agora_oldprints_and_maps

agora_oldprints_and_maps Maps and old prints for;collectors, designers and time travelers

You are invited to follow the route where Ponce de León searched for the legendary “Fountain of Youth”! 🗺️✨This fascinat...
15/06/2026

You are invited to follow the route where Ponce de León searched for the legendary “Fountain of Youth”! 🗺️✨

This fascinating map, newly added to the Agora Old Prints & Maps collection, was drawn in 1754 by Jacques-Nicolas Bellin, the chief hydrographer of the French Royal Navy.

Created using secret charts from the French naval archives, this map carefully shows the historic route (Route de Ponce de Leon) of Juan Ponce de León, the first European to set foot in Florida in 1513. The heart of the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico, and Florida are all here, featuring Bellin’s famous signature pointed peninsula shape. 🌴⚓

With its hand-colored, Rococo-style cartouche in the top right corner, this piece is both a historical document and a unique work of art to decorate your wall.

Click the link in our bio to browse our collection and get more information, or just send us a DM! 📥

🏛️ The immortal spirit of the ancient world through 18th-century eyes: Ephesus.For centuries, Ephesus stood as the grand...
11/06/2026

🏛️ The immortal spirit of the ancient world through 18th-century eyes: Ephesus.

For centuries, Ephesus stood as the grandest cultural and commercial powerhouse of the Mediterranean. Even after its bustling harbor fell silent, its ruins continued to captivate the imagination of early European scholars. Published in Leiden, Netherlands, circa 1721-1725, this authentic hand-colored copperplate engraving is a striking testament to that timeless fascination, based on the celebrated accounts of Pitton de Tournefort and Augustin Calmet.

Spanning a history of over 290 years, this original piece stands as a multi-layered document of early archaeological history.

The composition seamlessly combines an early panoramic view with detailed archaeological studies:

The Bird’s-Eye View: The upper section depicts the Citadel of Ayasuluk (modern-day Selçuk), the ruins of the Church of St. John, and the winding Kaystros (Küçük Menderes) River flowing toward the Aegean Sea as it appeared in its quiet 18th-century state.

The Temple of Artemis (Bottom Left): A historical reconstruction of the lost Wonder of the Ancient World, rendered precisely according to the architectural texts of the Roman author Vitruvius. Drawn long before modern excavations began, it remains a unique illustration inspired by classical texts.

The Cult Statue of Diana Ephesia (Bottom Right): The kinswoman and protectress of the city, the iconic multi-breasted goddess of fertility, adorned with her ceremonial polos (tower crown) and traditional animal relief carvings, inspired by ancient coins and Roman copies.

Measuring 32 x 43 cm (sheet size: 39.5 x 53.5 cm), this original antique print stands as a timeless masterpiece for collectors wishing to bring the indelible spirit of ancient cities into their living spaces.

Available via the link in our bio or via DM for inquiries. 📦

A rare and fascinating thematic world map printed in Ottoman Turkish script (Arabic alphabet) between 1920 and 1928. The...
05/06/2026

A rare and fascinating thematic world map printed in Ottoman Turkish script (Arabic alphabet) between 1920 and 1928. The main title of the map reads “Topraktan İstifade” (طوپراق دن استفاده), which translates to “Land Utilization / Soil Exploitation”.
The map uses a detailed color-coded system to illustrate global vegetation, agricultural zones, forests, and arid lands across the continents. The extensive statistical chart at the bottom breaks down land usage percentages for Asia, Europe, Africa, America, and Australia. Printed via authentic chromolithography just before Turkey’s 1928 Alphabet Reform.
Specifications:
* Region: The World (Global)
* Language: Ottoman Turkish
* Date: c. 1920 - 1928
* Dimensions: Approximately 20 cm x 18 cm
* Technique: Original Chromolithography (Color stone print)
* Condition: Good antique condition with a clean center fold as issued, minor age-toning, and light wear on the borders. Colors remain vibrant.

Carta Figurata d’Europa 1888. La Pacifica Baracca.An Italian version of Hadol’s separate-issue caricature map of Europe,...
18/05/2026

Carta Figurata d’Europa 1888. La Pacifica Baracca.
An Italian version of Hadol’s separate-issue caricature map of Europe, first published in 1870 at the time of the Franco-Prussian war.
The countries are caricatured with stereotypes: England is a crone with Ireland a dog on a lead, angry at being ignored by the rest of Europe; France and Prussia square up, preparing for the war that started in July that year; Prussia has one hand on the Netherlands and kneels on Austria’s chest; Denmark has artificial legs, having lost Holstein also to Prussia; and Russia looks on, hoping to pick up the pieces left by Europe’s struggles..

