Subject: Istanbul, Turkey
Period: 1720 (circa)
Publication:
Color: Hand Color
Size:
22.7 x 19.3 inches
57.7 x 49 cm
This is one of the most decorative maps of the strategic region between the Mediterranean and Black seas. A large inset features a bird's-eye view of the Dardanelles with several ships engaged in battle in the Sea of Marmara with Constantinople in the background. This decorative inset is framed with coats-of-arms, flags, shields and figures representing "civilized" Europe on the left and "barbaric" Asia on the right. The lower third of the sheet is a finely rendered bird's-eye panorama of Constantinople viewed from the north, probably from the heights of Pera. A legend names and locates 30 important buildings, such as the Seraglio, Hagia Sophia, several mosques, etc. The Galata Tower is shown, as is the entrance to the Golden Horn before any bridges were built.
References: Manasek #70.
Condition: B+
Original color on a watermarked sheet with faint scattered foxing, an archivally repaired short centerfold separation that just enters the image at bottom, and a minor damp stain in the bottom right corner. There is faint toning along the centerfold as well as a few small worm holes that have been infilled with archival materials, including one along the neatline at bottom with a minor amount of the image replaced in facsimile.