1595 Turcici Imperii Descriptio

By: Abraham Ortelius Date: 1595 (published) Antwerp Dimensions: 15 x 19.5 inches (31 x 33.8 cm) This is an authentic antique map of the Middle East, Turkey and the Eastern Mediterreanean by Abraham Ortelius. The map was published out of Antwerp in 1595 as part of the Latin edition of “Theatrum Orbis Terrarum.” The map is based on Ortelius' own map of Asia, which was derived from the work of Italian mapmaker Giacomo Gastaldi of 1561. It shows a relatively accurate depiction of the Red Sea but a misshapen Persian Gulf and Caspian Sea. While the coastline of the Arabian Peninsula is shown with great detail, many of the inland place names and their locations are taken from antiquity and legend rather than actual reports of exploration. The map is loaded with detail, showing mountains chains, and river systems, as well as numerous villages and important cities, such as Rome, Tripoli, Athens, Constantinople, Cairo, Jerusalem, and Mecca. Decorative elements within the map include four sailin