1680 – Tavernier Voyages in Constantinople | Ottoman Empire du Serrail

Jean-Baptiste Tavernier was an important 17th-century voyager known for his six voyages to Persia and India in which he bought, sold, and traded rare gems and precious metals. The events of these journeys were recorded in his “Les Six Voyages”. This highly desirable book has become one of the most important references for gemologists and gem historians.

However, prior to Six Voyages, Tavernier published his first book in 1675 – Nouvelle Relation de l’Intérieur du Sérail du Grand Seigneur – a work in which he described his discoveries and encounters in Constantinople in his first and last voyages. This book proved to be one of the best and most thorough first-hand accounts of the Ottoman Empire.

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Nouvelle relation du l’interieur du serrail du grand seigneur; contenant plusieurs singularitez qui jusqu’icy n’ont point esté mises en lumiere
• Author(s): Jean-Baptiste Tavernier
• Publisher: Paris: Chez Gervails Clouzier
• Edition: 1680.
• Format: (12mo), single volume
• Binding: Full leather
• Size:  6.5 in x 3.75 in (16.5 cm x 9.5 cm)
• Collation: 341 pp
• Contents Include:
  • First-person accounts from Constantinople
  • Descriptions of the Ottoman seraglio and inner court
  • Comparative reflections on Islamic and European court life

Condition:

Good. Bound in full period leather with wear at the hinges and corners. Minor loss of leather on the spine, but the binding remains tight and secure. Internally complete, with only minor age-toning consistent with 17th-century paper.

Why Collect This?

• First Paris edition of Tavernier’s earliest published work
• Rare firsthand European account of the Ottoman Empire

Item Number: # 29604