Middle East / Holy Land Gierusalemme citta santa Metropoli gia del regno Giudaico & hoggi colonia del Turco. By: Sebastian Munster

Middle East / Holy Land Gierusalemme citta santa Metropoli gia del regno Giudaico & hoggi colonia del Turco. By: Sebastian Munster, 1550. This is a fascinating and beautiful map is an elaborate depiction of the ancient city of Jerusalem as it appeared in the mid-sixteenth century. The work was designed by Sebastian Münster and published as part of his landmark work "Cosmographia."

Jerusalem is presented with many of its key features, including Mount Zion, the Temple Mount, and the various gates and towers that define the city's fortified walls. At the center of the map are the ruins of the desecrated Temple of Solomon. The territories on either side contain many biblical and historical places and names such as the homes of Pontius Pilate, King Herod, of David, of the high priest Caiaphas and even that of Anna the prophetess from the Gospel of Luke. The Garden of Gethsemane is depicted outside the majestic walls which surrounded the city proper. A number of Islamic architectural edifices are also depicted. The initials IC (Jesus Christ) are superimposed on a building in the lower right quadrant.

The architecture is rendered in a medieval style, with buildings, towers, and city walls standing prominently against a rugged landscape. The surrounding hills and religious landmarks are depicted with considerable attention to detail, illustrating the importance of Jerusalem as both a spiritual and historical center.

Text in Italian below the map and on the verso describes the city and its biblical heritage, and one page of the verso is in Hebrew. In addition, a close up view of important buildings of the city is included on the verso.

**Condition:** This map is excellent condition offering a strong print imporession on clean paper with full margins on all sides. There are no tears, holes, or stains. 10.5 x 15 inches (26.7 x 38 cm)..