[ILLUSTRATED TRAVELS TO AFGHANISTAN] Resimli Afgan seyâhati. [i.e. Illustrated travels to Afghanistan].

MEHMED FAZLI, (19th-20th century)., Matbaa-i Ahmed Ihsan., Istanbul, [AH 1325] = 1909.

Original illustrated wrappers. Cr. 8vo. (19 x 13 cm). In Ottoman script (Old Turkish with Arabic letters). 105 p., 8 b/w plates.

First edition of this illustrated travel account of one of the exiled Young Turks to Afghanistan, who was invited to the country by the reformist Afghan Emir Habibullah Khan (1872-1919), who was the ruler of Afghanistan from 1901 to 1919.

The news that the reformist Afghan Emir Hamidullah Khan was looking for well-educated Turkish youth to help the development of his country, reached the Young Turks in exile in Egypt. The author of this book, Mehmet Fazli was one of the Young Turks (A reformist group in the early 20th century that favored the replacement of the Ottoman Empire's absolute monarchy with a constitutional government), and he followed this royal invitation and set off with his friends. He reached Kabul via an adventurous journey through Austria-Hungary, Russia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, and Iran. With his guide and friend who was an Afghan and his Turkish friend Hüseyin Hüsni Bey, Fazli met in Cairo and they went to Afghan lands. He described Kabul, Herat, Ghazna, Belh, and Kandahar cities during their travel, wrote about the Afghan Emîr and the dynasty. His book revolves around the many details on Afghan peoples' customs, social life, education, industry, roads, antiquity, postage system and organization, arms and army, etc. The book has a photo of the Afghan Emir beside other attractive illustrations and photographs. (Sources: Afganistan'da Bir Jöntürk: Misir Sürgününden Afgan Reformuna., Prep. by Kenan Karabulut.; History of Geographical Literature during the Ottoman Period., Edited by Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu).

Özege 16749.; OCLC 868007927.; MKAHTBK, II 948.