Antique Plan of Constantinople, Stamboul, Galata and Scutari, 1847

About this sheet

This is an original antique city plan of Constantinople, steel engraved and published in the atlas of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge. The plan takes in the whole of the old city on its peninsula, the Golden Horn with Galata and Pera on the far shore, and Scutari across the Bosphorus on the Asian side. The Seraglio, Hagia Sophia, the great mosques, the walls of Theodosius and the cemeteries are all marked, and the water is hand colored through the Horn and the straits. The outline and water coloring is original hand color, applied by the publisher before the sheet was bound into the volume.

This is plate number 171 from the third volume of the atlas of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge, Plans of Cities, Stars and Index to Places, issued in London by Charles Knight in 1847. The Society's city plans were drawn from the best local surveys the editors could obtain and were corrected for each new edition, which is why they are still used as evidence of what a city looked like. The plate is lettered as engraved by B. R. Davies.

This is Ottoman Constantinople drawn before the bridges and the nineteenth century quays altered the waterfront, with the city still reading as three separate towns around one harbor. It is one of the most atmospheric plans in the series and one of the few that covers two continents on a single sheet. Framed simply in dark wood or a plain gilt frame it suits a study, a hallway or a dining room, and it is a natural gift for anyone with a tie to the place.

Light uneven toning, browner toward the edges. Marked handling soiling along the bottom edge. Scattered light foxing in the margin. All four corners complete.

This is an original antique map, 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.