Antique Panorama of Constantinople with Numbered Key, circa 1685

An original antique copper engraving, uncolored, circa 1685, showing a panorama of Constantinople. The banderole across the top reads "Die Statt CONSTANTINOPEL in Türckeÿ", the city of Constantinople in Turkey.

The city stretches along the far shore across the full width of the plate, a dense skyline of domes, minarets, towers and roofs, with small key numbers engraved above the principal buildings. Boats move on the water in front of it. On the near shore stands a walled town with round towers, gates and steep roofs, and beyond the hills on the right more buildings rise among trees. In the foreground small figures walk along the paths at left and center, and at lower right two men in turbans lead a pack of hunting dogs. Beneath the view runs a key in German, numbered 1 to 29 with one further entry marked by a cross. Among the entries are "3 S. Sophia Kirch" (the church of Saint Sophia, Hagia Sophia), "7 Kirch des Sultan Baiachet" (the mosque of Sultan Bayezid), "8 Des Solimans Kirch" (the mosque of Süleyman), "26 Die Hohe Schul" (the high school), "27 Das Haus Ibrahim basa" (the house of Ibrahim Pasha) and "28 Der gefangnen Thurn" (the prisoners' tower). The key calls the mosques churches throughout.

The publisher's line at lower right reads "Bey Iacob Koppmayr", at Jacob Koppmayr's. No artist, engraver or date is lettered.

The view was published in Augsburg by Jakob Koppmayer (1640 to 1701), printer and publisher, about 1685. Hagia Sophia, numbered 3 in the key, was built under the Emperor Justinian in 532 to 537 and served as a mosque after the Ottoman conquest of the city in 1453.

Light uneven toning, browner towards the edges. A few small foxing spots in the margin. Slight wear at the top left corner. Minor edge wear, shallow nicks along the left and top. Folding line as issued.

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