[OTTOMAN EXPEDITION OF CAPPADOCIA FOR THE 1911 CHOLERA EPIDEMIC] Konya Sihhiye Müfettisligi'nin 16 Tesrinievvel 1327 tarihli rapordur ki Ürgüp'te zuhur eden koleraya dairdir [i.e., The report related to the cholera outbreak in Ürgüp in the year 1327]

KONYA PROVINCE MEDICAL INSPECTORATE.

Konya Sihhiye Müfettisligi, Konya, AH 1327 = [1911 CE].

COMPLETE TITLE: Konya Sihhiye Müfettisligi'nin 16 Tesrinievvel 1327 tarihli mezkûr müfettislige takdim olunan rapordur ki [1]327 senesi Ürgüp'te zuhur eden koleraya dairdir.; Vilâyetin topografya-yi sihhiye ve harita-yi sihhiyesi. Koleranin yaninda döneminin kizamik, kizil gibi hastaliklara da dair bilgi içerir. Ikinci bölümde su baslik mevcuttur: Mecelle-i Memâlik-i Osmaniye'ye ait minvallere cevabât yazilarak Üsküp Kaymakamligi'na takdim olunan 'Müslüman Sihhiye' raporu [i.e., This is the report presented to the Konya Sanitary Inspectorate on the 16th of Teshrin-i Evvel, 1327, which is related to the cholera outbreak in Ürgüp in the year 1327. It includes the province's sanitary topography and health map. In addition to cholera, the report contains information about diseases such as measles, scarlet fever, and other illnesses of the period. The second section has the following title: "The 'Muslim Sanitary' report submitted to the Üsküp District Governor, with responses written according to the regulations of the Mecelle-i Memâlik-i Osmaniye].

Original registry book bound in grey Art Nouveau cloth. All edges marbled. The endpapers are printed with "The English Manufactory of Book and Register." The front cover bears the printed title “Ζυγολογιον” (Zugologion) in Greek. Occasional foxing, otherwise, a fine copy. Demy 8vo (22 x 15 cm). In Ottoman Turkish (Arabic script). 52 pages are written out of approximately 200 blank pages, containing a complete report, one folding hand-drawn coloured map, and three tables.

Extremely rare and unpublished Ottoman manuscript report documenting the Cholera Expedition organized by the Konya Province Medical Inspectorate during the epidemic in Prokopi (Ürgüp) in 1911 and presented to the Konya Sanitary Inspectorate on October 16, 1911. This detailed report offers a firsthand account not only of the cholera outbreak but also of other prevalent diseases in the region, including measles, frengi (syphilis, pox), various types of humma (fevers), and more than fifteen other conditions, along with notes on their frequency. It features a folded, hand-drawn, and coloured map titled Ürgüp Bölgesi Sağlık Haritası [i.e., Prokopi Region Sanitary and Epidemic Map], which provides invaluable information on the demographic structure of the area. The report also includes three statistical tables recording demographic, historical, and religious data under the headings "Muslim" and "Non-Muslim".

Dated 1329 AH at the end of the first 10-page report. The second part is titled "Mecelle-i Memâlik-i Osmaniye'ye Ait Minvallere Cevabât Yazılarak Üsküp Kaymakamlığı'na Takdim Olunan Müslüman Sıhhiye Raporu" [i.e., Muslim Health Report Submitted to the Ürgüp (Prokopi) District Governor]. Following this, the next chapter, titled "Usûl-i Sıhhiye" [i.e., Sanitary Method], provides detailed information on various epidemics, their historical contexts, treatments, and preventive measures. The manuscript is highly legible, written neatly in black, blue, and red ink.

The Ottoman lands, serving as a bridge between Asia and Europe, were repeatedly devastated by epidemic diseases that emerged at various times. In the 19th century, the primary source of these outbreaks was cholera morbus, which originated in India, in the lower Bengal delta between the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers. By the early 19th century, cholera had become a global threat. It first appeared within Ottoman territories in 1822 and continued to reemerge in subsequent outbreaks. Due to its strategic geographic position, the Ottoman Empire was particularly vulnerable, and cholera caused significant loss of life throughout the 19th century. Even by the early 20th century, cholera remained a serious public health problem.

