TRENDEFRARAtlas of the Sultans · Wars, battles and treaties
Siege · 1696
Azov, at the mouth of the Don, was according to the TDV article on Azov a fortress town of three sections within one wall, defended by 13,000 soldiers and many guns. At the end of the 17th century Tsar Peter I besieged Azov with a large army to give Russia an outlet to the Black Sea. When the ninety-five-day siege of 1695 failed, Peter built a fleet on the Don, besieged the fortress by land and sea with 31,000 men and 170 guns, and received its surrender (6 August 1696); the garrison then numbered 7,000. The fall of Azov strengthened Russia's hand in the Karlowitz negotiations, and the fortress was ceded to Russia by the Treaty of Constantinople in 1700. The 215 ships built at Azov between 1696 and 1711 formed the first regular Russian navy; the fortress was recovered after the victory on the Pruth in 1711.
| Date | 1695 – 6 August 1696 |
|---|---|
| Location | Azov, at the mouth of the Don |
| Result | The 1695 siege was repulsed; in 1696 the fortress surrendered to the Russians |
| Belligerents | Ottoman Empire | Tsardom of Russia |
|---|---|---|
| Commanders | Peter I |
Took place during the reign of Mustafa II (1695–1703). Mustafa II
The atlas records this territorial change for the year:
By the atlas's calculation the Ottoman lands covered about 4,764,000 km² in 1696; at the start of Mustafa II's reign they measured 4,824,000 km², at its end 4,704,000 km².
During Mustafa II (1695–1703) the atlas records 0 regions gained and 2 regions lost.
Regions lost: Azov–Kuban (1696), Podolia (Kamianets) (1699).
The sultan who signed Karlowitz. For the first time the Ottomans gave up territory at the peace table; the treaty is counted as the formal beginning of the age of decline and permanently changed how the state positioned itself towards Europe.
Areas are land area computed from the atlas's region data; see Method and sources.
Source: TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, “AZAK” (Turkish); text written for the atlas.
Cite as: Atlas of the Sultans, “Azov campaigns (1695–1696): Date, Commanders and Outcome”, https://padisahlaratlasi.com/en/events/azov-campaigns-1695-1696/ (last updated 12 November 2026). Corrections