ABDUL HAMID II--OFFICIAL REPORT ON THE ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT

FIRST EDITION, folio (350 x 230mm.), text in Ottoman Turkish, 67pp., 8pp., 34 matt silver prints (27: 130 x 85mm.; 6: 180 x 235mm.; one: 120 x 170mm.) mounted on 14 leaves, publisher's pale blue cloth with tughra of Abdul Hamid II on upper cover and Ottoman crescent on lower cover in gilt, modern marbled endpapers, some stamps removed, stains and light wear to mounts, slight wear to binding

Tuma Başaranlar, Diyarbakir (blue inkstamp on final text leaf)

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate.
"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."

RARE. NO COPY TRACED AT AUCTION. On 21 July 1905, just after Friday Prayers at the Yıldız Hamidiye mosque in Constantinople, a carriage bomb exploded and left 26 dead and 58 wounded. Sultan Abdul Hamid II (1876-1909), the target of the attack, remained unscathed. The Ottoman police soon discovered that Armenian revolutionaries were behind the plot and several people were arrested and convicted, among them the Belgian anarchist Edward Joris. This official report, illustrated with photographs of suspects, equipment and devices used in the assassination attempt, was published by the Der Saadet Bidayet Mahkemesi (Court of First Instance) in Constantinople, overseen by magistrate Sadr al-Din (Sadreddin). The attack was described by The Times as "one of the greatest and most sensational political conspiracies of modern times".