Irtifa

Irtifa is a Turkish noun meaning height, altitude, or elevation. It is used in everyday language and in technical contexts to denote vertical distance above a reference level, most commonly above sea level. The term appears in fields such as geography, aviation, meteorology, architecture, and astronomy, often with nuance that distinguishes it from related words like yükseklik.

Etymology and usage context: The word originates in Ottoman Turkish, tracing back to Arabic raf‘a, meaning elevation or exaltation. It entered Turkish scientific and geographic vocabulary during the Ottoman period and remains in regular use today.

Geography and engineering: In topography and civil planning, irtifa describes the height of terrain or built objects relative to sea level. Measurements are typically given in meters in civilian contexts, with higher confidence in standardized surveys and maps. In some technical or historical Turkish texts, the term may be paired with deniz seviyesinden (above sea level).

Aviation and navigation: In aviation, irtifa refers to the altitude of an aircraft. It is used in flight planning, air traffic communication, and on altimeters. While metric units (meters) are common in many countries, aviation operations have historically also used feet or flight levels for altitude references.

Astronomy and celestial observation: In astronomy and celestial navigation, irtifa denotes the altitude angle of a celestial object above the horizon, known as the altitude or irtifa açısı.

See also: yükseklik, rakım, deniz seviyesi.