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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.

Contents

Beylik Phase

State Phase, 1299

Empire Phase, 1453

References

Beylik Phase

Modern Turkish: ''Osmanlı Beyliği'';

State Phase, 1299

The first declaration of statehood happened under Osman I.

★ “Âl-i Osman”

Empire Phase, 1453

With the conquest of Constantinople (Istanbul) in 1453, the Ottoman State officially became an Empire.
The 'Ottoman Empire' was also referred to as 'Turkey' (derived from the Medieval Latin ''Turchia'', c.1369^[1]) in numerous historic texts^[2], treaties^[3][4] and maps^{[5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22]}, but scholars today prefer to use the name Ottoman Empire in order to differentiate it from the Republic of Turkey which succeeded the Ottoman State in 1923.
Another alternative historic name was the 'Turkish Empire', or 'Imperium Turcicum' in Latin.^{[23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32]}

★ Ottoman Turkish/^[33] ''Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye'' (The Sublime Ottoman State),

★ Ottoman Turkish/Persian: ''Devlet-i Âliye'' (The Sublime State),

★ Ottoman Turkish/Persian: ''Devlet-i Ebed-Müddet'' (The Eternal State),

★ Ottoman Turkish/Persian: ''Memâlik-i Mahrûse'' (The Well-Protected Domains),

★ Ottoman Turkish/Persian: ''Memâlik-i Mahrûse-i Osmanî'' (The Well-Protected Domains of the Ottomans),

★ Modern Turkish: ''Osmanlı İmparatorluğu'' (Ottoman Empire),

★ Arabic: ''Dawlat-e Ālīa-ē 'Usmānīah'' (The Sublime Ottoman State),

★ Bulgarian: ''Османска империя'',

★
In diplomatic circles, the Ottoman government was often referred to as the "Sublime Porte", a literal translation of the Ottoman Turkish ''Bâb-ı Âlî'', which was the only gate of the imperial Topkapı Palace that was open to foreigners, and where the Sultan, Grand Vizier or Viziers greeted the ambassadors.

References

1. Online Etymology Dictionary - "Turk" Online Etymology Dictionary
2. Encyclopædia Britannica: Abd-ul-Mejid, Sultan of Turkey
3. Encyclopædia Britannica: Congress of Berlin (1878)
4. Encyclopædia Britannica: Treaty of Paris (1856)
5. Historic map by John Bartholomew & Co.: Changes in Turkey in Europe, 1856 to 1878
6. A New Map of Turkey in Europe (1789), 1:2,840,000, 56x56 cm. The British Library (BL-MR 43.315.107), London
7. Map of Turkey in Europe and Hungary in the 17th century, engraved by J.Russell, published in Barclay's Universal Dictionary, 1823
8. 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
9. Map of Turkey in Europe and Hungary, drawn and engraved by Sidney Hall, published in the General Atlas of Ancient and Modern Geography, 1827
10. Map of Turkey in Europe by J. Rapkin, published by J & F Tallis, London, Edinburgh & Dublin, c.1850
11. Map of Turkey in Europe by Sidney Hall, printed in colours by Fr. Schenck, Edinburgh and published by A & C Black, c.1856
12. Map of Turkey in Europe by J. Wyld, engraved by N.R. Hewitt and published in Edinburgh by John Thompson & Co., c.1823
13. Map of Turkey in Europe engraved by A. Findlay and published by Thomas Kelly in A New and Complete System of Universal Geography, 1818
14. Map of Turkey in Europe by John Archer, published in The National Encyclopedia Atlas, 1868
15. Map of Turkey in Europe by Keith Johnston. Published in Keith Johnston's The Royal Atlas of Modern Geography, 1861
16. Map of Turkey in Asia engraved by J.Archer, published in The College Atlas, c.1850
17. Map of Turkey in Asia by J. Bartholomew, published in Philips' Imperial Library Atlas (edited by William Hughes), London, 1864
18. Map of Turkey in Asia (Asia Minor) and Transcaucasia" by Keith Johnston, published in Keith Johnston's The Royal Atlas of Modern Geography, 1861
19. Map of Turkey in Asia engraved by J.Russell, published in Barclay's Universal Dictionary, 1823
20. Map of Turkey in Asia engraved by Sidney Hall and published in Black's General Atlas, Edinburgh, 1846
21. Map of Turkey in Asia in Kelly's New System of Universal Geography, 1828
22. Map of Turkey in Asia published in Cooke's Geography, 1817
23. Map of the Turkish Empire in Europe and Asia, by George Cram, c.1890
24. Map of the Turkish Empire (Natoliam modern, Turcia Turcicive Imperii) published by De Jode, c.1590
25. Map of the Turkish Empire (Imperium Turcicum in Europa, Asia et Africa; regiones proprias, tributarias, clientelares) by Johann Baptist Homann, c.1720
26. Map of the Turkish Empire (Imperium Turcicum complectens Europae, Asiae et Africae) by P. Schenk, Amsterdam, c. 1720
27. Map of the Turkish Empire by Jodocus Hondius, 1607. Published in English by Michael Sparke, London, 1635
28. Map of the Turkish Empire (1844)
29. Map of the Turkish Empire in Europe and Asia, published by Letts, London, 1883
30. Turcicum Imperium
31. Turcicum Imperium
32. Map of the Turkish Empire from the Mercator Atlas, published by Jodocus Hondius, Amsterdam, 1606
33. O.Özgündenli, ''"Persian Manuscripts in Ottoman and Modern Turkish Libraries"'', Encyclopaedia Iranica, Online Edition, (LINK)