Names of the Ottoman Empire
Encyclopedia
The state
of the Ottomans
which began as part of the Anatolian Seljuk Sultanate and became an independent Empire
, has been known historically by different names at different periods and in various languages. This page surveys the history of these names and their usage.
.
In diplomatic circles, the Ottoman government was often referred to as the "Porte" or the "Sublime Porte," a literal translation of the Ottoman Turkish Bâb-ı Âlî, which was the only gate of Topkapı Palace
open to foreigners and the location where the Sultan
and his vizier
s greeted ambassadors.
Sovereign state
A sovereign state, or simply, state, is a state with a defined territory on which it exercises internal and external sovereignty, a permanent population, a government, and the capacity to enter into relations with other sovereign states. It is also normally understood to be a state which is neither...
of the Ottomans
Ottoman Dynasty
The Ottoman Dynasty ruled the Ottoman Empire from 1299 to 1922, beginning with Osman I , though the dynasty was not proclaimed until Orhan Bey declared himself sultan...
which began as part of the Anatolian Seljuk Sultanate and became an independent Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
, has been known historically by different names at different periods and in various languages. This page surveys the history of these names and their usage.
State phase, 1299
The first declaration of statehood happened under Osman IOsman I
Osman I or Othman I or El-Gazi Sultan Osman Ghazi, or Osman Bey or I. Osman, Osman Gazi Han), nicknamed "Kara" for his courage, was the leader of the Ottoman Turks, and the founder of the dynasty that established and ruled the Ottoman Empire...
.
- Āl-e Uṯmān
Empire phase, 1453
- Medieval LatinMedieval LatinMedieval Latin was the form of Latin used in the Middle Ages, primarily as a medium of scholarly exchange and as the liturgical language of the medieval Roman Catholic Church, but also as a language of science, literature, law, and administration. Despite the clerical origin of many of its authors,...
: Turchia or Imperium Turcicum - EnglishEnglish languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
: Turkey (derived from Medieval LatinMedieval LatinMedieval Latin was the form of Latin used in the Middle Ages, primarily as a medium of scholarly exchange and as the liturgical language of the medieval Roman Catholic Church, but also as a language of science, literature, law, and administration. Despite the clerical origin of many of its authors,...
) or Turkish Empire. By far the most common name during the period, "Turkey" today typically distinguishes the Republic of Turkey as opposed to the Ottoman Empire which preceded it. - English: Ottoman Empire, Osmanic Empire, Osmanian Empire
- Ottoman Turkish: Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye (The Sublime Ottoman State)
- Ottoman Turkish: Devlet-i Âliye (The Sublime State)
- Ottoman Turkish: Devlet-i Ebed-Müddet (The Eternal State)
- Ottoman Turkish: Memâlik-i Mahrûse (The Well-Protected Domains)
- Ottoman Turkish: Memâlik-i Mahrûse-i Osmanî (The Well-Protected Domains of the Ottomans)
- Modern TurkishTurkish languageTurkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
: (Ottoman Empire), (Ottoman State) - ArabicArabic languageArabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
: Ad-Dawlat al-ʻĀlī al-ʻUthmānī (The Sublime Ottoman State) - SerbianSerbian languageSerbian is a form of Serbo-Croatian, a South Slavic language, spoken by Serbs in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and neighbouring countries....
: (Osmansko Carstvo) / (Otomansko Carstvo) - BulgarianBulgarian languageBulgarian is an Indo-European language, a member of the Slavic linguistic group.Bulgarian, along with the closely related Macedonian language, demonstrates several linguistic characteristics that set it apart from all other Slavic languages such as the elimination of case declension, the...
: (Osmanska Imperia), Τουρκιά (Tourkiâ) - ArmenianArmenian languageThe Armenian language is an Indo-European language spoken by the Armenian people. It is the official language of the Republic of Armenia as well as in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The language is also widely spoken by Armenian communities in the Armenian diaspora...
: Օսմանյան Կայսրություն (Osmanyan Kaysroutyoun) - AlbanianAlbanian languageAlbanian is an Indo-European language spoken by approximately 7.6 million people, primarily in Albania and Kosovo but also in other areas of the Balkans in which there is an Albanian population, including western Macedonia, southern Montenegro, southern Serbia and northwestern Greece...
