About this lot

Description

World War One coloured folding map of Aleppo and region in the Ottoman Empire, linen backed, circa 81 x 63.5 cm, produced by the Arab Bureau [the British Intelligence organisation based in Cairo], scale 1: 500,000, (7.89 miles to one inch), and marked to lower left corner "GSGS 4011 (Aleppo)", published by the Survey of Egypt under authority from the War Office, for Arab Bureau.
Note: The area in question is much of northern Syria and eastern Turkey. "Ottoman Empire" and "Aleppo" are printed in the top margin. The Arab Bureau was set up in 1916, its main role was the collection and dissemination of intelligence and propaganda about the Arab regions of the Middle East and North Africa. Map making was a key aspect of its work, and made use of both secret and open sources of intelligence to help in the struggle against the Allies' enemy, the Ottoman Empire. At the heart of the Arab Bureau mapping operation in 1915-16 was an unknown 2nd Lieutenant, T. E. Lawrence, who later achieved fame as Lawrence of Arabia.

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