Ortelius’ Map of Turkey, Egypt & Tunis

Natoliae quae olim Asia Minor nova descriptio / Aegypti recentior descriptio / Carthaginis celeberrimi sinus typus

Here on one sheet we have three maps: Anatolia or modern Turkey; Egypt; Tunis and ancient Carthage.

An engraved historical note on the map of Carthage indicates that nearby Tunis, which is the focus of the map, was captured for Christendom by the Holy Roman Emperor and King of Spain Charles V in 1535. A version of the truth perhaps, as Charles reinstated the deposed Hafsid Sultan but a Spanish governor resided at Goletta for a generation.

The map was first published in 1570, just after the city had fallen into Ottoman hands, and although it was briefly recaptured Tunis had been Ottoman for 20 years by the time our example of the map was published.

Condition & Materials

Copper engraving, 32 x 49 cm, modern hand colour, conjugate wormhole at centrefold, Latin text on verso.

References 

Van den Broecke 174.2