~SOLD~

Rising at the entrance of the harbor of Smyrna (Izmir), Sancak Castle was one of the key elements of the Ottoman Empire’...
05/05/2026

Rising at the entrance of the harbor of Smyrna (Izmir), Sancak Castle was one of the key elements of the Ottoman Empire’s trade and security system in the 17th century.

In this engraving by Cornelis de Bruyn, the castle is shown at the edge of the bay, like a watchful guard controlling all ships entering and leaving the port.

Sancak Castle was not only a military structure; it also played an important role in customs control, checking goods and ships coming into Izmir. In Smyrna, one of the busiest trade centers of the Eastern Mediterranean, this modest but strategic building was essential to the empire’s economic power.

Although the castle no longer survives today, this engraving allows us to rediscover both its structure and its strong presence over the harbor.

🗺️ A window into the past, showing more than just a castle: trade, control, and power.

Technique: Copper engraving
Date: 1678 (published 1698)
Book: Cornelis de Bruyn, Reizen van Cornelis de Bruyn door de vermaardste Deelen van Klein Asia
Dimensions: 20x33,5cm

This piece is part of the Agora Old Prints and Maps collection. Feel free to contact us for inquiries.

Cyprus — A Map Full of Stories 🏝️A charming illustrated historical map of Cyprus by John Sabry, created during the Briti...
17/04/2026

Cyprus — A Map Full of Stories 🏝️

A charming illustrated historical map of Cyprus by John Sabry, created during the British Occupation period.

This delightful postcard is more than a map. It’s a miniature world:

⛵ Sailing ships drift across the Mediterranean
🐉 Sea creatures rise from the depths in true old-map tradition
🛡️ Heraldic coats of arms reflect the island’s layered history
🏰 Castles, monasteries, and cities bring Cyprus to life in fine detail

And in the corner, a poetic reminder:

✨ “Venus, Goddess of Beauty & Love, was born out of sea foam”

📜 Historical Dates
Byzantine — 395–1184
Richard the Lionheart — 1191–1192
Lusignans — 1192–1489
Venetians — 1488–1571
Ottoman — 1571–1878
British Occupation — 1878–1960

📏 Size: 8 × 14 cm

A small piece, yet filled with history, mythology, and imagination a beautiful addition for collectors of antique maps and ephemera.

Traces of an Empire on Hormuz Island 🏰In the 16th century, Hormuz Island located at the entrance of the Persian Gulf was...
19/03/2026

Traces of an Empire on Hormuz Island 🏰

In the 16th century, Hormuz Island located at the entrance of the Persian Gulf was one of the most critical points of global trade. Spices, silk, and precious goods passed through this strategic gateway, attracting the attention of one of the most powerful maritime empires of the time: Portugal.

In 1507, under the command of Afonso de Albuquerque, the island was captured, and soon after the Fort of Our Lady of the Conception (Nossa Senhora da Conceição) was constructed. This striking red-stone fortress was not only a defensive structure, but also served as a military base, arsenal, church, and administrative center.

Positioned at the northern tip of Hormuz Island, the fort was strategically placed to control maritime routes. With its thick walls, towers, and defensive layout, it played a key role in overseeing trade and shaping the balance of power in the region.

Portuguese rule over Hormuz lasted until 1622, when the island was recaptured by the Safavid Empire with the support of the English. The fortress thus became a silent witness to the global struggle for dominance in the Persian Gulf.

This engraving originates from the travel accounts of Johan Albrecht de Mandelslo, a 17th-century adventurer who documented his journeys through Persia and India. Such illustrations offer a rare European perspective on the region, reflecting the spirit of exploration and geopolitical rivalry of the era.

✨ Still standing today, the fort is more than an architectural relic it is a powerful reminder of a time when trade, exploration, and empires converged.

📜 From the Agora Old Prints & Maps collection
📏 Size: 13 x 11.2 cm

An elegant French educational engraving from the late 18th or early 19th century illustrating the use of terrestrial and...
16/03/2026

An elegant French educational engraving from the late 18th or early 19th century illustrating the use of terrestrial and celestial globes.

This sheet belongs to a work titled Géographie Moderne, Historique et Politique (“Modern, Historical and Political Geography”). The inscription at the bottom, Leçon Méthodique et Élémentaire (“Methodical and Elementary Lesson”), indicates that the plate was designed as a teaching aid to explain the principles of both the Earth’s globe and the celestial sphere.

