Tertia Africae Tabula, created by Bernardus Sylvanus in 1511, presents a learned Renaissance vision of Egypt and the Red Sea framed within the classical canon. In this “Third Map of Africa,” Sylvanus stages an explicit dialogue between Strabo and Ptolemy, layering the settled wisdom of antiquity with the geographical revisions of his own age. The result is among the earliest obtainable cartographic portrayals of substantial portions of Africa, here focused on the Nile world and the Libyan littoral. Its rich topographical idiom—mountain chains patterned like repoussé metalwork, rivers drawn with sinuous clarity, borders and coasts crisply articulated—mirrors the intellectual ambition of the project: to reconcile text, terrain, and travel into a single, authoritative image.

Egypt commands the sheet, dominated by the coursing Nilus whose journey from the south resolves into the verdant delta that nourished pharaonic and Islamic capitals alike. Cairo and Alexandria appear as signal waypoints of learning and commerce, their positions triangulating the river’s breadth and the Mediterranean rim. Along the eastern margin the Mare Rubrum is named and closely attended with coastal toponyms, evoking the bustling sea-lanes that linked Egypt to Arabia. Across the surface, Latin annotations gloss mountains, towns, and waterways, repeatedly invoking Strabo’s testimony to weigh against Ptolemy’s coordinates. These scholia do more than label; they narrate floods, frontiers, and distances, turning the landscape into a text to be read as much as admired.

Westward the view swings along the Libyan shore, extending to Benghazi and the open sweep of the Gulf of Sirte, where capes and inlets are picked out with a sure cartographic hand. Inland, stylized mountain chains step across the blankness of the desert, a visual code for escarpments and highlands that hem the oases of Cyrenaica and the Eastern Sahara. Sylvanus balances physical and political geography: borders are inscribed to suggest spheres of authority, while the coastlines—tight, almost calligraphic—signal harbors and roadsteads essential to Mediterranean exchange. The juxtaposition of a spare interior with a richly articulated littoral underscores the perennial geography of North Africa: austere heartlands feeding into a necklace of maritime towns.

Bernardus Sylvanus—humanist, editor, and cartographer active in the cosmopolitan crucible of early-sixteenth-century Venice—crafted this map for his 1511 reimagining of Ptolemy’s Geography. He was among the first to print maps in two colors, a technical bravura that served a scholarly end: distinguishing layers of information and modernizing the ancient template without erasing it. In Tertia Africae Tabula he openly tests Ptolemaic placements against Strabo’s narratives, letting concord and contradiction guide revision. Sylvanus drew upon fresh nautical intelligence and empirical measurements then circulating through Venetian presses, yet he kept faith with the classical texts that structured Renaissance learning. The synthesis marked a turning point, ushering maps from inherited diagram toward observed description.

Elegance and erudition meet in the map’s design. A decorative cartouche crowns the composition, while the field below is animated by serried mountain motifs, the serpentine Nile, and the scalloped shores of the Red Sea and Mediterranean. Borders are drawn with purposeful restraint, allowing the Latin annotations—compact, literate, and often citing Strabo by name—to carry the intellectual argument across the terrain. The clarity of coastline and river, the cadence of place-names, and the poised geometry of the whole speak to Sylvanus’s refinement. As one of the earliest attainable portrayals of Africa in print to integrate antique authority with modern insight, this sheet offers a rare chance to read history directly from a landscape of ink.

Cities and towns on this map

• Cairo
• Alexandria
• Benghazi

Notable Features & Landmarks

• Numerous mountains depicted in a stylized manner
• The Nile River prominently illustrated
• The Red Sea with surrounding regions labeled
• Annotations in Latin concerning geographical features and locations
• A decorative cartouche at the top of the map
• Borders and coastal features outlined

Historical and design context

• Created by Bernardus Sylvanus in 1511
• Annotated with detailed references from Strabo; an early comparative analysis between Strabo and Ptolemy
• Noted for a rich topographical style and among the first maps printed in two colors
• Extensive hand annotations in a contemporary style
• Introduced modern geographical updates versus earlier depictions
• Considered one of the earliest obtainable maps showing significant portions of Africa
• Themes: political and physical geography of Egypt and surrounding regions, with annotations tied to ancient geography and historical context

Please 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.

This 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.

This map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 90in (230cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please get in touch.

The model in the listing images is holding the 24x36in (60x90cm) version of this map.

The fifth listing image shows an example of my map personalisation service.

If you’re looking for something slightly different, check out my collection of the best old maps to see if something else catches your eye.

Please contact me to check if a certain location, landmark or feature is shown on this map.

This would make a wonderful birthday, Christmas, Father's Day, work leaving, anniversary or housewarming gift for someone from the areas covered by this map.

This 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.

This map is also available as a float framed canvas, sometimes known as a shadow gap framed canvas or canvas floater. The map is printed on artist's cotton canvas and then stretched over a handmade box frame. We then "float" the canvas inside a wooden frame, which is available in a range of colours (black, dark brown, oak, antique gold and white). This is a wonderful way to present a map without glazing in front. See some examples of float framed canvas maps and explore the differences between my different finishes.

For something truly unique, this map is also available in "Unique 3D", our trademarked process that dramatically transforms the map so that it has a wonderful sense of depth. We combine the original map with detailed topography and elevation data, so that mountains and the terrain really "pop". For more info and examples of 3D maps, check my Unique 3D page.

