Ali Bey El-Abbassi – Travels in Africa and Asia (1816–1817) | First Italian Edition | Complete 4-Volume Set with Hand-Coloured Plates

The work recounts his remarkable journey through North Africa, Egypt, Arabia, Palestine, and other regions of the Islamic world between 1803 and 1807. Travelling under the identity of a Muslim prince, Badía gained access to places normally closed to European visitors, producing one of the most important travel narratives of the early nineteenth century.

This Italian translation, prepared by Dr. Stefano Ticozzi, was published in Milan by Tipografia Sonzogno between 1816 and 1817.

The set retains its original marbled paper boards with red spine labels and gilt lettering. All sixteen hand-coloured copperplate engravings are present, four in each volume.

The plates depict costumes, local inhabitants, architecture, and scenes encountered during the journey, offering a fascinating visual record of European exploration and scholarship in the Middle East and North Africa during the early nineteenth century.

Details

• Milan, Tipografia Sonzogno e Comp.
• Volumes I–II published in 1816
• Volumes III–IV published in 1817
• First Italian edition
• Complete 4-volume set
• Octavo format (approximately 20 × 12.5 cm)
• Contemporary marbled paper boards
• Gilt-lettered spine labels
• 16 hand-coloured copperplate engravings in total
• Translated by Stefano Ticozzi

Condition

Good overall condition. Expected signs of age, light wear to the bindings, and mild foxing to the title pages. The bindings remain sound and all illustrated plates are present.

Bibliographical Significance

Ali Bey’s travels are among the most important European firsthand accounts of the Islamic world in the early nineteenth century. His observations on geography, architecture, religion, customs, and daily life provide a unique perspective on regions that remained largely inaccessible to Western travellers at the time.