Astrachan in Nagai. / Astrachan

Title

Astrachan in Nagai. / Astrachan

Description

Map shows 2 depictions of Astrakhan. Above as a general view with staffages in the foreground and below a bird's-eye view of Astrakhan with index.

ca. 1650

Artist

Gottfried/Merian (1593-1650)

Matthäus Merian (1593 – 1650) , born in Basel, learned the art of copperplate engraving in Zurich and subsequently worked and studied in Strasbourg, Nancy, and Paris, before returning to Basel in 1615. The following year he moved to Frankfurt, Germany where he worked for the publisher Johann Theodor de Bry. He married his daughter, Maria Magdalena 1617. In 1620 they moved back to Basel, only to return three years later to Frankfurt, where Merian took over the publishing house of his father-in-law after de Bry's death in 1623. In 1626 he became a citizen of Frankfurt and could henceforth work as an independent publisher. He is the father of Maria Sibylla Merian, who later published her the famous and wellknown studies of flowers, insects and butterflies.

Historical Description

The city is located in the upper part of the Volga delta, on eleven islands of the Caspian Depression. Astrakhan is in the Volga Delta, which is rich in sturgeon and exotic plants. The city itself was first mentioned by travelers in the early 13th century as Xacitarxan. From 1459 to 1556, Xacitarxan was the capital of Astrakhan Khanate. In 1556, the khanate was conquered by Ivan the Terrible, who had a new fortress, or kremlin, built on a steep hill overlooking the Volga in 1558. This year is traditionally considered to be the foundation of the modern city. n 1569, during the Russo-Turkish War (1568–1570), Astrakhan was besieged by the Ottoman army, which had to retreat in disarray. A year later, the Ottoman sultan renounced his claims to Astrakhan, thus opening the entire Volga River to Russian traffic. In the 17th century, the city was developed as a Russian gate to the Orient. Many merchants from Armenia, Safavid Persia, Mughal India and Khiva khanate settled in the town, giving it a cosmopolitan character.