Description de Pelerinage des Turcs a la Mecque et a Medine…

An 18th-century vision of a resplendent Muslim Hajj.

“Description of the Pilgrimmage of the Turks to Mecca and Medina. Where They Came from Cairo to Visit the Tomb of Mohammed…” – Approximate title translation.

This delicately engraved sheet reflects Renaissance-era efforts to inform the European public about cultures and lifestyles in exotic locales. The upper part presents an elaborate parade of dozens of Turkish pilgrims en route to Mecca and Medina from Cairo (upper right). An interesting cross-section of society is represented, including entertainers, soldiers, political leaders, etc. Also shown are rare plants and animals from the region, including the tamarind, okra, and chameleons.

The sheet was published in Paris around 1721 as part of Henri Abraham Chatelain’s important Atlas Historique. This monumental seven-volume set was first issued in Amsterdam between 1705 and 1720, but was re-printed in several subsequent editions through the late 1730s. The scholarly work offers a nuanced synthesis of geography, cosmography, history, religion, ethnology, and political science that provides fascinating contemporary details through the inclusion of descriptive text, maps, charts, diagrams, and illustrations.