Small 8vo. viii, 215 pp., French text, contemporary full calf, title gilt on decorated spine, marbled endpapers, all edges red, upper spine restored, small worm hole at lower spine not affecting pages, title page browned round edges, bookplate of Dampierre on front endpaper, otherwise copy in good condition, Chez Desaint & Saillant, Amsterdam & Paris, first edition, 1754.

Synopsis

“Julien-Claude Galland, a dragoman and nephew of the celebrated orientalist Antoine Galland, translated many works into French. The present collection also includes five pieces from Arabic and Turkish on Muslim rites and ceremonies, a description of Chios in 1747, and an account of the marriage of the Sultana Esma to Yakub Pasha, governor of Silistria.” (Blackmer)
“Galland’s account of the rituals surrounding the pilgrimage to Mekkah includes enlightening description of many of the important shrines and sites within the city. Extensive footnotes describe the history and physical appearance of such features as the Kaaba, the Black Stone and Mount Ararat, as well as explaining relevant Arabic terms and the importance of certain religious figures in the Islamic tradition” (Atabey cat.). Also contains a discussion on Ottoman science, “Traduction d’une dissertation sur les sciences des Turcs, et sur l’ordre qu’ils gardent dans le cours de leurs études” by Zaini Efendi (pp. 85 – 98) and an extensive essay on the Greek island of Chios, ruled by Genoa from 1436 to 1566, when the Ottomans conquered the island (pp. 99 – 172), as well as an account of the Sultana Esma with Yakub Pasha, governor of Silistria.
Bibliographic references: Blackmer 643; Atabey 470; Brunet VI, 98: 2238; Cioranescu 30197; Gay 3639.