Many of our maps and art prints are chosen as thoughtful gifts for homes, offices, studies and meaningful places.

Choose a framed option for the easiest ready-to-hang gift, or choose an unframed print if the recipient may prefer to select their own frame.

We make orders locally in 23 countries around the world, so gifts can often be produced close to the recipient. This helps them arrive faster, travel more safely, and avoid customs or import duty surprises.

• We can deliver directly to the recipient
• Framed pieces arrive ready to hang
• Unframed prints are carefully packed in a strong protective tube
• Almost every order is made locally, for faster, safer gifting
• 90-day returns give the recipient time to decide

If you are not sure what to choose, please contact us. We can help you pick the right map, size, finish or delivery option.

Most orders are made locally and delivered in around 2–3 working days, depending on the product, size and destination.

We print and frame maps and artwork in 23 countries around the world, so your order is usually made close to you or your recipient. That means faster delivery, less time in transit, and no customs or import duty surprises.

Personalised and customised pieces usually take an extra 1–2 working days, because we prepare your design and send it to you for approval before printing.

Very large framed orders can take a little longer, as they need extra care in production and delivery.

Every order is carefully packaged: unframed prints are sent in a strong protective tube, while framed pieces are securely packed with protective materials around the frame.

If you need your order by a particular date, please contact us before ordering. We’ll check the best production route and delivery option for your location.

Express delivery is available at checkout for most countries. Next-day delivery is available in the UK, US, Singapore and the UAE.

Your order is covered by our 90-day returns policy and 10-year guarantee.

Read our full delivery and local production guide

Our standard frame is a gallery-style black ash hardwood frame, with a simple, modern look. It is approximately 20mm (0.8in) wide. You can also view some lovely customer photos of framed maps and art.

We use super-clear acrylic glazing, also known as Perspex or Acrylite, instead of traditional glass. It is lighter, safer, and has lower reflectivity, giving the artwork a clearer, cleaner appearance.

Six standard frame colours are available at no extra cost: black, dark brown, dark grey, oak, white, and antique gold. Custom framing and mounting/matting is also available for customers looking for something more specific.

Most maps, art prints, and illustrations are also available as a framed canvas. We use matte cotton canvas, stretch it over a sustainably sourced wooden box frame, and then float the piece within a wooden outer frame. The finished result is beautifully presented, with no glazing between you and the artwork.

All frames are supplied ready to hang, with either string or brackets fitted to the back. Very large frames will include heavy-duty hanging plates and/or a mounting baton. If you have any questions, please get in touch.

We can also supply old maps and artwork on canvas, foam board, cotton rag, and other materials.

If you would prefer to frame your map or artwork yourself, please read our size guide before ordering.

My maps are extremely high quality reproductions of original maps.

I source original, rare maps from libraries, auction houses and private collections around the world, restore them at my London workshop, and then use specialist giclée inks and printers to create beautiful maps that look even better than the original.

My maps are printed on acid-free archival matte (not glossy) paper that feels very high quality and almost like card. In technical terms the paper weight/thickness is 10mil/200gsm. It's perfect for framing.

I print with Epson ultrachrome giclée UV fade resistant pigment inks - some of the best inks you can find.

I can also make maps on canvas, cotton rag and other exotic materials.

Learn more about The Unique Maps Co.

Map personalisation

If you're looking for the perfect anniversary or housewarming gift, I can personalise your map to make it truly unique. For example, I can add a short message, or highlight an important location, or add your family's coat of arms.

The options are almost infinite. Please see my map personalisation page for some wonderful examples of what's possible.

To order a personalised map, select "personalise your map" before adding it to your basket.

Get in touch if you're looking for more complex customisations and personalisations.

Map ageing

I have been asked hundreds of times over the years by customers if they could buy a map that looks even older.

Well, now you can, by selecting Aged before you add a map to your basket.

All the product photos you see on this page show the map in its Original form. This is what the map looks like today.

If you select Aged, I will age your map by hand, using a special and unique process developed through years of studying old maps, talking to researchers to understand the chemistry of aging paper, and of course... lots of practice!

If you're unsure, stick to the Original colour of the map. If you want something a bit darker and older looking, go for Aged.

See some amazing examples of Aged maps.

Se non sei soddisfatto del tuo ordine per qualsiasi motivo, contattami per un rimborso senza problemi. Si prega di consultare la nostra politica di reso e rimborso per ulteriori informazioni.

Sono molto sicuro che ti piacerà la tua mappa restaurata o la stampa d'arte. Lo faccio dal 1984. Sono un venditore Etsy a 5 stelle. Ho venduto decine di migliaia di mappe e stampe d'arte e ho oltre 5.000 recensioni reali a 5 stelle.

Utilizzo un processo unico per restaurare mappe e opere d'arte che richiede molto tempo e lavoro. Trovare le mappe e le illustrazioni originali può richiedere mesi. Utilizzo tecnologia all'avanguardia e incredibilmente costosa per scannerizzare e restaurarle. Di conseguenza, garantisco che le mie mappe e stampe d'arte siano superiori alle altre - ecco perché posso offrire un rimborso senza problemi.

Quasi tutte le mie mappe e stampe d'arte sembrano fantastiche a grandi dimensioni (200 cm, 6,5 piedi+) e posso anche incorniciarle e consegnarle a te, tramite un corriere speciale per oggetti di grandi dimensioni. Contattami per discutere delle tue esigenze specifiche.