Original Map of the Middle East in the world's first atlas

**Myanthropologies** · 05-20-2018, 05:07 PM

Very interesting map by Abraham Ortelius. According to him, everything from North Africa to Italy & the Balkans to modern day Afghanistan were part of the "Middle East." The Balkans were likely only included as such because they were part of the Ottoman Empire though.

**Scipio Africanus** · 05-20-2018, 05:08 PM

not Italy,look better.

**Thanas Django** · 05-20-2018, 05:09 PM

The map is clearly marked in Latin as "The Empire of the Turks" not as "Middle East".

It's basically a map of the Ottoman Empire and includes territories in Asia, Europe and Africa.

**~~Sikeliot~~** · 05-20-2018, 05:14 PM

I think it is a map of the Ottoman Empire actually because if you look, Crete is part of Italy in the map (it was under Venetian rule) and North African coastal areas were Ottoman and are therefore separately demarcated.

**Teucer** · 05-20-2018, 05:17 PM

Mainland Greece was once considered as part of the Levant

**Bornoz** · 05-20-2018, 05:17 PM

The reason why Anatolia is regarded as the Middle East is similar to this. The empire that today's Turks are descenting was leader of Islam once so land of Turks is Middle East for sure.

**Myanthropologies** · 05-20-2018, 05:24 PM

Originally Posted by Sikeliot

I think it is a map of the Ottoman Empire actually because if you look, Crete is part of Italy in the map (it was under Venetian rule) and North African coastal areas were Ottoman and are therefore separately demarcated.

No it's not. It came from here and the title of the map is "The Middle East" - By Abraham Ortelius
https://prints.bl.uk/products/the-middle-east-078974

**~~Sikeliot~~** · 05-20-2018, 05:25 PM

Originally Posted by Myanthropologies

No it's not. It came from here and the title of the map is "The Middle East" - By Abraham Ortelius
https://prints.bl.uk/products/the-middle-east-078974

Then they are using the Ottoman Empire synonymously with the Middle East, because the map says "Turkici Empirii" right on it (Turkic Empire)

**~~Sikeliot~~** · 05-20-2018, 05:31 PM

I am surprised if Italy or the Balkans were ever considered part of the Middle East. I know that Sicily was once considered part of North Africa but that was long ago, and I didn't think, even when under Ottoman rule, that any of the Balkans was considered the Middle East.

**Thanas Django** · 05-20-2018, 05:33 PM

Originally Posted by Sikeliot

Then they are using the Ottoman Empire synonymously with the Middle East, because the map says "Turkici Empirii" right on it (Turkic Empire)

They are really not.

There is no indication on the map that it's a map of the Middle East. "The Middle East" is just a name that was given to the map by the people selling it.