South-western Asia, the 1922 regional plate by J. G. Bartholomew for The Edinburgh Geographical Institute and John Bartholomew & Son, Ltd., captures a world recalibrating after the First World War. The title alone signals the sweep: from the Anatolian highlands and the Levant to the Persian Gulf, the Arabian Peninsula, and the northwestern marches of the Indian subcontinent. Bartholomew’s hallmark balance of science and elegance frames a dense tableau of relief, rivers, and frontiers, all keyed to the commercial sea lanes that knotted empire and exchange together. In the manner of the celebrated Times atlas series, this map compresses vast historical forces into lucid symbology—color-banded sovereignties, measured maritime distances, and exacting place-names—that reward close, inquisitive reading.

Bartholomew’s cartography marked a decisive turn toward analytical clarity, and this sheet exemplifies it. Relief is rendered with calibrated spot heights that punctuate the Taurus and Zagros ranges, the Elburz, and the plateaus edging the deserts, letting altitude and structure read at a glance. Subtle, vibrant tints differentiate terrain and polity without overwhelming legibility, while a carefully calculated conic projection holds forms true across latitudes from the Levantine littoral to the Indus frontier. The engraving’s hierarchy—capitals in assertive type, secondary towns in refined script, features annotated with judicious notes—embodies the Bartholomew ethos. An ornate early twentieth‑century cartouche anchors the composition, signaling both authority and artisanal pride.

Maritime intelligence threads the sheet. Main shipping routes arc from Suez down the Red Sea to Aden, then eastward along the monsoon corridors toward the Strait of Hormuz, Basra, Karachi, and Bombay, each leg crisply notated with sailing distances. Cross‑Gulf connectors, feeder lines along the Arabian littoral, and approaches to Bushehr and Bandar Abbas underscore how sea power and commerce animated the region’s ports. These plotted pathways transform the map into a navigator’s schematic—less a static portrait than a choreography of motion—linking coaling stops, entrepôts, and chokepoints into an intelligible network. The result is a document attuned to the practicalities of travel and trade as much as to the scholarly ordering of space.

Equally compelling is the political palimpsest of 1922. Bartholomew’s contrasting washes and boundary lines delineate mandates and emergent states: Iraq assembled under British auspices, Palestine and Transjordan administered from the west bank of the Jordan, and Syria and Lebanon under French authority. Anatolia appears amid nationalist consolidation that would soon crystallize as modern Turkey, while Persia retains its historical nomenclature even as oil and reform stir its provinces. Across the Arabian Peninsula the cartography records a mosaic—Hejaz along the Red Sea, the ascendant Nejd inland, Oman on the southeast, and the Gulf sheikhdoms and protectorates strung along the littoral, including Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar. Dashed or finely stepped lines judiciously convey unsettled or newly negotiated frontiers without presuming finality.

The physical geography is rendered with equal scholarship. The Tigris and Euphrates braid through Mesopotamia toward the Shatt al‑Arab; the Karun and Karkheh drain Persia’s Zagros; and the Indus system’s upper reaches gather on the map’s eastern verge. Deserts—the Syrian steppe, the Nefud, and the vast Rub’ al Khali—press against irrigated plains, their edges expressed with tonal restraint. Notes and labels seed the landscape with historical memory—Nineveh and Ur on the rivers, Persepolis near the Iranian plateau—while mountain passes and plateaus hint at caravan corridors far older than steamship routes. In uniting natural form, human movement, and political change, Bartholomew produces a synoptic portrait of south‑western Asia at a pivotal moment—lucid, authoritative, and alive with context.

Countries and regions on this map

• Middle Eastern countries (specific names not provided)
• Persian Gulf
• Arabian Peninsula
• Areas within modern-day Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Turkey, Syria, and parts of the Indian subcontinent.

