Antique Map of Northern Syria, Aleppo and Antioch, 1780

An original antique copper engraved map, published in 1780, of the country between the Mediterranean coast and the Euphrates. No title is engraved in the margin of this sheet.

MARE MEDITERRANEUM is lettered across the upper left, with Ladakîa on the coast and the gulf of Scanderone reaching inland at the top, ADENE at the top border beyond it. Below the coast lie Suedie, ANTAKI and Sehugr, with the river lettered Orontes v. Assi Fl. running through the hill country, which is drawn in hachured bands. Further inland stand HALEB, Kinisrin ruin, Aintâb and Bîr v. Bîradsjik on the Euphrates, lettered Euphrat Fl., with Orfa at the bottom right. Routes are drawn as dotted lines between the towns. At the lower left a panel headed Latitudo Locorum gives latitudes for Bîr adsjik, Haléb, Antiochien, Beilân, Ladakîa and Àdene, above a scale lettered Schaale van 10 Duitsche Mylen and Echelle de 10 Miles d'Allemagne. A compass rose is engraved at the left and degree scales run along the top and bottom borders.

The plate number Tab. LII. is engraved at the upper right, and the engraver's credit C. H. Koning fec. is lettered below the lower left corner.

This sheet belongs to volume two of Niebuhr's Voyage en Arabie, translated from the German (Traduit de l'Allemand) and published at Amsterdam by S. J. Baalde and at Utrecht by Barthelemy Wild in 1780. Carsten Niebuhr (1733 to 1815), a German born surveyor in Danish service, was the only member of the Danish expedition to Arabia (1761 to 1767) to return alive. The expedition's artist, Georg Wilhelm Baurenfeind, died at sea in 1763.

Light uneven toning, browner toward the edges. Handling soiling along the bottom edge. Scattered light foxing in the margin. Slight wear at the bottom right and top left corners. Minor edge wear, shallow nicks along the left and right.

This is an original antique print, not a modern reproduction. This item is sold unframed.