Önde gelen bir aileden olan İngiliz asıllı Richard Pococke (1704-1765) Cambridge'de öğrenim görür, piskopozluk kayyumu rütbesini alır. 1733-1736 yılları arsında kuzeniyle birlikte önce Avrupa'da Fransa, İtalya, Almanya, Avusturya, Polonya, Macaristan'ı gezer; daha sonra ise 1737'den başlayarak üç yıl boyunca Mısır, Kutsal Yerler, Kıbrıs, Girit, Ege adaları ve Anadolu ile o zaman için alışılmamış bir seyahat hedefi olan Yunanistan'ın Rumeli ve kuzey kısımlarını gezer. 1747-1760 yıllarında İrlanda'yı gezer ve 1765'den sonra piskopoz sıfatıyla Britanya'da seyahat etmeyi sürdürür.

Beklenmedik durumlarla dolu olan Doğu seyahati sırasında Mısır'da ortodoks patrik tarafından kabul edilir ve Yahudiye'de Ölü Deniz sularında yüzer. Seyahatnamesinde ayrıca Kıbrıs, Girit, Psara, Lezbos (Midilli), Bozcaada (Tenedos), Limnos (Limni), Samos (Sisam) ve Patmos adalarına özel bölümler ayırır ve Karadeniz'i de (Eukseinos Pontos) betimler. Anadolu'dayken İzmir, Ayvalık (Kidonies), Efes, Karya (Muğla, Denizli) yöresini, Frigya İerapolis'ini (Pamukkale), Ankara, Truva, Bithynia (Kocaeli, Bolu, Bursa), ve en son olarak İstanbul ve Trakya'yı gezer. Selânik'e varır ve kara yolundan Farsala (Çatalca), Lamia (Zituni), Euboia (Eğriboz), Kopaida ve Thiva'dan (Istefa) geçip Atina yakınlarındaki Fyli ve Atina havzasına gelir. Voyvodaya hediyeler sunup şehrin anıtlarını serbestçe gezer ve Eleusis'ten geçerek Korint, Patras ve Kefalonya'ya devam eder.

Edward Gibbon'un "şaşaalı eser" diye nitelediği seyahatnamesi edebî uslup yoksunluğuna rağmen sağduyu ve titizlikle yazılmıştır. Strabon, Herodotos, Sicilyalı Diodoros, Plinius, Ptolemaios, Pomponius Mela, Pausanias, Filostratus, Aelianus Tacticus gibi antik yunan ve latin yazarlara birçok gönderme yapan yazar yaşadığı sürece eseri okurlar tarafından sevilir ve fransızca, almanca ve flamancaya çevrilir. Kitapta osmanlı yönetimi, ticaret, örf ve adetler, mimarlık ve doğa tarihi hakkında yeterli hatta bol bilgiler bulmaktayız.

Ayrıca Mısır anıtları hakkında ayrıntılı betimlemeler; Mekke'ye giden kervanın yüzlerce deve, yük ve hacılarına ilişkin ayrıntılı bir katalog; Selânik anıtları betimlemesi; Nil nehrinin taşmasına ilişkin su düzeyi cetvelleri; İskenderiye patrikhanesine bağlı şehir, merkez kiliseler ve piskoposlar katalogu gibi konular da yer almaktadır.

G. Sandys'in kitabındaki alışılmamış resimlemeden sonra ve öncü J. Stuart ile Ν. Revett'in çözümlemeli resimlemesinden önce gerçekleşen Pococke'ın bu görsel yapıtı en güç beğenir okurları bile tatmin edecek durumda olur. Kişisel yaşantıları dışında başka yazarlardan aşırmalar da içeren bu etkileyici eser dışında Pococke 1752 yılında seyahati sırasında toplamış olduğu yazıtları da “Inscriptiorum Antiquarum Graec et Latin Liber” başlığı altında yayınlar. Bu arada annesi ve kuzeni Jeremie Milles ile sürdürdüğü zengin yazışmanın yayınlanması beklenmektedir.

Doğu'ya yaptığı gezileri anlatan seyahatnamesi Mısır anıtlarını ilk kez ayrıntılı biçimde betimleyen eserlerden biridir. Lübnan'dan getirmiş olduğu tohumlardan diktiği sedir ağacı ormanı bugüne dek İrlanda'da var olmaktadır. Pococke'ın, gezileri boyunca biriktirmiş olduğu arkeolojik eserlerin tümü 1766 yılında Londra'da satıldı.

Yazan: İoli Vingopoulou

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  Title page. Composition of Egyptian antiquities.

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  Allegoric scene: War and Peace as female figures. At the center the emblem of the Lord of Pembroke, to whom Pococke dedicated his work.

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  Map of Alexandria with sketch of the Patriarchal throne.

