Salvete Omnes,
short entry on this particular XVI century travel - Pierre Belon.
Les observations de plusieurs singularitez & choses mémmorables, trouvées en Grèce, Asie, Judée, Égypte, Arabie, aux autres pays étrange.(AD 1588 edition at the French national Library
Gallica and
English introduction & synopsis with images). English translation (2012)
here - but to be purchased not free.
Already an illustrious scientist Pierre Belon, a Frenchman in his country service and protege of the
Montmorency family, was sent along with the grand French embassy under
Gabriel de Luetz, Baron et Seigneur d'Aramon et de Vallabregues to the High Porte & the sultan Suleiman (even went to see the campaign against the Saffavids) - here Gabriel d'Aramon portrayed with the Turkish arrows, presumably. Jean Chesneau, who was the secretary to the ambassador, wrote
Le Voyage de Monsieur d'Aramon dans le Levant that we may take a look at but at some other time.
The scientist voyaged within the Ottoman Empire and upon return in 1549 monsieur Belon may have started composing the aforementioned work for publication, first printing in AD 1553, many later editions. He, being a Roman Catholic, was murdered by some protestant/s in Paris (
Bois) in 1564, as France was inherently dangerous place due to the wars between the Catholics and the protestants.
There are many woodcuts in this work, and two are interesting more than others as they show:
a Circassian lord on an Arabian horse.
and an Egyptian couple, the faris (knight) with his lance and next to him his wife mounted on a mule, modestly riding side-saddle.
Arabian nomad? from the Syrian desert, with the bow and arrows.
very interesting images worth studying
Valete
