Galichian R., Historic Maps of Armenia the Cartographic Heritage

Fig. 35

A map from the Bononie edition of Ptolemy’s Geography, printed in Rome in 1482. The atlas is on vellum and is beautifully preserved with original colours.

This untitled map (Tabula 17) is unusual in containing both Armenia Minor and Armenia Maior in one single map. In the other Ptolemaic maps these two parts of Armenia are usually depicted on two separate maps of Asia Minor and Armenia (Tabula I Asiae and Tabula III Asiae), but here thecartographerhasdecidedtocombinethedatafromthetwomapsandprepareonesinglework. Thus the emphasis of the map falls on the two Armenias and Cappadocia.

Here, oddly, the seas are coloured green and the mountain ranges are shown blue. All the major townsofthePtolemaictextareshown.

The names of most of the Armenian cities appearing in Figs 32 and 33 are present in this map too. TheseincludeMelitene, Satala, Artaxata (Artashat),Armauira (Armavir),Tigranocerta, Baugauana

(Bagrewan), Arsamosata (Arshamashat),Naxuana (Nakhijevan), Chorsa (Kars),Thospitis (Van) andTerva (Yerevan).

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Fig. 36

This ‘Map of the World’ is from Ptolemy’s Geography, prepared by Martin Waldseemüller, edited by Eszler and Ubelin, and printed in Strasbourg (Argentorati) in the year 1513. It is one of the additional maps appended to the original 27 by the author.

The world is surrounded by the 12 main winds and is divided into the climatic zones. The seas are coloured blue, except the Red Sea, which is red. The mountains are green. Armenia Maior and Minor are shown between the Black (Pontus Euxinus) and the Caspian (Hyrcanean) Seas. The Indian Ocean is shown landlocked and the limits of the known world are left incomplete.

Size 61x45cm

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Fig.37

This map of Asia Minor is from Ptolemy’s Geography, prepared by Waldseemüller, edited by Eszler and Ubelin, and printed in Strasbourg (Argentorati) by Schott in 1513. It is one of the additional maps appended to the original 27 maps by the author. The map depicts Anatolia and Armenia Minor.

This map is called ‘Tabula Nova Asie Minoris’ (New Map of Asia Minor) and shows Asia Minor with only a few towns and landmarks depicted inland, while details are given for the shorelines andcoastaltowns.Thisimpliesthatthemapwaspossiblymadefornavigationalpurposes.Compare it with Fig. 33, where all the inland towns are also shown.

Size 61x45cm

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Figs 38 to 42

These pages show five reproductions from the text of Ptolemy’s Geography, prepared by Lorenzo Fries (Latin name – Laurentius Phrisias) and printed by J. Grüninger of Strasbourg (Argentorati in Latin) in 1522. These are the first geographical gazetteers, showing lists of place-names with their geographical coordinates.

The first two pages list the names, in Latin and Greek, as well as providing the coordinates, of 79 towns in Armenia Minor, the map of which is shown in ‘Tabula I Asiae’ (First Map of Asia).

The next three pages contain a geographical description of Armenia Maior, as well as giving the names of 85 towns, again in Latin and Greek, including their coordinates. In the Ptolemaic atlases Armenia Maior is usually shown on ‘Tabula III Asiae’ (Third Map of Asia). Before starting on the gazetteer, the author provides detailed descriptions of the geography and topography of Armenia.

Size30x39cm

British Library – London, Maps C.1.d.11

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