This map shows the Ottoman Empire as it was conceived in Europe in the last quarter of the 17th century. It is a reprint, dated 1679, of an earlier edition possibly included in a series of world atlases published by Nicolas Sanson (1600−1667) in the middle of the century. The map shows geological features, such as rivers, deserts, and mountain ranges. Cities and towns are indicated, and colored lines are used to mark the borders of kingdoms. An inset map at the lower left shows the extension of the southern coast of the Mediterranean, westward to Algeria. Place-names are in French. Sanson is considered by many to be the founder of the French school of cartography. Originally from Abbeville, he was also known as Sanson d’Abbeville. He was trained as a military engineer but became a prolific cartographer who produced more than 300 maps. Around 1643, he began publishing maps, working with publisher Pierre Mariette. In the period from the 16th to the 18th centuries, French, British, and Dutch mapmakers competed to supply the growing demand for maps of the East as European commerce expanded in regions beyond the Mediterranean. Sanson was among the early cartographer-publishers to profit from this demand. He established a dynasty of geographers and mapmakers that endured for a century.