, Brepols - Harvey Miller, 2006 Hardback, 492 p., 75 b/w ill. 75 colour ill., 210 x 270 mm, Languages: French, English, Persian. ISBN 9782503522845.
The Historical Atlas of the Persian Gulf is a joint initiative of the Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes in Paris, the University of Tehran, and the Documentation Centre of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran. The aim of this trilingual (French, English and Persian) publication is to trace the evolution of the cartographical representations of the Gulf between 1500 and 1750. About a hundred printed and manuscript maps from libraries and archives all over Europe, the United States and Iran have been gathered, some of them being published for the first time. The maps and charts are presented in five sections dedicated to Portuguese, Dutch, French, English and German cartography. Each item is published with enlarged detail reproductions showing the Gulf, and accompanied by brief commentaries as well as transcriptions of the place names and legends. The authors make numerous suggestions as to how the maps and charts developed in the context of international scientific exchange during the Early Modern age. Hence, the Atlas shows new perspectives on the genealogy of Gulf maps and provides an excellent working tool for future research on the cartography and the history of one of the World?s great strategic areas. Editors: Dejanirah Couto, Jean-Louis Bacque-Grammont, Mahmoud Taleghani Coordinator: Zoltan Biedermann Further contributors: Elio Brancaforte, Patrick Gautier Dalche L?Atlas historique du golfe Persique est une initiative conjointe de l?Ecole pratique des hautes etudes (Paris), de l?Universite de Teheran et du Centre de documentation du Ministere des affaires etrangeres d?Iran. L?objectif de cette publication trilingue (francais, anglais et persan) est de retracer l?evolution des representations du golfe entre 1500 et 1750. Une centaine de cartes imprimees et manuscrites provenant de bibliotheques et d?archives d?Europe, des Etats-Unis et d?Iran ont ete rassemblees, dont certaines publiees pour la premiere fois. Elles sont presentees en cinq sections consacrees aux cartographies portugaise, hollandaise, francaise, anglaise et allemande. Chacune d?elles est publiee avec une reproduction agrandie de la partie montrant le golfe et accompagnee d?un bref commentaire ainsi que de la transcription des toponymes et des legendes. Les contributions de plusieurs specialistes etudient en detail le developpement de la cartographie dans le contexte des echanges scientifiques de l?epoque moderne. Mettant ainsi en evidence de nouvelles perspectives sur la genealogie des cartes du golfe, l?Atlas constitue un outil de travail indispensable pour de futures recherches sur l?histoire de l?une des plus importantes zones strategiques du monde.