GRAVÜR DÜNYASI
Digital Engraving Library
| Date | 1869 |
| Technique | Woodblock Engraving (Newspaper-Text on Reverse) |
| Category | Ottoman Empire And Turkey |
| Source | Le Journal Illustre (October 16 1869) |
This engraving, published in Le Journal Illustre, depicts the arrival of Empress Eugenie, wife of French Emperor Napoleon III, on the Bosphorus aboard the French Imperial Ship Aigle (Eagle), during her voyage to Istanbul from October 11-19, 1869, and the Welcoming Ceremony held by Ottoman Sultan Sultan Abdülaziz aboard the Imperial Barge. This event was a first for the Ottoman Empire. It was the first time a crowned monarch, and a woman at that, paid an official visit to an Ottoman sultan. This event opened a new chapter in the empire's diplomatic protocol, and the impact of the figure of a female ruler in the Ottoman capital resonated widely. Eugenie's arrival in Istanbul symbolized not only the magnificent scenes of ships and barges on the Bosphorus, but also the new diplomatic balance between the Western empires and the Ottoman Empire. The Aigle Ship featured in the engraving represents the arrival of French Emperor Abdülaziz III. It is an imperial yacht built by Napoleon in 1857 and put into service in 1859. The ship had two large masts, a mizzen mast, and steam engines driving the paddle wheels, and could reach a speed of 15 knots. Measuring 90 meters in length and 10.5 meters in width, it was equipped with two 500-horsepower engines. After making numerous voyages in the Mediterranean, her most important mission was to escort Empress Eugénie to the opening of the Suez Canal in October 1869. She was converted into an artillery ship in 1870 and a corvette named Le Rapide in 1873. She was scrapped in 1891.
