Encampment Of Omer Pacha Near Souchoum Kaleh

Description

This engraving depicts the camp of Omer Pasha at a point on the Black Sea coast during the Crimean War, specifically near Souchoum-Kaleh (today’s Sohumkale/Sokhumi, Abkhazia). In 1854–1855, the Ottoman army sent forces to this region to open a front through Circassia and Georgia. This operation aimed to keep the Russian army away from Crimea and to break its influence in the eastern Black Sea region. In late 1855, Omer Pasha landed on the eastern shores of the Black Sea with 30,000 soldiers. The camps included strategic ports such as Sohumkale, Redut Kale and Poti. In the engraving, tents of various sizes are spread out on the mountainside, indicating that the camp was temporary but large-scale. The high mountains and the coastline dominate the composition; the engraving conveys both geography and military order. In the foreground, Omer Pasha inspects the field with his cavalry. In the background, warships or transport ships anchored off the coast are seen.