Étude sur L’Ile De Chypre…

Manuscript on paper, composed in three parts: Histoire de Chypre; Géologie et Minéralogie; Agriculture, Commerce et Industrie. With four manuscript maps included: L'Ile de Chypre divisée en neuf royaumes, Ile de Chypre 1859, Carte gèographique de l'īle de Chypre and Carte Géologique de l’île de Chypre.
The book was compiled by the Belgian industrialist Edmond Paridant, and was some ten years in the writing. This Étude is a complete, but brief, study of the history, geology, mineralogy and agriculture of Cyprus. It provides a detailed report on the mineral wealth of the island and its potential exploitation.
On completion, Paridant offered the volume to Sultan Abdülaziz (1861-1876). The ambition of turning Cyprus into a Belgian colony was initially displayed by the Duke of Brabant, the future King Leopold II in 1860. While we may never know Paridant's exact motivation, we are surely entitled to imagine that it was an attempt to win favour with the Ottoman administration, so they would grant him the monopoly of exploiting the natural resources of the island.
Intended for presentation, this volume is really exceptional, and one of the highlights of the Foundation's collection.