Asia Minor - Anatolia

Natolia, quae olim Asia Minor

Antique Map of Asia Minor (Anatolia), ca. 1660

Published by Janssonius / Successors of Hondius, Amsterdam

A bold and elegant 17th-century map depicting Asia Minor, known in antiquity as Anatolia, now the Asian part of modern-day Turkey. This highly detailed and decorative map, titled “Natolia, quae olim Asia Minor”, reflects the cartographic refinement of the Dutch Golden Age, likely issued by Johannes Janssonius, successor to the Hondius mapmaking dynasty in Amsterdam.

Spanning from the Aegean Islands in the west to the Black Sea (Pontus Euxinus) in the north and the Eastern Mediterranean in the south, this map captures the classical and early modern geography of the region. Ancient Roman provincial names such as Cilicia, Bithynia, and Lydia are used throughout.

Distinctive features include:

• A decorative title cartouche flanked by mythological figures
• A richly engraved Mediterranean Sea scene with galleons and sea monsters
• A lively costumed Ottoman figure in the lower right, symbolizing the region’s contemporary cultural identity
• Finely rendered coastlines, rivers, and place names engraved in Latin

Details:

• Title: Natolia, quae olim Asia Minor
• Cartographer/Publisher: Johannes Janssonius (after Gerard Mercator or Hondius)
• Date: ca. 1660
• Medium: Copperplate engraving on laid paper
• Language: Latin
• Dimensions: 38 x 49,5
• Condition: Strong, clean impression with full plate mark; light centerfold, minor age toning . Verso Dutch text : Kleyn Asien
• VAT: Margingoods

Significance

This map offers both classical and early modern views of Anatolia, long a crossroads of civilizations from the Greeks and Romans to the Ottomans. The inclusion of both ancient toponymy and contemporary visual motifs reflects Europe’s enduring fascination with the Eastern Mediterranean.