Egypt - Cairo; G. Braun e F. Hogenberg - Cairus, quae olim Babylon, Aegypti maxima urbs - 1581-1600

Technical data

Title: Cairus, quae olim Babylon, Aegypti maxima urbs – Panorama view of Cairo
Author: Georg Braun (1541–1622), curator and author of the text; Frans Hogenberg (circa 1535–1590), engraver
Publisher: Georg Braun and Frans Hogenberg, from Civitates Orbis Terrarum, Liber Primus
Place: Cologne
Period: 1572-1590
Technique: copper-engraved intaglio on copper, predominantly burin-engraved, with manual coloring added later
Support: antique laid paper
Dimensions: sheet 41.5 × 54 cm approx.; impression 33 × 48.5 cm approx.
Composition: double-page plate with central editorial fold; the original descriptive text in Latin on the verso, page 55

Description

Important panoramic view of Cairo, entitled Cairus, quae olim Babylon, Aegypti maxima urbs, published in the first volume of Civitates Orbis Terrarum by Georg Braun and Frans Hogenberg in 1572.

The city is depicted from a raised perspective, with the dense urban fabric stretched between the course of the Nile and the surrounding hills. Mosques, minarets, walls, gardens, canals and the main monumental complexes are described through an extremely meticulous engraving, accompanied by numerical references and an extensive legend inserted within an ornamental cartouche at the bottom.

To the right appear the pyramids of Giza, depicted according to the European geographic imagination of the XVI century, while in the foreground a lively group of figures in local dress, horsemen, camels and travelers animates the composition and emphasizes its documentary character. The Nile crosses the scene, visually linking the city to the surrounding agricultural and desert landscape.

The manual coloring emphasizes buildings, waters, vegetation and figurative elements, enhancing the complex perspective structure of the view without compromising its cartographic legibility. On the verso is present the original typographic text in Latin dedicated to the city of Cairo.

Historical-artistic note

Civitates Orbis Terrarum, started in Cologne in 1572 and completed in six volumes in 1617, constitutes the most ambitious collection of urban views published in early modern Europe. Conceived as an ideal complement to Theatrum Orbis Terrarum by Abraham Ortelius, it brings together views, plans and descriptions of the main cities known at that time.

Georg Braun coordinated the extensive editorial program and drafted a large part of the descriptive texts, while Frans Hogenberg was responsible for the engraving of numerous plates. The view of Cairo is one of the most elaborate and recognizable images of the first volume: it combines topographical observation, geographical knowledge, historical information and costume details, offering a significant testimony to European perception of Egypt and the Islamic world in the 16th century.

Condition Report

Copy in generally good conservative condition. The usual central editorial crease is present, with small localized restorations and slight signs of time compatible with the period. Margins preserved. Manual coloring added later. The original Latin typographic text on the verso, with slight oxidations and minimal signs of use. Clear and overall legible impression.