{"product_id":"old-historical-map-of-egypt-by-ortelius-1612-nile-alexandria-inset-memphis-delta-gulf-of-suez","title":"Old Map of Lower Ancient Egypt by Ortelius, 1612: Nile, Alexandria inset, Memphis, Delta, Gulf of Suez","description":"\u003cp\u003eAegyptus Antiqua, Abraham Ortelius’s learned evocation of Ancient Egypt published in 1612, stands among the crown jewels of his Parergon—the pioneering historical atlas that sought to visualize the classical world. Here the land of the Nile unfolds from Libya in the west to the Gulf of Suez in the east, and from southern Egypt to the blue stippling of the Mediterranean. In a period convention that delights the eye and challenges the mind, west is placed at the top, inviting a renewed orientation to antiquity. Ortelius marries erudition and elegance, framing Egypt as a crossroads of civilizations, where Greek and Roman legacies interlace with pharaonic memory in a tableau as scholarly as it is exquisitely composed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is the smaller 'Lower Egypt' map. There is \u003ca href=\"\/fr\/products\/old-map-of-ancient-egypt-by-abraham-ortelius-in-1584-river-nile-alexandria-memphis-babylon-the-pyramids\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003ea complete map of all Egypt by Ortelius\u003c\/a\u003e, too.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe map divides the country into the venerable triptych of Thebaidis Regio (Upper Egypt), Heptanomia (Middle Egypt), and Aegyptus Inferior (Lower Egypt), a structure that organizes both space and history. The Nile’s serpentine course, rendered with careful bends and forks, fans into the Delta, whose fertile geometry contrasts with the rugged mountains and scattered trees that fringe the riverine world. The Mediterranean (Aegyptium Mare) and the Gulf of Suez (Arabici sinus) shimmer with fine stippling, while a neatly engraved scale bar anchors Ortelius’s empirical ambition. This is geography as narrative: a visual chronicle of the river that made a civilization.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCities rise as miniature views, each a vignette of memory and power. Memphis, ancestral heart of the Two Lands, and Alexandria, the Mediterranean metropolis of learning and commerce, receive particular emphasis, joined by coastal Canopus and the once-thriving emporium of Thonis-Heracleion (Heraclium). An inset of Alexandria—framed in sumptuous strapwork—draws the gaze into the urban fabric of the classical world, a cartographic homage to the city’s enduring magnetism. Across the Delta and valley, the settlements form a constellation aligned to the Nile’s channels, their Latinized names a reminder of the Greco-Roman imprint on Egyptian toponymy and the scholarly lens through which Ortelius interpreted the past.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOrnate cartouches punctuate the design, chief among them a grand title cartouche that showcases the mature flourish of Ortelius’s later style. Another cartouche catalogues places of uncertain location, a candid window into early modern method: fidelity to ancient authorities paired with a frank acknowledgment of doubt. Classical sources shape the nomenclature and alignments, and with them come inevitable inconsistencies—yet these very seams reveal the intellectual fabric of the age. Decorative borders, elegant strapwork, and measured inscriptions harmonize with the landscape, turning scholarship into spectacle and transforming a map into a stage for antiquity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs a centerpiece of the Parergon, Aegyptus Antiqua distills the atlas’s animating idea: to chart not merely territory, but the interactions that forged the ancient world. Greek colonies, Roman provinces, and pharaonic heartlands meet along the Nile corridor, the Delta littoral, and the approaches to the Red Sea, their encounters encoded in borders, place-names, and routes. The west-up orientation and the roster of uncertain sites remind us that historical geography is a dialogue across centuries. For the connoisseur, Ortelius’s Egypt offers both authority and allure—an artifact of humanist inquiry that continues to illuminate, and enchant, the landscapes of the past.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCities and towns on this map\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAlexandria\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMemphis\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCanopus\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThonis-Heracleion (Heraclium)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNotable Features \u0026amp; Landmarks\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSeveral decorative cartouches, including an elaborate title cartouche\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGulf of Suez (Arabici sinus) and Mediterranean Sea (Aegyptium Mare) shown with stippling\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCity depictions as miniature views, including notable cities like Memphis and Alexandria\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eInset map of Alexandria, embellished with a strapwork border\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRepresentation of the Nile River with detailed bends and forks, surrounded by mountains and trees\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCartouche detailing places of uncertain location\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eScale bar included for measuring distances\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHistorical and design context\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePart of Ortelius’ Parergon, the first historical atlas focusing on ancient civilizations and their interactions\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDate created: 1612\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWest-oriented map (west at the top), a characteristic style of the period\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStylized border and illustrative decorative elements typical of Ortelius’s later career\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHighlights the influence of Greek and Roman cultures, with many place-names reflecting this heritage\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReliance on classical sources resulted in some inaccuracies, revealing early-modern limitations for non-European regions\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePlease double check the images to make sure that a specific town or place is shown on this map. You can also get in touch and ask us to check the map for you.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis map looks great at every size, but I always recommend going for a larger size if you have space. That way you can easily make out all of the details.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 90in (230cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please \u003ca href=\"\/fr\/pages\/contact-us\"\u003eget in touch\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe model in the listing images is holding the 18x24in (45x60cm) version of this map.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe fifth listing image shows an example of my map personalisation service.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you’re looking for something slightly different, check out my collection of the \u003ca href=\"\/fr\/collections\/all-old-vintage-antique-maps\"\u003ebest old maps\u003c\/a\u003e to see if something else catches your eye.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePlease \u003ca href=\"\/fr\/pages\/contact-us\"\u003econtact me\u003c\/a\u003e to check if a certain location, landmark or feature is shown on this map.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis would make a wonderful birthday, Christmas, Father's Day, work leaving, anniversary or housewarming gift for someone from the areas covered by this map.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis map is available as a giclée print on acid free archival matte paper, or you can buy it framed. The frame is a nice, simple black frame that suits most aesthetics. Please get in touch if you'd like a different frame colour or material. My frames are glazed with super-clear museum-grade acrylic (perspex\/acrylite), which is significantly less reflective than glass, safer, and will always arrive in perfect condition.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Unique Maps Co.","offers":[{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Map","offer_id":58731366941056,"sku":null,"price":41.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58731366973824,"sku":null,"price":112.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":58731367006592,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Map","offer_id":58731367039360,"sku":null,"price":41.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58731367072128,"sku":null,"price":112.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Framed canvas 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