The years from 1910 to 1913 marked one of the most disastrous periods in the history of the Ottoman Empire. The cholera epidemic was a major factor contributing to this calamity. Early cases were diagnosed on July 15, 1910, in Erzurum, imported from Russia, after which the disease quickly spread within the empire. Cholera reached Istanbul on September 1 and spread rapidly. This alarming situation necessitated the mobilization of all civilian and military resources. Despite these efforts, Istanbul, with its intense human traffic, became a major center of cholera in the empire. During the same period, cases also entered Iraq from Iran and spread from Italy to Libya, fueling outbreaks in adjacent regions.

This wave of epidemic subsided by January 1911. According to official records, between July 15, 1910, and January 12, 1911, cholera claimed 4,023 lives. However, in May 1911, cholera reappeared in Samsun and rapidly spread throughout the empire, infecting 18,876 people, of whom 12,143 died. The crises continued through 1912 and 1913, years during which the foundations of the Ottoman Empire were further weakened by the Balkan Wars, military defeats, territorial losses, an influx of refugees, and the devastating toll of the ongoing cholera epidemic. Due to the chaos of the period, no reliable official records survive regarding the total number of cholera patients and deaths during these years. The great epidemic finally began to subside in the autumn of 1913.

In response to the epidemic, the production of Kolle’s cholera vaccine began in the Ottoman Empire in 1912, and it was administered for the first time in 1913. (Unat).

"The cholera and plague pandemics of the 19th and early 20th centuries shaped Ottoman state-building and expansionist efforts in Iraq and the Gulf in significant ways. For Ottoman officials, these pandemics brought attention to the possible role of Qajar and British subjects in spreading cholera and plague, as well as the relationship between Iraq's ecology and recurring outbreaks. These developments paved the way for the expansion of Ottoman health institutions, such as quarantines, and the emergence of new conceptions of public health in the region. Specifically, quarantines proved instrumental not only to the delineation of the Ottoman-Qajar border but also to defining an emerging Ottoman role in shaping Gulf affairs. Moreover, the Ottomans’ use of quarantines and simultaneous efforts to develop sanitary policies informed by local ecological realities signal a localized and ad hoc approach to disease prevention that has been overlooked. Ultimately, this study demonstrates that environmental factors operating on global and regional scales were just as important as geopolitical factors in shaping Ottoman rule in Iraq and the Gulf during the late Ottoman period." (Bolanos, Cambridge online).

This manuscript is crucial in the context of the Sixth Cholera Pandemic (1899–1923), as it provides direct insight into the Ottoman Empire’s response to the cholera outbreak in the early 20th century, a pivotal moment within the broader global epidemic. The Sixth Cholera Pandemic was one of the most severe waves of the disease, spreading from India through the Middle East, Africa, and parts of Europe, and it reached the Ottoman territories with devastating effects. The manuscript’s documentation of the cholera epidemic in Ürgüp (Prokopi) in 1911, including the detailed medical report, demographic data, and sanitary maps, highlights how the Ottoman authorities handled the crisis during this period of widespread disease. It offers invaluable information on the public health measures implemented by Ottoman officials, such as quarantine efforts, disease surveillance, and medical responses, which were key strategies during the Sixth Cholera Pandemic. Furthermore, it also reflects the empire’s evolving approach to managing epidemics and shaping public health policies, making it a key historical document that contributes to understanding the impact of the pandemic on the Ottoman Empire’s medical practices, social dynamics, and territorial management. This manuscript thus offers an essential historical record of how the empire coped with the cholera crisis in the context of the global pandemic, positioning it as an important resource for researchers studying the broader epidemiological landscape of the time.  

Prokopi is a settlement in Central Asia Minor, situated on a plateau at an altitude of 1,200 meters above sea level. It lies near the confluence of four tributaries of the Alys River (Kızılırmak), which flows north of Ürgüp, approximately 10 km from the settlement. It has been suggested that the name Ürgüp is the Turkish version of the Greek name Prokopi, which is believed to refer to St. Prokopios. However, there is no evidence to support the existence of a church dedicated to him. Levidis proposed that the ancient name of the settlement was Osiana, a theory also adopted by the traveler Charles Texier. Ürgüp was home to Muslims, Turkish-speaking Greek-Orthodox Christians, and some Armenians. There are conflicting reports about the population. Farasopoulos mentions 15,000 Muslims and 5,000 Christians, while a 1919 state inventory indicates that Ürgüp had 12,500 Muslims, 6,000 Greek-Orthodox Christians, and 15-20 Armenian families.