Ottoman newspapers

21 newspapers in Ottoman Turkish, 450 x 295mm., each a single sheet folded making 4 pages, each with a section soiled, occasional stains, one ragged

The condition of this lot is as described in the catalogue description
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

"The first newspaper in Ottoman Turkish published by a private person. The Ceride-I Havadis... began to appear in 1840 in Istanbul as a weekly, published by an English journalist, William Churchill... This newspaper promoted the economic doctrines of liberalism, and it acquired a semi-official character due to government subsidies. Until 1860 [it] remained the sole private Ottoman Turkish newspaper in the empire" (Somel. Historical Dictionary of the Ottoman Empire, 2003, p.56).

The papers include reports of the marriage of Ottoman dignitaries, foreign ambassadors in Istanbul, a jewellery heist in Izmir, royal visits (such as the Sultan to the Zarbhane (Royal Mint)), the Sultan performing prayers for the dawn of 'Id al-Fitr; local incidents, including a fire in the house of Amina Hatun near the Demir Kapi, the 1841 earthquake in Istanbul, the dispatch of the Surre-i Hümayun (the yearly gifts sent to Mecca and Medina), the arrival of French jewellers in the Valide Han in Istanbul; the announcement of tanzimat reforms for relieving poverty through agricultural projects,

There is also news from around the world, reporting on European Royalty, France's policy in the Pacific (taking possession of the Marquesas Islands), Ottoman ambassadors aboard (the visit of Fuad Efendi, ambassador to Spain, to Granada and the Alhambra), Russian policy in the Baltic, the French in North Africa (the bombardment of Tangiers), the treaty of Nanking between the British and the Chinese, and a dispute between the US and Britain over the treaty on the abolition of slavery.