Herman Moll's Turkey in Asia or Asia Minor &c. Agreeable to Modern History encapsulates the historical geography of this richly diverse region.
The map's primary focus is on place names, islands, mountains, rivers, cities, and other notable features, providing a comprehensive representation of Turkey in Asia, or Asia Minor as it was known historically. Moll's meticulous attention to detail is evident in the carefully annotated landmarks and geographical features that punctuate the map.
Various place names are recorded in their historical context, offering viewers a window into the region's multifaceted history and culture. The islands of this region, notable for their strategic importance and cultural significance, are carefully delineated, serving as waypoints in this marine landscape.
Mountains, the natural barriers and ecological marvels, are portrayed with great detail, attesting to Moll's commitment to geographical accuracy. Rivers, the veins of the landscape, snake their way across the terrain, acting as important conduits of trade and communication.
Cities, the hubs of human activity and cultural exchanges, are represented meticulously. Notable metropolises and lesser-known locales are marked, providing a glimpse into the urban tapestry of Asia Minor during the period the map represents.
Herman Moll (c. 1654-1732) was one of the most important London mapmakers in the first half of the eighteenth century. Moll was probably born in Bremen, Germany, around 1654. He moved to London to escape the Scanian Wars. His earliest work was as an engraver for Moses Pitt on the production of the English Atlas, a failed work which landed Pitt in debtor's prison. Moll also engraved for Sir Jonas Moore, Grenville Collins, John Adair, and the Seller & Price firm. He published his first original maps in the early 1680s and had set up his own shop by the 1690s.
Moll's work quickly helped him become a member of a group which congregated at Jonathan's Coffee House at Number 20 Exchange Alley, Cornhill, where speculators met to trade stock. Moll's circle included the scientist Robert Hooke, the archaeologist William Stuckley, the authors Jonathan Swift and Daniel Defoe, and the intellectually-gifted pirates William Dampier, Woodes Rogers and William Hacke. From these contacts, Moll gained a great deal of privileged information that was included in his maps.
Over the course of his career, he published dozens of geographies, atlases, and histories, not to mention numerous sheet maps. His most famous works are Atlas Geographus, a monthly magazine that ran from 1708 to 1717, and The World Described (1715-54). He also frequently made maps for books, including those of Dampier’s publications and Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels. Moll died in 1732. It is likely that his plates passed to another contemporary, Thomas Bowles, after this death.