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Description
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door Carsten Niebuhr., Dutch translation of an important and famous account of the Danish royal expedition to the Middle East, Egypt, Persia and India (1761-67), the first scientific expedition to this area. The original German edition was published two years earlier, in Copenhagen. Niebuhr's account is here bound with the Dutch translation of Michaëlis's work, containing a review of the first. "The expedition had been proposed by the Hebrew scholar Johann David Michäelis of Göttingen for the purpose of illustrating certain passages of the Old Testament, and initially envisaged only a single traveller, possible an Arabic scholar. However, the idea rapidly blossomed into a fully-fledged scientfiic expedition. The team eventually assembled, for which there was no appointed leader, included Niebuhr as surveyor, along with Friedrich Christian von Haven, Peter Forskall, Christian Carl Kramer, Georg Bauernfeind, and a Swedish ex-soldier named Berggren" (Howgego). - Carsten Niebuhr (1733-1815) was the sole survivor, and his work represents an important contribution to the study of the Middle East. His map of Yemen, the first exact map of the area ever, remained the standard for the next 200 years. The plates include views of the mosques of Mecca and Medina, and 6 maps including the map of Yemen and of the Gulf of Suez. Furthermore it contains Arabic specimens from the Qur'an, with vowel points and decorations hand coloured. Niebuhr's "accounts are probably the best and most authentic of their day" (Cox). - In fine condition; only minor foxing in a couple of plates. Wholly untrimmed, with all deckles intact. Binding rubbed and with some abrasions, but structurally sound. Important contribution to the study of the Middle East., Main Heritage Shelves General, DS206 .N54 1774, Book, Item-ID: i22622238, BIB-ID: 1510948 |
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Format
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print, xxxi, 408 pages, 14 unnumbered pages, 25 plates (some folded : including illustrations, maps, portraits) ; 29 cm, unmediated, volume |