Notable Features & Landmarks

• Relief Representation: Spot heights showcasing elevations across the landscape.
• Shipping Routes: Clearly marked maritime pathways.
• Political Boundaries: Borders delineating countries and territories, often in contrasting colors.
• Geographical Features: Major rivers, mountain ranges, and significant topographical elements.
• Distance Markings: Indications of distances relevant to navigation and regional geography.
• Annotations: Notes and labels providing historical context for locations.
• Cartouche Design: An ornate title block typical of early 20th-century map design.

Historical and design context

• Creation Year: 1922
• Mapmaker/Publisher: J. G. John George Bartholomew; The Edinburgh Geographical Institute and John Bartholomew & Son, Ltd., London.
• Context about the Mapmaker: Bartholomew’s work marked a significant transition in cartography, especially in The Times atlas series, employing advanced techniques for relief representation and accuracy.
• Design/Style Context: Detailed annotations, relief illustrations, and vibrant color usage indicative of early 20th-century cartographic practice and Bartholomew’s style.
• Historical Significance: Captures trade routes and the geopolitical climate of southwestern Asia in the 1920s, reflecting a shift toward greater cartographic accuracy and detail.

Please double check the images to make sure that a specific town or place is shown on this map. You can also get in touch and ask us to check the map for you.

This map looks great at every size, but I always recommend going for a larger size if you have space. That way you can easily make out all of the details.

This map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 70in (180cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please get in touch.

Please note: the labels on this map are hard to read if you order a map that is 16in (40cm) or smaller. The map is still very attractive, but if you would like to read the map easily, please buy a larger size.

The model in the listing images is holding the 16x20in (40x50cm) version of this map.

The fifth listing image shows an example of my map personalisation service.

If you’re looking for something slightly different, check out my collection of the best old maps to see if something else catches your eye.

Please contact me to check if a certain location, landmark or feature is shown on this map.

This would make a wonderful birthday, Christmas, Father's Day, work leaving, anniversary or housewarming gift for someone from the areas covered by this map.

This map is available as a giclée print on acid free archival matte paper, or you can buy it framed. The frame is a nice, simple black frame that suits most aesthetics. Please get in touch if you'd like a different frame colour or material. My frames are glazed with super-clear museum-grade acrylic (perspex/acrylite), which is significantly less reflective than glass, safer, and will always arrive in perfect condition.

This map is also available as a float framed canvas, sometimes known as a shadow gap framed canvas or canvas floater. The map is printed on artist's cotton canvas and then stretched over a handmade box frame. We then "float" the canvas inside a wooden frame, which is available in a range of colours (black, dark brown, oak, antique gold and white). This is a wonderful way to present a map without glazing in front. See some examples of float framed canvas maps and explore the differences between my different finishes.

For something truly unique, this map is also available in "Unique 3D", our trademarked process that dramatically transforms the map so that it has a wonderful sense of depth. We combine the original map with detailed topography and elevation data, so that mountains and the terrain really "pop". For more info and examples of 3D maps, check my Unique 3D page.

For most orders, delivery time is about 3 working days. Personalised and customised products take longer, as I have to do the personalisation and send it to you for approval, which usually takes 1 or 2 days.

Please note that very large framed orders usually take longer to make and deliver. 

If you need your order to arrive by a certain date, please contact me before you order so that we can find the best way of making sure you get your order in time.

I print and frame maps and artwork in 23 countries around the world. This means your order will be made locally, which cuts down on delivery time and ensures that it won't be damaged during delivery. You'll never pay customs or import duty, and we'll put less CO2 into the air.

All of my maps and art prints are well packaged and sent in a rugged tube if unframed, or surrounded by foam if framed.

I try to send out all orders within 1 or 2 days of receiving your order, though some products (like face masks, mugs and tote bags) can take longer to make.

If you select Express Delivery at checkout your order we will prioritise your order and send it out by 1-day courier (Fedex, DHL, UPS, Parcelforce).

Next Day delivery is also available in some countries (US, UK, Singapore, UAE) but please try to order early in the day so that we can get it sent out on time.

