Leaf from an Illuminated Ottoman Manuscript – Sketch of Three Houses of Worship in Istanbul – Sketch of the "Hemdat ...

Leaf from an Illuminated Ottoman Manuscript – Sketch of Three Houses of Worship in Istanbul – Sketch of the "Hemdat Israel" Synagogue
A leaf from an Ottoman manuscript, depicting three architectural masterpieces in Istanbul: the Süleymaniye Mosque, the "Hemdat Israel" Synagogue and the Hagia Sophia Byzantine Church. [Istanbul?, ca. early 20th century].
The leaf features impressive sketches, accompanied by Arabic numerals and calligraphic headings (Turkish in Arabic characters), depicting three historical houses of prayer in Istanbul: The Hagia Sophia Byzantine church (built in the 6th century), The Süleymaniye Mosque (built in the 16th century) and the Hemdat Israel Synagogue (built in 1899).
Each building is shown in elevation, with a ground plan and ornamental details. A seven-branched Menorah depicted by the synagogue. Decorative border; with two Ottoman stamps, a calligraphic inscription in red ink (signature?) and several small inscriptions.
The "Hemdat Israel" Synagogue opened for prayers on Rosh Hashana 1899, after repeated attempts of Greek and Armenian residents to prevent its establishment. When the rumor of these attempts reached the Turkish Sultan, Abdul Hamid II, he sent a guard to ensure the building could be completed and left it to guard the worshippers after the opening of the synagogue. As a token of gratitude, the synagogue was named "Hemdat Israel" (the word Hemdat is close to the name Hamid).
The text on verso is written in fine script, in black and red ink (divided to four pages).
[1] leaf (two conjoined sheets), approx. 43X66 cm. Good condition. Stains. Fold lines and creases. Small holes, small closed and open tears to edges. Separation to seam.