This is Ortelius' second map of the Turkish Empire, based on Ortelius' own map of Asia, which was derived from the work of Italian mapmaker Giacomo Gastaldi of 1561. It features the Arabian Peninsula prominently and illustrates the coastlines fairly well but most of the interior information is completely hypothetical with many place names taken from antiquity and legend. The Mare de Mecca (Red Sea) is shown relatively accurately whereas the Mare Elcatif (Persian Gulf) is misshapen due to the exaggerated Arabian shoreline. The map is richly embellished with sailing ships, a sea monster in the Black Sea, and a superb, strapwork title cartouche topped by cherubs and supported by a pair of female, winged sea monsters. Latin text on verso.

References: Ankary #15; Tibbetts #42; Van den Broecke #169.

Condition: A

On watermarked paper with minor soiling and a tiny worm track on the centerfold that has been backed with archival material. There is a faint dampstain in the top blank margin.