Ptolemaic Maps

Claudius Ptolemy lived in Alexandria, Egypt between the years 87 - 165 AD. He is one of the most important contributors to the development of cartography.

Ptolemy's is the first known projection of the sphere onto a plane. His work titled GEOGRPHIA remained to be the principal work on the subject until Renaissance and inspiration for later cartographers.

Unfortunately none of his maps have survived to our time. However, there are a quite a number of later reconstructions. As cartographic knowledge they represent Ptolemy's time. Below are some of the important examples.

PRIMA ASIAE TABULA, Rome, c. 1507

SWEYNHEYM, Conrad

Copperplate print with contemporary colour from the Atlas In Hoc Operae Haec Continetur... printed by Bernardinus Venetus de Vitalibus. The map shows Anatolian peninsula, the Aegean islands and Cyprus which looks quite out of shape.

TABULA NOVA ASIE MINORIS, Strasbourg c. 1513

WALDSEEMUELLER, Martin (1470 - 1521)

This is woodcut map with contemporary colour from the Atlas Ptolemeus Auctus Resitutus Emaculutas. The Atlas was printer by Johannes SCHOTUS. The map shows almost whole of present day Turkey. Mountains are depicted in clusters of rocks. Size 348 x 492 mm.

TABU NOVA ASIAE MI, Strasbourg c. 1522

WALDSEEMUELLER, Martin (1470 - 1521)

This is black and white woodcut map from the Atlas Claudii Ptolemei .... Opus Geographie printed by Johannes SCHOTUS. Although the map is very similar to one above, Cyprus is drawn quite wrong. Size 262 x 477.

TABULA ASIAE I, Venice c. 1548

GASTALDI, Giacomo (1500 - 1565)

This is a black and white copperplate print from the Atlas La Geografia Di Claudio Ptolemeo Alessandrino. On the verso are the names of the major cities of Asia Minor and a table showing their distances from Alexandria according to the scale of Ptolemy. The capital of Ottoman Empire is shown as Bursa 96 years later after the conquest of Constantinople (Istanbul). The locay vessels and imaginary animals and sea monsters make this map quite decorative.

TABULA ASIAE I, Venice c. 1561

VALGRISI, Vincenzo

This is a black and white copperplate print from the Atlas La Geografia Di Claudio Tolemeo Alessandrino.

 

NATOLIA NUOVA TAVOLA, Venice, c. 1598

RUSCELLI, Girolamo (1504 - 1566)

This is a black and white copperplate print from the Atlas Geografia Di Claudio Tolemeo Alessandrino. Size 180 x 247 mm.

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ASIA MINOR, Utrecht, c. 1695

MERCATOR, Gerard (1512 - 1594)

This is a copperplate print from Mercator's Atlas Claudii Ptolemai Tabulae Geographicae. This is quite a detailed map with a decorative cartouche and sea monsters. The full title of the map is Tab I Asie In Qua Galatia, Cappadocia, Pontus, Bithynia, Aisa Minor, Pamphylia, Lycia Ac Clicia. Size 360 x 454 mm.

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