Views of Africa · 18th century
€ 240
One of a kind: this is the sheet in the photographs. Ships from Langweer, the Netherlands.
Very good condition. Light general age toning and a faint central crease. Folding lines as issued. Slight edge wear, mostly in the margin. Clear plate mark and strong impression. Verso blank.
Waterworks Structure and Plan in Grand Cairo – Aqueduct System, Egypt 1776
This original architectural engraving from 1776 illustrates the ground plan and elevation of a structure associated with the water supply system of Grand Cairo, likely part of the medieval aqueduct system that once brought water from the Nile into the city. The engraving is Plate X from the Dutch edition of Richard Pococke’s travel account, documenting his explorations through Egypt and the Middle East.
The upper part of the image shows a hexagonal architectural ground plan featuring a central core structure connected by a passage or channel labeled d. Around the outer walls, several rectangular recesses or basins labeled a are arranged in symmetry. This geometric precision suggests it may have been a water storage or regulation chamber, possibly serving as a central reservoir or part of a larger filtration and distribution system.
Below the plan, the elevation view reveals a sturdy stone building with arched arcades on one side and a crenellated parapet along the roofline. The structure combines practical engineering with fortified architecture, typical of water infrastructure in Islamic Cairo during the Mamluk and Ottoman periods.
The Dutch caption beneath the image reads "De Platte Grond van, en Opstal boven de Kom der Waterleiding te Groot Kairo," which translates as "The ground plan and elevation above the basin of the water conduit in Grand Cairo." It was engraved after a drawing by J de Bosch.
This plate comes from the work *Beschryving van het Oosten en van eenige andere landen* (Description of the East and Some Other Lands), the Dutch edition of Pococke’s well-known travels, translated and annotated by Ernst Willem Cramerus and published in Utrecht, Rotterdam, and Amsterdam in 1776.
Condition report:
Very good condition. Light general age toning and a faint central crease. Folding lines as issued. Slight edge wear, mostly in the margin. Clear plate mark and strong impression. Verso blank.
Framing tips:
Frame in black or walnut wood with a wide cream or off-white mat. The strong architectural lines and historic subject matter make this engraving ideal for display in a study, hallway, or historical collection focused on urban infrastructure or Middle Eastern architecture.
Technique: Engraving
Maker: J de Bosch after Richard Pococke, Netherlands, 1776
