Rare reference work on the Ottoman Empire with illustrations of military costume

Margaroli, G[iovanni] B[attista]. La Turchia ovvero l'Imperio Ottomano osservato nella sua situazione geografica - statistica - politica e religiosa [....] coll' aggiunta di un indice [...] e di un dizionario geografico. Con rami a colori.

€ 3,500.00

Only edition of this Italian handbook on the Ottoman Empire, discussing the geography and state, the city of Constantinople, the government, people and politics, history, as well as religion of Islam. Includes a lengthy section on Arabia and Arabians. The four engraved plates in full colour show an Ottoman infantryman, cavalryman, marine, and Sultan Mehmet II in military costume. Appended is a dictionary of place-names - a gazetteer of the Empire which includes extensive entries on Mecca and Medina.

Untrimmed, light foxing throughout, but well preserved. Old collection stamp of Sig. Antonio Buonamici (motto: "undique rectus") on title-page. Very rare; only three copies known outside Italian libraries (Leipzig University Library, formerly in the library of the great Austrian oriental scholar Joseph von Hammer-Purgstall; Austrian National Library; and Lucian Blaga Central University Library of Cluj-Napoca, Romania); none in America or the UK.