1812 Asie Mineure, Armenie, Caucase, Syrie, etc.
By: Conrad Malte-Brun
Date: 1812 (Published) Paris
Dimensions: 8.6 x 11.5 inches (21.8 x 29.2 cm)
This finely engraved map of Asia Minor is embellished with the image of the ancient Anatolian earth goddess/fertility figure Cybele.
The map features the area from modern day Bulgaria in the west to the Caspian Sea and Mesopotamia in the east, and from the northern shores of the Black Sea as far south as the Nile tributary and a significant portion of the Arabian peninsula. Much information is provided by the map both geographical and topographical, including the sites and names of virtually all ancient Greek cities and settlements and the names of ancient Anatolian and Mesopotamian kingdoms and peoples. Terrain is shown in hachure, and all major river systems and mountain chains are depicted and named.
The statue of Cybele or Artemis as she was known to the Greeks, is thought to originally have been in the inner sanctuary of the Artemision, the Temple to Artemis in Ephesus, which was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. The temple was built by Croesus of Lydia, whose wealth it is said came from the sands of the River Pactolus in which the legendary King Midas washed his hands to rid himself of the 'Midas Touch'. That Croesus was an actual historical figure is suggested by the inscription bearing his name on a column housed in the British Museum taken from the ruins of the Artemision. In antiquity the temple was known both for its beauty and its enormous size, measuring 350 x 180 feet, and housing remarkable works of art from its dedication till its destruction by the Goths in 262 AD.
Condition: This map is in A condition with original outline coloring. This map is in A condition with original outline coloring.
Inventory #11346
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