At the center of the composition are two beautifully illustrated scientific instruments:

🌍Globe Terrestre (Terrestrial Globe) – on the left, representing the Earth with continents, oceans, and geographical boundaries. Europe, Africa, and parts of Asia are clearly visible. The globe is mounted on an elegant tripod stand with a meridian ring and an equatorial band, typical of 18th-century scientific instruments.

🌌Globe Céleste (Celestial Globe) – on the right, depicting the night sky with constellations and mythological astronomical figures. The globe also shows the ecliptic—the apparent path of the Sun—and the zodiac belt. Celestial globes were essential tools for astronomy and navigation during the period.

🖋️French texts demonstrate how globes could be used to calculate time, determine geographic coordinates, or locate the position of stars.

Originally produced by the French royal geographer Claude Buy de Mornas and later published in Paris by the renowned cartographer Louis Charles Desnos, the plate was part of an educational atlas designed to teach geography, cosmography, and the structure of the universe.

Such educational plates reflect the Enlightenment-era effort to visualize and disseminate scientific knowledge, much like the works produced by the Encyclopedists of the 18th century.

Date: 1790
Place of Publication: Paris
Dimensions: 32 × 50 cm
Condition: Excellent

Turquie d’Asie (1787)Rigobert Bonne & Nicolas DesmarestParis, Atlas Encyclopédique, 1787Original Hand-Colored Copper Eng...
14/03/2026

Turquie d’Asie (1787)

Rigobert Bonne & Nicolas Desmarest
Paris, Atlas Encyclopédique, 1787
Original Hand-Colored Copper Engraving

This impressive map is an original 1787 copperplate engraving from the renowned Atlas Encyclopédique. It was prepared by the distinguished French cartographer Rigobert Bonne (1727–1794) and the geographer Nicolas Desmarest, and published in Paris.

Subject of the Map

Titled “Turquie d’Asie, à l’exception des enclaves situées en Arabie”, this map presents a detailed depiction of the Asian territories of the Ottoman Empire in the late 18th century. The map covers a vast geographical area including:
• Asia Minor (Anatolia)
• The Black Sea and Eastern Mediterranean coasts
• Syria and Mesopotamia
• Armenia
• Persia (Iran)
• Cyprus and the Eastern Mediterranean islands

It reflects the geopolitical understanding of the region from a late 18th-century European perspective. Mountain ranges are rendered using fine engraving techniques, while rivers, cities, and regional divisions are carefully delineated.

Cartographic Significance

Rigobert Bonne served as Hydrographer to the French Navy and was one of the leading cartographers of his time. His work represents a shift away from the highly decorative Baroque style of earlier mapmaking toward a more rational, systematic, and function-oriented cartographic approach.

This map reflects the intellectual climate of the Enlightenment and embodies the 18th-century French movement toward greater geographic precision and scientific organization of knowledge.

Historical Context

Published in 1787, the map dates from a period when the Ottoman Empire still controlled extensive territories across Anatolia and the Near East. It stands as a visual record of European geographic knowledge of the region during a time of significant diplomatic and strategic interest in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East.

Physical Characteristics
• Date: 1787
• Place of Publication: Paris
• Technique: Copperplate engraving
• Coloring: Contemporary hand coloring
• Dimensions: 42 x 31 cm

This historic map is now available through Agora Old Prints and Maps.

Figura di un Forte Indiano📍 Pomeiooc Village, Virginia📖 Gazzettiere Americano, 1763📐 Sheet size: 21 cm x 29 cmA fascinat...
26/02/2026

Figura di un Forte Indiano
📍 Pomeiooc Village, Virginia
📖 Gazzettiere Americano, 1763
📐 Sheet size: 21 cm x 29 cm

A fascinating 18th-century vision of Native America.

This engraving depicts the Native settlement of Pomeiooc in Virginia, derived from the influential imagery of Theodor de Bry and his late 16th-century America series.

This particular impression, however, was published in the Italian geographical dictionary Gazzettiere Americano in 1763 offering a later European reinterpretation of early colonial imagery.

The circular palisaded village, central council fire, and the structure identified as a “temple” reflect early Algonquian settlement patterns. Notably, the 18th-century version introduces additional pastoral elements, including agricultural activity, European style domestic animals, and a more theatrical landscape composition.

Available at Agora Old Prints and Maps.

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