asia

Historical Background

John Rapkin’s Turkey in Asia, published by J. & F. Tallis around 1851, brings together the Ottoman Empire’s Asian territories on a single illustrated sheet. Anatolia occupies the left half, while Syria, Palestine and the country around the Tigris and Euphrates extend towards the Persian Gulf. The map belongs to Tallis’s Illustrated Atlas, edited by R. Montgomery Martin. Its geographical engraving is accompanied by illustrations credited to H. Warren and engraved by J. B. Allen.

Map Details

• Original title: Turkey in Asia
• Mapmaker and engraver: John Rapkin
• Publisher: J. & F. Tallis
• Illustrations: H. Warren, engraved by J. B. Allen
• Date: Circa 1851; the precise atlas issue of this example is unconfirmed
• Source publication: The Illustrated Atlas, edited by R. Montgomery Martin
• Publication centres: London and New York
• Area shown: Anatolia and neighbouring Ottoman territories in western Asia, with Cyprus and adjoining parts of Arabia, Persia and the Caucasus
• Orientation: North at the top
• Format: Engraved atlas map with coloured regional outlines, pictorial views and an ornamental border

What “Turkey in Asia” means

The title uses a nineteenth-century geographical expression for the Asian lands of the Ottoman Empire. It does not mean Turkey alongside a separate map of the whole Asian continent. Nor does the sheet represent the borders of the modern Republic of Turkey. Its broad coverage places territories now belonging to several countries within the geographical framework used by a Victorian atlas.

The distinction is visible in the arrangement of the names. Asia Minor stretches across Anatolia, while Syria appears farther south. Armenia and Kurdistan occupy parts of the mountainous eastern country. These historical labels overlap a complicated landscape of settlements, rivers and smaller districts; they should not be read as a straightforward set of present-day national boundaries.

From Constantinople to Cyprus

Constantinople appears near the western edge, where the Black Sea approaches the narrow passage into the Sea of Marmara. The surrounding coast is densely named, and a small portion of European territory is included to complete this setting. Across Anatolia, clusters of settlements follow the coast and the valleys between engraved mountain ranges.

Cyprus is shown separately in the eastern Mediterranean, outlined in green and filled with place names. Its position between Anatolia and the Levant is particularly clear on this sheet. The broad expanse of sea provides breathing space beside the much denser land engraving, allowing the island and the neighbouring coastline to stand out.

The rivers towards the Persian Gulf

Farther east, the Tigris and Euphrates are important threads through the map. Their courses can be followed from the northern country towards the lowlands and the head of the Persian Gulf. Baghdad and Basra are among the named settlements in this eastern part of the sheet.

The coloured lines distinguish regions without obscuring the fine black engraving beneath them. Mountains are suggested through shaded strokes, while rivers, towns and coastal features receive closely packed lettering. Looking at the print in detail reveals a different level of information from the large regional names visible at a distance.

Jerusalem and the decorative views

A substantial view labelled Jerusalem fills the lower centre. Buildings and walls rise beyond a rocky foreground, with figures placed outside the city. This is a separate illustration rather than an enlargement of the cartographic town symbol: its role is to give the reader a pictorial impression alongside the geographical information.

Another view near the upper right is labelled the Castles of Europe and Asia. Below it, a group of figures in historical dress occupies the margin beside the map’s eastern territories. An ostrich stands at the lower left. These images reflect the visual conventions of the British atlas publisher, rather than offering a comprehensive portrait of the region’s varied peoples and landscapes.

A richly worked Victorian atlas sheet

The scrolling ornamental border surrounds both map and pictures, with the title incorporated at the top. The illustrations are fitted into comparatively open areas, creating an intricate composition without dividing the sheet into conventional rectangular panels. A mileage scale and the longitude reference remain visible along the lower edge.

As an old map print, its interest lies in this combination of detailed regional geography and carefully engraved illustration. It records historical names and territorial relationships while retaining the distinctive presentation of Tallis’s atlas. The fine art reproduction preserves that arrangement, including the coloured outlines, decorative surround and contrasting views.