Read my full delivery and local production guide

My standard frame is a gallery style black ash hardwood frame. It is simple and quite modern looking. My standard frame is around 20mm (0.8in) wide.

I use super-clear acrylic (perspex/acrylite) for the frame glass. It's lighter and safer than glass - and it looks better, as the reflectivity is lower.

Six standard frame colours are available for free (black, dark brown, dark grey, oak, white and antique gold). Custom framing and mounting/matting is available if you're looking for something else.

Most maps, art and illustrations are also available as a framed canvas. We use matte (not shiny) cotton canvas, stretch it over a sustainably sourced box wood frame, and then 'float' the piece within a wood frame. The end result is quite beautiful, and there's no glazing to get in the way.

All frames are provided "ready to hang", with either a string or brackets on the back. Very large frames will have heavy duty hanging plates and/or a mounting baton. If you have any questions, please get in touch.

See some examples of my framed maps and framed canvas maps.

Alternatively, I can also supply old maps and artwork on canvas, foam board, cotton rag and other materials.

If you want to frame your map or artwork yourself, please read my size guide first.

My maps are extremely high quality reproductions of original maps.

I source original, rare maps from libraries, auction houses and private collections around the world, restore them at my London workshop, and then use specialist giclée inks and printers to create beautiful maps that look even better than the original.

My maps are printed on acid-free archival matte (not glossy) paper that feels very high quality and almost like card. In technical terms the paper weight/thickness is 10mil/200gsm. It's perfect for framing.

I print with Epson ultrachrome giclée UV fade resistant pigment inks - some of the best inks you can find.

I can also make maps on canvas, cotton rag and other exotic materials.

Learn more about The Unique Maps Co.

Map personalisation

If you're looking for the perfect anniversary or housewarming gift, I can personalise your map to make it truly unique. For example, I can add a short message, or highlight an important location, or add your family's coat of arms.

The options are almost infinite. Please see my map personalisation page for some wonderful examples of what's possible.

To order a personalised map, select "personalise your map" before adding it to your basket.

Get in touch if you're looking for more complex customisations and personalisations.

Map ageing

I have been asked hundreds of times over the years by customers if they could buy a map that looks even older.

Well, now you can, by selecting Aged before you add a map to your basket.

All the product photos you see on this page show the map in its Original form. This is what the map looks like today.

If you select Aged, I will age your map by hand, using a special and unique process developed through years of studying old maps, talking to researchers to understand the chemistry of aging paper, and of course... lots of practice!

If you're unsure, stick to the Original colour of the map. If you want something a bit darker and older looking, go for Aged.

See some amazing examples of Aged maps.

Se non sei soddisfatto del tuo ordine per qualsiasi motivo, contattami per un rimborso senza problemi. Si prega di consultare la nostra politica di reso e rimborso per ulteriori informazioni.

Sono molto sicuro che ti piacerà la tua mappa restaurata o la stampa d'arte. Lo faccio dal 1984. Sono un venditore Etsy a 5 stelle. Ho venduto decine di migliaia di mappe e stampe d'arte e ho oltre 5.000 recensioni reali a 5 stelle.

Utilizzo un processo unico per restaurare mappe e opere d'arte che richiede molto tempo e lavoro. Trovare le mappe e le illustrazioni originali può richiedere mesi. Utilizzo tecnologia all'avanguardia e incredibilmente costosa per scannerizzare e restaurarle. Di conseguenza, garantisco che le mie mappe e stampe d'arte siano superiori alle altre - ecco perché posso offrire un rimborso senza problemi.

Quasi tutte le mie mappe e stampe d'arte sembrano fantastiche a grandi dimensioni (200 cm, 6,5 piedi+) e posso anche incorniciarle e consegnarle a te, tramite un corriere speciale per oggetti di grandi dimensioni. Contattami per discutere delle tue esigenze specifiche.