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  Map of Egypt with part of the Arabian Peninsula. Drawing of bow and rudder of small wooden ship common to the region.

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  Plans of towers in Alexandria together with plan and section of a cistern.

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  Pompey's Pillar (Triumphal pillar of Diocletian) in Alexandria.

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  Plans of catacombs in Alexandria together with floor plan of fortress in Nicopolis, and map of the isle Latonia, close to Rosetta.

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  Plan of the ruins of the Temple of Isis in the ancient city Busiris, today Baalbeit el-Hagar. Plan of the archeological site of ancient Bubastis. Plan of the ruins of Heliopolis in today's Cairo. The author notes the place of a Sphinx (Α) along with the place of an obelisk (Β).

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  Map of Cairo region and ancient Memphis. On the map the author notes some mosques and Christian temples.

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  View of the ruins of the fortress of Babylon, in the Coptic quarter of Cairo. View of the Pyramids of Dahshour, Saqqara and Giza.

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  View of granary in the Coptic quarter of Cairo. Plan of Roman fortress in the Coptic quarter of Cairo. Plan of the tower of the fortress (C). View of Roman fortress (Β).

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  View and bottom view of the reservoir of the aqueduct of Cairo.

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  View and plan of Egyptian sarcophagus from Cairo. Floor plan of the Amr ibn al-'As Mosque in Cairo.

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  View and plan of the Nilometer (device measuring the water levels of the Nile river) on the island Rawda in Cairo.

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  1.View of door in Cairo (B). 2. and 3. View and plan of Bab al-Nasr Gate in Cairo (Α).

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  Plan and view of the building called Hall of Joseph at the Saladin Citadel of Cairo.

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  View, sections, and plans of Joseph's Well (Bir Yusuf) at the Saladin Citadel of Cairo.

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  View of the Pyramids at Giza. Plan and section of the hallway of the Great Pyramid of Giza, also known as Pyramid of Cheops.

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  View of the Sphinx. Section plans of the Great Pyramid of Giza, also known as Pyramid of Cheops.

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  Map of the Pyramids of Saqqara and Dahshour.

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  Views and section plans of the Pyramids of Dahshour.

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  A Mummy brought from Egypt to the Right Honourable Lord Charles Cavendish.

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  Catacombs of Saqqara: A. Plan of human burials. B. Plan of the Ibis Catacomb (bird burials). C. View of a wall from the Catacombs of Apis. Two pyramids from Saqqara.

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  Plans and views of the Faiyum region. The lake Moeris.

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  Plan of the ruins of the Egyptian labyrinth Herodotus writes about, and which is close to Crocodilopolis, in today's Medinet el-Fayum.

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  View and plan of column order from temple in El Ashmunein. View and plan of portico in Sheikh Ibada (anc. Antinopolis).

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  View and plan of the portico of the Temple of Ptolemy IV in Qaw el-Kebir (anc. Antaiopolis). Grotto in Gebel el-Silsila.

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  Plans of temples at Denderah in Egypt.

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  View and plan of temple in Qus (anc. Apollonopolis Parva). View and plan of temple in Luxor (anc. Thebes). View and plan of temple and bridge in Qift (anc. Coptos / Justinianopolis).

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  Plan and section of the Precinct of Amun-Re in Luxor (anc. Thebes). Views of pylon of the same precinct.

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  View of ancient Thebes in Egypt.

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  View of the Valley of the Kings in ancient Thebes (Luxor).

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  Plans of funerary monuments from the Valley of the Kings in Luxor (anc. Thebes). Greek and Coptic graffiti incised by visitors in ancient times.

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  Plans of funerary monuments in the Valley of the Kings in Luxor (anc. Thebes). Map of the access to the site.

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  Plans of carved funerary monuments in Luxor (anc. Thebes).

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  Plans of two temples and of another building in Luxor (anc. Thebes).

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  One of the two colossal statues of Amenophis / Amenhotep III in Luxor (anc. Thebes).

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  Back view of one of the two colossal statues of Amenophis / Amenhotep III in Luxor (anc. Thebes).

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  The right leg of one of the two colossal statues of Amenophis / Amenhotep III in Luxor (anc. Thebes).

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  The left leg of one of the two colossal statues of Amenophis / Amenhotep III in Luxor (anc. Thebes).

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  Plan of Ramesseum, the memorial temple of Ramesses II, in Luxor (anc. Thebes).

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  The upper part of one of the two sitting statues of Ramses II found at the entrance gate of Ramesseum, the memorial temple of Ramesses II in Luxor (anc. Thebes).

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  Hieroglyphical representations in Ramesseum, the memorial temple of Ramesses II in Luxor (anc. Thebes).

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  View of Ramesseum, the memorial temple of Ramesses II in Luxor (anc. Thebes).

