[Map] Libyan Desert West of Baharia and Farafra (Egypt 1:500,000)

Survey of Egypt

Published by Survey of Egypt, (Cairo), 1922

About this Item

An extremely rare Libyan Desert exploration map, prepared by the Survey of Egypt, and dated March 1922 (22/265H). Linen-backed paper 98x66cm, printed primarily in b/w with some colour shading, folding down into untitled green cloth panels 10x17cm. Good, neatly folded and tanned, with closed fold tears, and Arabic ink stamp to the verso. Its area is bounded by Farafra Oasis (SE); Bahrein, Watiya and Sitra (N); and the approximate north-south line of march by Forbes and Hassanein Bey (W). Settlements and other landmarks are shown in detail, along with tracks, descriptive texts, relief by hachures, cultivated lands (shaded green), scrub, drift sand, and salt swamps. The map's apparent main objective however, is to show the extent of exploration to date, highlighting areas in need of further investigation for the administration of wide open spaces. Thus there are areas marked as "limits of sand unknown", and partial tracks speculated upon (eg, a fragment of camel road marked "To Kufra?"). It therefore compiles numerous named and dated routes by earlier and contemporary explorers and light car patrols, including (Gerhard) Rohlfs 1874, (Wilhelm) Jordan 1874, (HJ Llewellyn) Beadnell 1898, (Wilfred) Jennings-Bramly 1898, Donaldson 1907, Irwin 1907, Hoskins 1907 and 1908, Bruce Car Patrol 1916, (Claud) Williams Car Patrol 1919, and Mrs (Rosita) Forbes and Hassanein Bey 1921 at the westernmost extent of the map. The textual descriptions and comments lining these routes would presumably have been taken from their field notes, eg, "Williams stopped by sand dune 1919", "easy going for camels", etc. Also drawn is the Camel Corps Patrol Route F.D.A. (Frontier Districts Administration) 1921, with FDA and Coast Guard cairns labeled. No record of this map was found on Worldcat or Library Hub.

Seller Inventory # 5120

Bibliographic Details

• Title: [Map] Libyan Desert West of Baharia and Farafra (Egypt 1:500,000)
• Publisher: Survey of Egypt, (Cairo)
• Publication Date: 1922
• Binding: Soft cover
• Condition: Good