: Perandoria Otomane - HungarianHungarian languageHungarian is a Uralic language, part of the Ugric group. With some 14 million speakers, it is one of the most widely spoken non-Indo-European languages in Europe....
: Oszmán Birodalom (Osman Empire) - MacedonianMacedonian languageMacedonian is a South Slavic language spoken as a first language by approximately 2–3 million people principally in the region of Macedonia but also in the Macedonian diaspora...
: Отоманска Империја (Otomanska Imperija) or Османлиска Империја (Osmanliska Imperija)
In diplomatic circles, the Ottoman government was often referred to as the "Porte" or the "Sublime Porte," a literal translation of the Ottoman Turkish Bâb-ı Âlî, which was the only gate of Topkapı Palace
Topkapi Palace
The Topkapı Palace is a large palace in Istanbul, Turkey, that was the primary residence of the Ottoman Sultans for approximately 400 years of their 624-year reign....
open to foreigners and the location where the Sultan
Sultan
Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
and his vizier
Vizier
A vizier or in Arabic script ; ; sometimes spelled vazir, vizir, vasir, wazir, vesir, or vezir) is a high-ranking political advisor or minister in a Muslim government....
s greeted ambassadors.
Historic maps using the alternative names of the Ottoman Empire
- Historic map by John Bartholomew & Co.: Changes in Turkey in Europe, 1856 to 1878
- Map of Turkey in Europe and Hungary in the 17th century, engraved by J. Russell, published in Barclay's Universal Dictionary, 1823
- Map of Turkey in Europe and Hungary in the 17th century, engraved by J. Barlow, published by Brightly & Kinnersley in the Rev. E. Blomfield's A Complete and Universal Dictionary, 1812
- Map of Turkey in Europe and Hungary, drawn and engraved by Sidney Hall, published in the General Atlas of Ancient and Modern Geography, 1827
- Map of Turkey in Europe by J. Rapkin, published by J & F Tallis, London, Edinburgh & Dublin, c.1850
- Map of Turkey in Europe by Sidney Hall, printed in colours by Fr. Schenck, Edinburgh and published by A & C Black, c.1856
- Map of Turkey in Europe by J. Wyld, engraved by N.R. Hewitt and published in Edinburgh by John Thompson & Co., c.1823
- Map of Turkey in Europe engraved by A. Findlay and published by Thomas Kelly in A New and Complete System of Universal Geography, 1818
- Map of Turkey in Europe by John Archer, published in The National Encyclopedia Atlas, 1868
- Map of Turkey in Europe by Keith Johnston. Published in Keith Johnston's The Royal Atlas of Modern Geography, 1861
- Map of Turkey in Asia engraved by John Archer, published in The College Atlas, c.1850
- Map of Turkey in Asia by J. Bartholomew, published in Philips' Imperial Library Atlas (edited by William Hughes), London, 1864
- Map of Turkey in Asia (Asia Minor) and Transcaucasia" by Keith Johnston, published in Keith Johnston's The Royal Atlas of Modern Geography, 1861
- Map of Turkey in Asia engraved by J. Russell, published in Barclay's Universal Dictionary, 1823
- Map of Turkey in Asia engraved by Sidney Hall and published in Black's General Atlas, Edinburgh, 1846
- Map of Turkey in Asia in Kelly's New System of Universal Geography, 1828
- Map of Turkey in Asia published in Cooke's Geography, 1817
- Map of the Turkish Empire in Europe and Asia, by George Cram, c.1890
- Map of the Turkish Empire (Natoliam, Turcia Turcicive Imperii) published by De Jode, c.1590
- Map of the Turkish Empire (Imperium Turcicum in Europa, Asia et Africa; regiones proprias, tributarias, clientelares) by Johann Baptist Homann, c.1720
- Map of the Turkish Empire (Imperium Turcicum complectens Europae, Asiae et Africae) by P. Schenk, Amsterdam, c. 1720
- Map of the Turkish Empire (Turcicum Imperium) by Jodocus Hondius, 1607. Published in English by Michael Sparke, London, 1635
- Map of the Turkish Empire (1844)
- Map of the Turkish Empire in Europe and Asia, published by Letts, London, 1883
- Turcicum Imperium
- Turcicum Imperium
