İngiliz asıllı cerrah, coğrafyacı, ve yerbilimci William Francis Ainsworth (1807-1896) Exeter'de doğar, 1827 yılında Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh tıp okulundan mezun olup Londra ve Paris'te yaşar, öğrenimini École Nationale Supérieure Des Mines okulunda sürdürür, aynı zamanda Provence'ta yerbilim araştırmaları dalında uygulamalı alıştırma yapar. Öğrenimini Belçika'da da sürdürür ve 1829'da İskoçya'ya döner. 1831 yılında bir kolera salgını ardından bu bulaşıcı hastalık hakkında bir inceleme yayınlar, İrlanda'da gine bir salgın sırasında doktor olarak hizmet verir.

Ainsworth, 1836 yılında cerrah ve yerbilimci olarak Francis Rawdon Chesney'in Fırat nehrinde araştırma yapan ekibine katılır, kısa süre sonra ise Royal Geographical Society and the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge derneğinin Kalde (Süryani) Hristiyanlarına yaptığı ziyaret ekibine katılır. Anadolu, Mezopotamya, Suriye'ye seyahat eder. 1840 yılının ilkbaharında Kürdistan dağlarında keşif gezisi yapar, Ermenistan'dan geçerek İstanbul'a varır ve ekibin maddi sorunları yüzünden masraflarını kendisi karşılayarak 1841 yılında İngiltere'ye döner.

1841'den itibaren kuzeniyle birlikte birçok derginin yayın müdürlüğünü yapar ("Ainsworth's Magazine", "Bentley's Miscellany" ve "New Monthly Magazine"), ayrıca Fırat nehrinden Hindistan'a doğru uzanan yol ağının gelişmesini amaçlayan "Syro-Egyptian Society" derneğinde genel sekreter olur. "West London Hospital" hastanesinin kurucu üyelerinden olan Ainsworth aynı zamanda Royal Geographical Society, Society of Antiquaries gibi ünlü derneklerin üyesi olmuştur.

Yayın müdürlüğü yaptığı dergilerdeki makalelerinden başka, tarih eserleri çevirip yorumlarını yapar, tıp çalışmaları yayınlar, tarih konulu denemeler ve seyahatnameler kaleme alır, ve Fırat ile Mezopotamya'ya yaptığı araştırma gezisinden sonra "Researches in Assyria, Babylonia, and Chaldea" (Londra 1838) ve "Travels and Researches in Asia Minor, Mesopotamia, Chaldea, and Armenia" (Londra 1842) kitaplarını yayınlar. İki yıl sonra, 1844 yılında, en çok bilinen eseri "Travels in the Track of the Ten Thousand Greeks" adlı kitabı yayınlanır. Bu kitap Ksenofon'un MÖ 400'de yazdığı Onbinlerin Dönüşü'ne ilişkin bir coğrafya ve tarih anlatısıdır.

Burada sözkonusu olan yayın Ainsworth'un dünyanın birçok ülkesine yaptığı seyahatlerle ilgili olup çeşitli halkların özel ve kamu yaşamına ve tarihsel anıtlara odaklanır; nitekim kitabın girişinde yazar eserini "bir coğrafya, bilim ve doğa kitabı" olarak niteler. Kudüs, Sicilya, Çin, Japonya, Hint okyanusu adaları, Moğolistan, Atlantik ve Pasifik Okyanusu, Küba, Galapagos adaları, Dalmaçya, Maldiv adaları, Athos (Aynaroz), Kuzey Amerika, Güney Amerika, Sibirya stepleri, Fas, kitapta bol resimlemeler eşliğinde betimlenen ülkeler ve yörelerden birkaçıdır.

Yazan: İoli Vingopoulou

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  Frontispiece. The SS Great Eastern laying the transatlantic cable.

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  Title page of vol. I.

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  Map of the eastern hemisphere.

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  Map of the western hemisphere.

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  View of Jaffa. View of Lod.

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  View of the settlement of Nabi Samuel, near Jerusalem, site of the tomb of prophet Samuel according to tradition. The settlement has been identified alternatively as biblical town Ramatha and as Arimathea. View of Abu Gosh village, also known as Qaryat al'Inab during the 19th century and identified by many as the biblical town of Cariatharim.

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  The valley of Gihon spring near Jerusalem.

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  The Gate of Damascus in Jerusalem.

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  Akeldama, the field of Blood or Potter's field in Jerusalem.

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  Map of Asia.

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  Gate of the Hospital of the Knights of St. John at Jerusalem.

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  View of the Garden of Gethsemane. View of Mount of Olives from Jerusalem.

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  View of Bethany.

