Sketch map of J.G. Taylor's 1866 tour through eastern Turkey, at the time divided between the Ottoman provinces of Armenia, Kurdistan, and Upper Mesopotamia. The journey centres on Erzincan.



John George Taylor was a British East India Company official, the British consul to Kurdistan, and an important archaeologist studying Assyrian and Middle Eastern history. He was the first recorded foreigner to visit some of the remotest parts of Kurdistan, particularly Tunceli Province which appears on this map. This map was published shortly after Taylor's journey ended in the Journal of the Royal Geographical Society.



Original colour.



The map traces the route of British Consul-General for Kurdistan John George Taylor who was active in the Foreign Office between 1851-61.



This map would have been included within his report "Journal of a tour in Armenia, Kurdistan and Upper Mesopotamia, with Notes of Researches in the Deyrsim Dagh" which still acts as an important historical source of knowledge for the area.



The main map shows the area surrounding Erzincan, Sadak, Arapgir (founded by Armenian King Seneqerim-Hovhannes Artsruni in 1021), Pertek and the ancient town of Kharput (now Elâzığ) - all belonging to the old Armenian Province of Sophene. The inset map shows routes in south-eastern Turkey and Syria between Diyarbakir, Derik, Mardin, Viransehir and Tell Hallaf.

Original outline colour. [MEAST3806]