OTTOMAN MAPS FROM THE SECOND HALF OF THE 19TH CENTURY AS A SOURCE FOR THE HISTORY OF RAILWAYS IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

Authors : Elma Koric

Pages : 437-459

Doi:10.30903/baed.1839806

View : 100 | Download : 131

Publication Date : 2025-12-16

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :In accordance with the idea of the integration of the Ottoman Empire into the political and economic trends in Western Europe, during the time of Sultan Abdulaziz (reigned 1861-1876), an extensive program of economic and political reforms was implemented. Along with the modernization of the administration and the transformation of social relations in the Ottoman Empire, the project also aimed to initiate the construction of infrastructure for communications and transporation, which is why Ottoman investments in railway construction expanded significantly in the second half of the 19th century. As part of the project to connect İstanbul with Vienna, the construction of the first railway from Dobrljin to Banja Luka was completed on the territory of the Bosnian Vilayet in 1872, which, according to the original plans, was supposed to be part of that railway line. This issue has already been addressed in historiography; however, attention here is directed to several Ottoman maps from the second half of the 19th century, which also show other road routes and railways in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It can be assumed that their purpose was primarily informative, while some of them visualized the progress on the construction of the İstanbul-Vienna railway, which was supposed to pass through Bosnia. In addition, some Ottoman maps also depict railways constructed later, during the Austro-Hungarian period. This possibly indicates that Ottoman interest in monitoring the development of infrastructure in the region remained strong at that time.
Keywords : Osmanlı İmparatorluğu, Bosna Vilayeti, 19. yüzyıl, Haritalar

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