Antique Map of Urfa, Diyarbakir, Mardin and Nisibis, 1780

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An original antique copper engraved map, published in 1780, of the country between orfa and djesîre. No title is engraved … Read more An original antique copper engraved map, published in 1780, of the country between orfa and djesîre. No title is engraved in the margin of this sheet. Dotted routes link orfa at the top with soverek, diarbekr, mardîn, nissebin and djesîre near the bottom. The euphrates, lettered euphrat fl., is drawn at the upper right, and the tigris, lettered tiger fl., passes diarbekr and crosses the foot of the sheet. Ranges of hills are hachured in long bands down the right half of the map, and a single great mountain lettered sindsjâr m. Stands alone in the plain at the lower left. Names such as araber tai, kikîe, mullîe and aschetie are lettered across the open country. At the upper left a scale is lettered schaale van 10 duitsche mylen and echelle de 10 miles d'allemagne, above a panel headed latitudo locorum giving latitudes for mardîn, diarbekr and söverek. A compass rose is engraved at the right and degree scales run along the top and bottom borders. The plate number tab. L. Is engraved at the upper right, and the credit c. H. K. F. Is lettered below the lower left corner. The plate comes from the second volume of carsten niebuhr's voyage en arabie & en d'autres pays circonvoisins, tome second, the french translation printed at amsterdam by s. J. Baalde and at utrecht by barthelemy wild, with the title page dated mdcclxxx. Carsten niebuhr (1733 to 1815) was a german born surveyor in danish service and the only member of the danish expedition to arabia (1761 to 1767), sent by king frederick v of denmark, to return alive. The account was first published in german at copenhagen; this is the french translation printed in amsterdam and utrecht. Light uneven toning, browner toward the edges. Marked handling soiling along all four edges. A few small foxing spots in the margin. The bottom left corner is short, outside the printed area. Minor edge wear, shallow nicks along the left. This is an original antique print, not a modern reproduction. This item is sold unframed. Any framed or interior images are shown for presentation and inspiration only, unless the listing explicitly states that the item is sold framed. See less