Forum Rare Books

Della Valle's travels in the Near East, Persia and Arabia: "one of the finest works of travel literature" (Howgego)

VALLE, Pietro della. Reiss-Beschreibung in unterschiedliche Theile der Welt, nemlich in Türckey, Egypten, Palestina, Persien, Ost-Indien, und andere weit entlegene Landschaften ...
Geneva, Johann Hermann Widerholds, 1674. 4 volumes bound as 1. Folio. With 31 engraved plates (1 folding), including frontispiece and portraits of the author and his wife, by Jean Jacques Thourneyser. Contemporary vellum. [20], 218, [12], [2 blank]; [4], 236, [12]; [4], 244, [13], [1 blank]; [6], 231, [17] pp. Full description

€ 15,000

Arabian Peninsula & Gulf States India & Sri Lanka Iran / Persia North Africa & Egypt Travel & Voyages Africa Travel & Voyages Asia Travel & Voyages Middle East Travel & Voyages Southern Asia Turkey & Ottoman Empire

Very early European eyewitness description of India, confirming Marco Polo’s statements

VARTHEMA, Ludivico di. The Navigation and v[o]yages of Lewes Vertomannus, Gentelman of the citie of Rome, to the regions of Arabia, Egypte, Persia, Syria, Ethiopia, and East India, both within and without the ryver of Ganges, etc. In the yeere of our Lorde 1503. Conteynyng many notable and straunge thinges, both hystoricall and naturall. Translated out of Latine into Engylshe, by Richarde Eden.
London, Richard Jugge, 1577. 4to. With historiated woodcut initials. Splendid modern full navy blue morocco, bands on spine with title showing faded gilt, covers double-ruled gilt. [10], 466, [6] ll. Full description

€ 265,000

Arabian Peninsula & Gulf States Arctic & Antarctic Imaginary Voyages & Utopias India & Sri Lanka Indonesia / Dutch East Indies Iran / Persia Islamic Art, Culture & Science Religion (16th Century) Southeast Asia Travel & Voyages Africa Travel & Voyages Asia Travel & Voyages Middle East Travel & Voyages Southeast Asia Travel & Voyages Southern Asia USA - United States of America

History of Ottoman diplomacy in the 18th century, printed at Bulaq

VASIF EFENDI, Ahmed. Mahasin ül-âsâr ve hakayik ül-ahbar.
Bulaq, Bulak matbaasi, 1246 AH [= 1830 CE]. 2 volumes bound as 1. 4to. Contemporary calf with later paper label; later marbled paper on the spine. In Turkish, with the main text set in a naskh Arabic type, with a woodcut decoration and decorations built up from typographic ornaments at the opening of the main text (incorporating a woodcut heading in Arabic script). 14, 210, [1 blank], 7, 190 pp. Full description

€ 5,800

Balkan & Greece Law & Politics Turkey & Ottoman Empire

Artefacts, fossils and minerals in the Egyptian collection of Cardinal Borgia

WAD, Gregers. Fossilia Aegyptiaca Musei Borgiani Velitris.
Velletri, 1794. 4to. Contemporary boards. VIII, 32 pp. Full description

€ 3,250

Archaeology Fossils / Palaeontology Mineralogy & Gems Museums & Wunderkammer North Africa & Egypt

Persuading France to abolish the slave trade, by a British abolitionist

WILBERFORCE, William. Lettre a son excellence monseigneur le Prince de Talleyrand Périgord,... au sujet de la traite des negres.
London, Schulze & Dean, 1814. Large 8vo. Contemporary half tanned sheepskin, gold-tooled spine. [1], [1 blank], [1], [1 blank], 98 pp. Full description

€ 1,950

Economic History & Trade Law & Politics Slavery

Portrait of a man in traditional Arab garb

WILLIAMS, E.M., R.A. [Portrait of a man in traditional Arab garb].
Tripoli, 1914. Oil on canvas (51 x 40.5 cm), with artist's name, place and date on the back. Full description

€ 6,500

Islamic Art, Culture & Science North Africa & Egypt

Beautifully illustrated description of Palestine, Sinai and Egypt

WILSON, Charles. Picturesque Palestine, Sinai and Egypt. Edited by Colonel Wilson, R.E, C.B., F.R.S. formerly engineer to the Palestine Exploration Society. Assisted by the most eminent Palestine explorers etc. With numerous engravings on steel and wood.
London, Virtue and Co., [ca. 1870]. 4 volumes. Large 4to (33 x 25 cm). With 4 title-pages in red and black, each with a different large steel-engraved vignette, 38 steel-engraved plates (including 4 different frontispieces), 2 double-page engraved maps of Egypt and Sinai, printed in brown, and 576 wood-engravings on integral leaves, many full-page. Contemporary half sheepskin. [2], X, 240; [2], VI, 240; [2], IV, 240; [2], IV, 236 pp. Full description

€ 2,500

Eastern Mediterranean & Cyprus North Africa & Egypt

Original painting made to be reproduced as picture postcard for the Egyptian tourist industry

[CAIRO]. WUTTKE, Carl. A souk in Cairo.
Cairo, 1902. Signed and inscribed "C. Wuttke. Cairo. 1902". Oil on canvas board (20 x 28 cm). Unframed. Full description

€ 5,000

North Africa & Egypt

A British pilot’s logbook, detailing his service in Egypt and Jordan during World War II, together with 5 WWII medals

[WWII - RAF - PILOT'S LOG BOOK]. HELM, Robert French. Royal Air Force. Pilot's flying log book.
[British empire, Royal Air Force, 1938-1955].
With: [WWII MEDALS]. The 1939-1945 Star; The Africa Star; The Burma Star; The Defence Medal 1939-1945; The War Medal 1939-1945.
1 volume and 5 medals. Ca. 22 x 20 cm. With 5 assessment forms mounted on the leaves. Contemporary blueish-grey cloth with the title and manuscript name on the front board, red sprinkled edges. [74] ll. Full description

€ 4,500

Ceylon India & Sri Lanka Logbooks Military History (20th Century) North Africa & Egypt UK - United Kingdom

Rare photographic documentation of the very beginnings of the Egyptian oil industry

ZANGAKI BROTHERS and others (photographers). [Cover title:] Egypte.
[Egypt, ca. 1870-1913]. Oblong folio (ca. 33 x 41 cm). With 83 albumen prints, of which 2 folding panorama photographs, 17 signed and numbered in the negative by the Zangaki brothers, and 66 larger prints of the oil industry. Contemporary embossed brown cloth (made to imitate reptile skin), with the title blind-tooled on the front board, decorative paper endpapers. [42], [8 blank] ll. Full description