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  View of the monuments in Kidron valley, which according to tradition is also the site of prophet Isaiah's martyrdom.

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  View of the eastern part of Kidron valley or valley of Josaphat on the outskirts of Jerusalem, with the monumental funerary monuments called tombs of Absalom and Josaphata, Zechariah and Benei Hezir.

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  The alleged tomb of David in Jerusalem. Absalom's tomb in Kidron Valley, jerusalem. The Pool of Siloam.

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  The Jewish Quarter in Jerusalem.

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  The monument called Tower of David in Jerusalem.

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  Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem.

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  The Aedicule in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. The interior of the Aedicule.

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  The cave situated under Temple Mount, Jerusalem (Well of the Souls). The pool of Bethesda with the Dome of the Rock mosque in the background.

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  Passageway inside the Golden Gate, Jerusalem. Vaults underneath Temple Mount, Jerusalem. Ruins of Temple Mount.

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  Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem. The Tombs of the Kings in Jerusalem.

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  Ancient pillar found on Temple Mount, Jerusalem.

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  View of Jordan River.

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  Ancient pillar found on Temple Mount, Jerusalem.

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  The Pools of Solomon near Bethlehem. The Chuch of the Nativity in Bethlehem.

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  View of Hebron. In the background the monument in Herodian architecture which houses the Cave of the Patriarchs, where Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebecca, Jacob and Leah are buried. The Valley of Jericho. View of the Dead Sea.

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  The building, which, according to tradition, houses Rachel's Tomb, and which is on the road from Jerusalem to Bethlehem.

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  View of Bethlehem.

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  View of the interior of Mar Saba monastery on the West Bank of Jordan river.

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  View of Nablus. Thelocation where the river Jordan flows out from the Sea of Galilee. View of Arab village Beitin, probably the site of biblical Bethel.

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  View of Mount Thabor. The coasts of the Sea of Galilee. Mounts Ebal and Gerizim in Nablus valley. The village of Nain in Galilee, where according to the Bible Jesus resurrected the young man, son of a widow.

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  View of Nazareth.

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  The sanctuary of Saint Rosalia, patron saint of Palermo, in the cave where according to tradition the saint had retired, on Pelegrino hill outside Palermo.

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  View of Stromboli island.

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  View of Cetinje, historic capital of Montenegro.

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  Interior of the Governor's Palace in Ragusa (modern-day Dubrovnik).

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  Capital in the Governor's Palace in Ragusa (modern-day Dubrovnik).

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  The palace of the Ottoman governor in Trebinje, Herzegovina.

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  View of the settlement of Gradina near Trebinje, in Gacko area, Herzegovina.

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  View of Trebišnjica river in Herzegovina.

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  View of Mount Athos.

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  Map of Greece and of the European part of the Ottoman Empire.

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  Portrait of the abbot (hegoumenos) of Iviron monastery, Mount Athos.

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  Fresco from the Trapeza (Refectory) of Great Lavra Monastery, Mount Athos.

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  Bas-relief from the port of Vatopedi monastery. Stephen III the Great of Moldavia presents to the Virgin Mary a miniature of the port which he donated to the monastery.

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  Saint Theodore of Amasea or Tyron. Detail from a fresco my Manuel Panselinos from the Protaton of Karyes monastery, Mount Athos.

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  Sculptured cabinet in the Treasury of Karyes.

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  The Holy Admnistration (Iera Epistasia) of Mount Athos.

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  Leaf and fruit of walnut tree in Mount Athos. Fig leaf.

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  Plane tree (gen. Platanus) in Mount Athos.

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  View of Astrakhan.

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  Tent of a Kalmyk princess.

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  Monument built on the site of the barrack where according to tradition Peter the Great stayed at during his visit to Derbent in modern-day Daguestan, in 1822.

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  Worshipers at the Ateshgah (Fire temple of Baku).

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  The Ateshgah (Fire temple) in Baku.

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  View of Baku.

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  View of Nukha valley, modern-day Shaki, Azerbaijan.

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  Costumes from Baku.

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  View of Şamaxı in modern-day Armenia.

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  Entrance to a Lesgian house.

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  The castle of Queen Tamara near the city of Mtshketa, Georgia.

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  Lesgian village in the area of Begitta.

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  View of river Rioni in Georgia.

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  Acclivity in Likhi or Sourami mountain range, in Georgia.

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  A summit in n Likhi or Sourami mountain range, in Georgia.

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  The mouth of Rioni river (anc. Phasis) in the city of Poti, near the ancient Greek colony of Phasis, in Georgia.

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  Map of Morocco.

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  Snake charmers in Morocco.

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  Muslim cemetery in the city of Essaouira or Mogador in Morocco.

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  Map of Caucasus.