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  Plan of an Egyptian temple, perhaps of the Temple of Menthu in Armant (anc. Hermonthis). Floor plan of another ancient building in the same area.

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  Floor plans of temples in Esna (anc. Latopolis). View of temple in Esna.

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  Plan of the temple of Edfu. View and section plan of the great pylon of the temple.

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  View and plan of carved temples in Gebel el-Silsila in Egypt.

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  Section plan, view, and floor plan of ancient building in Aswan. Floor plan of a temple on Elephantine island. Statue of Pharaoh. Rock with hieroglyphic inscriptions.

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  Map of Philae (Amilkia) island and floor plan of the Temple of Isis.

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  Floor plan and view of a temple on the Philae (Amilkia) islands (C, D). View of the Temple at Kom Ombo (Α). Granite rocks adjacent to Philae island (Β).

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  Views of the Monasteries of Saint Paul the Anchorite and Saint Anthony.

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  Views of Mount Sinai.

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  Map of the top of Mount Sinai. Map of the area around the top of Mount Sinai. Views of the "Rock of Rephidim", stopover of the Jews during their Exodus from Egypt.

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  Inscriptions from Mount Sinai.

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  Inscriptions from Mount Sinai. Inscriptions from the base of one of the colossal statues of Amenophis / Amenhotep III in Luxor (anc. Thebes).

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  View, section plan and floor plan of the convent and the church of Saint Catherine on Mount Sinai.

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  Everyday life objects from Egypt.

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  Egyptian clothing, footwear and jewelry. Vineyard. Seal with Egyptian inscription. Everyday life objects. Stretcher carried by camels. Echinus of the Red Sea.

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  Dresses particular to Egypt: Copt. Bey of Egypt. Mentally ill Egyptian. Lieutenant of the Janissary corp. Egyptian woman. Dancers from Egypt. Woman of Arab ethnicity. Sergeant of the Janissary corp. Woman of Cairo riding a donkey in the "proper" Egyptian manner.

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  Isis statue, which Richard Pococke bought in Cairo and carried away to Great Britain.

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  Isis statue which Richard Pococke bought in Cairo and carried away to Great Britain.

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  Statue of Osiris which Richard Pococke bought in Cairo and carried away to Great Britain.

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  Statue of Osiris, which Richard Pococke bought in Cairo and carried away to Great Britain.

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  Statue that Richard Pococke bought in Qift (anc. Coptos) and carried away to Great Britain.

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  Statue of Harpocrates (Hellenistic deity) that belonged to the collection of doctor Richard Mead. Hellenistic signets. Ancient Weaving weights (A, B, C).

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  Egyptian pillars from Upper Egypt (Karnak, Luxor etc.)

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  Egyptian pillars from Karkan, Esna, Baalbeit el-Hagar (anc. Busiris), and other locations.

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  Egyptian capitals from Luxor, Amara, the Temple of Ptolemy IV in Qaw el-Kebir (anc. Antaiopolis), Aswan, Esna and Philae island.

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  Egyptian cornices and entablatures from temples in Amara (Denderah), Philae and Elephantine islands, eastern Karnak, Aswan, Qift (anc. Coptos), Luxor (anc. Thebes), Qaw el-Kebir (anc. Antaiopolis), Esna, and the labyrinth close to Faiyum (anc. Crocodilopolis -Arsinoe – Ptolemais Euergetis).

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  Sacred ibis mummies from the necropolis of Saqqara. A: Vase containing the embalmed bird. B, C: Vase after the removal of the seal. D, E, F: Views of the mummy as the shroud is gradually removed. G: Bones and remains of the bird's plumage. Catfish (Bagridae). Fish from lake Moeris.

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  Furnaces for making Sal-Armoniac. Plans of Ovens to hatch chickens. A Plan of a Coptic Church and Convent.

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  Roman inscriptions: Ι. Inscription on granite pillar in the old port of Alexandria. ΙΙ. Inscription on marble. ΙΙΙ. Inscription on pylon from a temple in Qaw el-Kebir (anc. Antaiopolis).

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  Inscriptions of Roman era: ΙV. Inscription from temple in Akhmin (anc. Panopolis). V. Inscription from Qus (anc. Apollonopolis Parva).

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  Roman inscriptions from Elephantine island.

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  Branch and fruits of Hyphaene thebaica (Doum Palm).

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  Hyphaene thebaica (Doum Palm).

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  1. Plant of genus Abutilum. 2. Plant of genus Capsicum. 3. Plant of genus Sisyrinchium.

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  4. Plant of genus Colutea. 5. Plant of genus Lunaria. 6. Plant of genus Senecium, perhaps Senecium Aegyptium. 7. Plant of genus Astragalus, probably Astragalus lusitanicus orientalis.

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  Egyptian statue in the collection of the Duke of Richmond.