Title: The Empty Quarter—Wilfred Thesiger's traverses—Arabia—UAE—Oman—RGS 1959 map Description: The Empty Quarter from traverses by W. Thesiger'. A large map of the Empty Quarter of Arabia and its surrounding regions, compiled by the Royal Geographical Society from the desert traverses undertaken by Wilfred Thesiger between 1945 and 1950. Thesiger’s routes are shown in red, together with tribal territories, wells, villages, salt flats, and major sand seas, forming the most accurate mid-20th-century cartographic record of the world’s largest continuous sand desert. Thesiger is widely regarded as the last great explorer of Arabia. In 1945, he was engaged by the entomologist O. B. Lean, acting on behalf of the Middle East Anti-Locust Unit (MEALU), to investigate locust breeding grounds in southern Arabia. This commission led to two major crossings of the Empty Quarter and extensive travel in inner Oman, undertaken by camel with Bedu companions through regions then little known to Europeans and often dangerous owing to tribal tensions and the resistance of local rulers to foreign presence. During his second crossing, Thesiger’s party was briefly imprisoned by Saudi authorities before being released. Among the Bedu, Thesiger was known as Mubārak bin Landan (“the blessed one of London”); his former companion Salim bin Ghabaisha described him as “loyal, generous, and afraid of nothing.” The journeys recorded on this map formed the basis of Thesiger’s celebrated book Arabian Sands (1959), which documents both the geography of the Empty Quarter and the vanishing way of life of the Bedu. Published on the eve of large-scale oil development and motorised access, the map stands as a landmark of classical exploration and the last great achievement of Arabian exploratory cartography. . Compiled by the Royal Geographical Society from traverses by Wilfred Thesiger. Published 1959. Antique Royal Geographical Society exploration map. Size 43 x 54 cm | 17.0 x 21.0 inches. Condition: Fair-to-Good: Old glue desposits. Repairs verso. Please note any other blemishes on the scan prior to purchasing this picture. Please contact us if you would like to arrange to view this map. This is a folding map. There is nothing printed on the reverse side, which is plain. Tags: 1959, Arabia, Arabian Sands, Map, Middle East, Royal Geographical Society, UAE
Reserve: $440.00
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