The delegation of Sultan Abdulaziz (1866-1876) AD to the Western Europe 1867AD.

Abstract

The rule of the Ottoman Sultans was always characterized by strength and greatness, and by adopting the titles that indicates universality, and according to that, there was no Ottoman Sultan took the initiative to open up the door politically to the western Europe, or even to make a personal visit or a tour. This remained until Sultan Abdulaziz broke this centuries-old principles before his ascension to the power in 1866. And based on this, the official delegation that have been led by Sultan Abdulaziz to the kings of Europe in 1867 which caused a stir in both of the Ottoman and the European spheres. It was a turning point that began with a change in the Ottoman ideology toward the "infidel" west and to be open to others.

The immediate reason for this visit was at the invitation of the French Emperor Napoleon III. As the Ottoman Empire was suffering from degradation and corruption in the nineteenth century AD, and these reforms came within various economic, social, political, administrative, and other areas.

And it is worth noting that this official visit was a near-comprehensive tour to the most important European capitals (Paris, London, Vienna), which have been left significant impacts on the field of reforms or "Tanzimat".