Travels and Researches in Asia Minor, Mesopotamia, Chaldea, and Armenia

A two-volume account of an 1839 expedition through Asia Minor, northern Syria, Kurdistan, Persia and Armenia, published in 1842.

William F. Ainsworth (Author)

9781108080989, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 12 November 2015

386 pages, 24 b/w illus. 2 maps
21.7 x 14.2 x 2.4 cm, 0.53 kg

The surgeon William Ainsworth (1807–96) acted as the geologist of the 1835 Euphrates Expedition, his account of which is also reissued in this series. Great interest was aroused by the scientific and archaeological findings of that journey, and a further expedition was funded, ostensibly to make contact with the Nestorian Christians of the region, but covertly to make further mineralogical investigations. Ainsworth was the leader of the expedition, and his two-volume account was published in 1842. Starting from Istanbul in 1839, Ainsworth took a route through Asia Minor, northern Syria, Kurdistan, Persia and Armenia, returning to Istanbul in 1840. The expedition was regarded as unsuccessful, as Ainsworth had massively overspent on the budget originally allotted by the sponsors, and his secret activities were discovered by the Ottoman authorities, but the work remains a vivid account of the area. Volume 1 covers events up to the battle of Nezib in 1839.

Introduction
1. Suburb of Constantinople
2. Ismid
3. The hero's stone
4. The hollow rock
5. Upland of Iflani
6. Virgin's castle
7. Town of Osmanjik
8. Town of Changri
9. A French instructor of cavalry
10. Quit Angora
11. Deserted mines and foxes
12. Utch Ayak
13. Christians of Nev Shehr
14. Koch Hisar
15. Iron village
16. Kaiseriyeh
17. Viran Shehr
18. Start from Derendah
19. Passage of the Taurus
20. Vale of Gergen Kafehsi
21. Retrospective
22. Town of Birehjik
23. Prisoners of water
24. Position of the Turks turned by the enemy
25. Line of retreat.

Subject Areas: Archaeology by period / region [HDD]