Galichian R., Historic Maps of Armenia the Cartographic Heritage

Fig. 54

ThisIslamicworldmapisdated977AH/1570CEandisfromthemanuscriptentitledKitâb albad’ wa al-Târikh (BookoftheBeginningsandHistory).ThemanuscriptisattributedtoIbn-Saîdoral- Ðâwî al-Fârsî. The origin of the map, however, goes back to the Islamic cartography of the twelfth or thirteenth centuries.

Herewehaveeastatthetop,whichisunusualforIslamicworldmaps.Themapisalaterversionof the Balkhi school of Islamic cartography and is a good representation of the eastern hemisphere. The depiction of the seas and landmasses here is a near accurate reflection of their relative positions. Here the mountains are brown, seas are dark green, and rivers light green. The climatic zones are also indicated, with red lines.

Constantinople is shown on the narrow strait that connects the Mediterranean to the Black Sea, which would be the representation of the Bosphorus. To the east of the Black Sea is the Caspian Sea, which is the rectangular lake at the centre of the map, with two islands (which do not exist). Below the Caspian (to its west) lies a large mountain mass – possibly the Caucasus – with a second one further south, which is probably the depiction of the Armenian Highlands. Between thetwomountainrangeslies Armanieh,Armenia.Khorasan issituatedtothewestofArmeniaand thecitiesofBab-ul-Abwab(Derbend)andShirwan aretoitsnorth,withintheterritoryofDeilam.To itssouththecitiesofHamadan andBaghdad areshown.

The names of many countries and cities appear across the map. The Indian Ocean at the south of the map is populated by a multitude of islands.

Size c. 285mm dia.

Bodleian Library – Oxford, MS Laud. Or.317 ff 9v–10r

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Fig. 55

Gerardus Mercator’s (1512–94) map of ‘Armenia Maior, Iberia, Colchis et Albania’ from his

Tabulae Geographicae Claudii Ptolemeai isbasedonhisdefinitiveversionoftheGeography andwas printed in 1578, with many later editions. The map has a large and decorative cartouche placed in the Caspian Sea and a sea serpent in the Black Sea. This atlas is one of Mercator’s most important accomplishments.

For biographical data regarding Mercator see Section 10 of ‘A brief history’, above.

There are two major lakes shown in Armenia Maior, Thospitis and Arssis (Arjesh), both of which are Armenian names for Lake Van. The locations of towns and cities are very approximate, a feature common to the Ptolemaic maps. Armenia Minor starts from the western edge of the map. Atropatene (Azerbaijan) is shown to the south of the River Arax, within the territory of Media (Persia).

As in other editions of Ptolemy’s maps, the Armenian towns easily recognizable are Thospitis

(Van),Artameta, Artaxata (Artashat),Armauira (Armavir),Tigranocerta, Baugauana (Bagrewan), Arsamosata (Arshamashat),Naxuana (Nakhijevan), Chorsa (Kars) andTerva (Yerevan).

Size 46x35cm

Private collection – London, Ref. RG29 Also British Library – London, Maps C.1.e.3

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56a

Fig. 56/56a

GerarddeJode(1509–91)wasacontemporaryofMercatorandOrtelius,whoworkedinAntwerp. In the same year that Mercator published his Tabulae Geographicae based on the work of Ptolemy (1578), de Jode published his updated and corrected modern atlas, which was based on the works of Giacomo Gastaldi (1500–65). Gastaldi, after trying his hand at Ptolemaic maps, had prepared an updated set of maps of Europe and Asia, which were published from 1559 to 1564. These were to become the source of de Jode’s maps. Until then only Ortelius had been able to leave Ptolemaic cartographic traditions behind, and in 1570 had produced his Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, which included a collection of much more modern maps.

De Jode’s map is entitled ‘First Part of Asia’ and shows the south-western parts of that continent, including the Persian and Ottoman Empires and the Caucasus. It is from his atlas Speculum Orbis Terrarum (Mirror of the Globe), which dates from 1578 and is very rare. The map shows Armenia, interestingly depicted with two different names. The Eastern part is named ‘Armenia Province’, while the Ottoman-occupied area is named ‘Turcomani’.

The map shows three lakes, whose geographical and relative positions are incorrect. Lake Van, as wellastheregionofShirvan,isshownsouthoftheCaspianSeawithinPersianterritory.Azerbaijan isshownasAdilbegia,andislocatedalongwaysouthoftheCaspian,south-eastofLakeUrmia.The namesoftheArmeniancitiesof Bitlis, Vostan, Van (shownnearLakeUrimiah),Mush andMalazkert (here shown as Malezirt) are recognizable. Generally speaking the locations of towns, as well as routesoftherivers,areveryapproximate.

For a detail of the region of Armenia see Fig. 56a. Size 51x30cm

CourtesyofJonathanPotter,London

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Fig. 57

ThisIslamicmapoftheworldisfromacopyofthePersian translationofal-Qazwînî’sbookAthâr-al Bilâd wa Akhbâr al Ibâd – (Monuments of Places and History of God’s Bondsmen) estimated to date from 1580. This is another version of the much simpler map shown in Fig. 19. The present map is a highly decorative one in silver and gold.

Like many other maps of al-Qazwînî it shows climatic zones and indeed the emphasis of the map is on climatic observations and detailed descriptions. The map has south at top. In the northern zone the inscription reads,

There is not enough sun and due to the cold there are no animals here. The southern climatic zone is inscribed with There is no information about this region and Due to the extreme heat there are no animals in this region.

The north polar area bears the inscription In this region from Aries to Libra is one day and from Libra to Aries is one night. The inscription at the south pole reads From the beginning of Libra to the end of Pisces is one day and from Aries to the end of Virgo – one night. This shows the extent of Islamiccartographers’knowledgeregardingthesolarday cycles, a fact not altered by the possibility that these were added to the original by copiers at a later date.

The sea to the left (east) is the Pacific Ocean and the one in the middle is the Indian Ocean with the Persian Gulf. Arabia is the circular bulge protruding into the Indian Ocean. The River Nile is shown with eight tributaries, which join together to flow into the Mediterranean. The Black Sea branches from the Mediterraneanandextendsnorthwardstojointheocean at the north of the landmass. The Rivers Tigris and EuphratesareshownconnectingtheMediterraneanSea to the Persia Gulf. Parts of the Caspian Sea can be seen partially obscured by the binding in the centrefold of the map. The Rivers Arax and Kura are also depicted joining and flowing into the Caspian, the former connected to the River Tigris and the latter to the Black Sea. Between the Tigris and Arax Rivers the inscription Armanieh (Armenia)can faintly be made out. Armenia is flanked by the cities of Tabriz and Erzerum.

The small rectangular lake at the left (east) of the fold is the Sea of Aral, with the Rivers Jeihun (Oxus, or Amu Darya) and Seihun (Sir Darya) flowing into it.

Size app. 30.5cm dia.

Walters Art Gallery – Baltimore, Ref. W 593 ff 52v–53r

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Fig. 59

The map of ‘Asia’ from Gerardus Mercator’s (1512–94) Atlas sive Cosmographicae Meditationes de Fabrica Mundi et Fabricati Figura,printedinDuisburg,1595,byhissons.

According to the accepted practice of the time, Armenia is here called Turcomania, and is shown divided between the Turkish and the Persian Empires. Most of the details shown are correct, but their geographical locations are not. This is a typical sixteenthand seventeenth-century map of Asia, as produced by many other cartographers of the period.

Size47x38cm

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