Antique Map of Turkey in Asia by Vuillemin, Anatolia and Mesopotamia, circa 1845

About this sheet

This antique map of Turkey in Asia, titled simply Turquie d'Asie, was drawn by Alexandre Vuillemin for his atlas published in Paris in the 1840s. It is plate 25, with the engraving by Lale.

The Ottoman provinces of Asia are shown from the Bosporus and the Aegean to the Caucasus and Persia, with Syria, Palestine and Mesopotamia down to Bassora at the head of the Persian Gulf. Towns including Smyrne, Konieh, Erzeroum, Alep, Damas, Jérusalem, Mossoul and Bagdad are named, a small inset corner shows Egypt and the Isthmus of Suez, and the frontiers are outlined in green and red.

Alexandre Vuillemin was a prolific Parisian geographer of the middle of the nineteenth century, and his atlases of ancient and modern geography were widely used in French schools and homes. The maps are finely engraved, framed by a neat decorative border, and signed Dressé par A. Vuillemin at the lower left, with the engraver Lale credited at the lower right. The outline colour on this example appears to be original to the period.

It is an attractive and well detailed map at an accessible price, ideal for framing on its own or as part of a group of nineteenth century maps of the region. Beyond its decorative appeal, a map of this kind records the place names, routes and political divisions known to travellers, merchants and scholars of its day, which gives it lasting value as a historical document.

The sheet is in good condition for its age, with light toning and a few small spots in the margins; the image itself is clean and crisp.

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.