Bowles and Carver

A General View of the City of Constantinople

17 x 11 inches

Hand coloured etching published by Bowles and Carver in London circa 1790.

There can have been few places more exotic to the English traveller in the C18th than Constantinople, modern day Istanbul. The city has always provided a tantalising gateway to the Far East and yet it lay a little beyond the realms of many who embarked upon the Grand Tour so remained shrouded in mystery. This fabulous panoramic view of the city is taken from the Bosphorus where it joins the Sea of Marmara. We can clearly see the imposing Topkapi Palace and the dome of Hagia Sophia; monuments that dominate the skyline to this day. British ships are in evidence at the entrance to the Bosphorus, reminding us how crucial this seaway was for maintaining British trade routes, especially to India.