İtalyan-Alman asıllı ressam Luigi Mayer (1755-1803) Roma'da doğar. Tanınmış çizimci ve gravürcü J. B. Piranesi'nin öğrencisiydi. Napoli kralı Ferdinando hizmetinde ressam olarak çalışıp Sicilya'nın arkeolojik anıtlarının resimlerini çizmişti. Daha sonra, büyük olasılıkla 1776 yılında, kendisini Osmanlı İmparatorluğu başkentinde, Babıali'de İngiltere elçisi Sir R. Ainslie'nin çevresinde buluruz (1776-1792). Bu tarihten itibaren elçi Ainslie Mayer'in yolculuklarının masraflarını karşılayıp onu Osmanlı İmparatorluğu topraklarında bulunan önemli manzaraların, özellikle de arkeolojik sitlerin çizimini yapıp resmini çizmekle görevlendirir.

Bir yandan sanatçıyla birlikte seyahat eden anonim bir gezginin elyazması seyahatnamesine göre, öte yandan Mayer'in tablolarında işlediği konulara bakarak güzergâhı hakkında bir fikir yürütebiliriz (en azından 1792'ye dek yaptığı yolculuklar hakkında). Mayer'in gezip çeşitli manzaralarını çizdiği yerler arasında Kıbrıs, Mısır, Filistin, Suriye, Karaman, Rodos, Karya (Muğla, Denizli yöresi), Likya (Antalya, Fethiye yöresi) ve Samos bulunmakta. Ayrıca Efes ve Korint'i görüntüleyen birkaç eserini de bilmekle beraber buralara hangi tarihlerde bulunduğu hakkında bilgimiz yoktur. Son olarak, Mayer, elçi Ainslie'ye İngiltere'ye dönüş yolculuğunda eşlik ederken Türkiye'nin Avrupa kesimiyle Bulgaristan ve Romanya'da manzaralar çizme olanağına sahip olur.

Mayer sadece antik zaman anıtlarının çizimiyle yetinmeyip tablolarına insanların günlük yaşamından hoş ayrıntılar, kıyafet özellikleri ve kamu hayatından sahneler de ekler. Ressamın özgün çizimlerinin bugün nerede bulunduğu hakkında bilgimiz yoktur. Ainslie Koleksiyonunda toplu halde bulunan birçok eseri sonradan British Museum'a verilmiştir.

Mayer'in zamanında çok popüler olan eserleri özellikle 1801'den sonra taş gravür olarak basılmış ve üst üste baskılar yaparak geniş çapta yayılmıştır. Aşamalı olarak tamamlanan bu baskılarda yer alan tablolar çeşitli konulu olup, değişik gravür teknikleri kullanılarak yapılmış ve üç dilde (ingilizce, fransızca, almanca) basılmıştı. Resimleri tamamlayan betimlemeler o devrin seyahatnamelerinden alınmış metinlerdir.

Yazan: İoli Vingopoulou

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  View of Istanbul from Pera. Valens aqueduct in the background. To the left of the aqueduct, the mosques of Suleiman I and Ahmed I, and Hagia Sophia.

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  The mosque of Sultan Ahmed I and the Byzantine Hippodrome. In the foreground, the Obelisk of Theodosius I, and the Obelisk of Constantine VII. Between them, the Serpent column, that is, the bronze base of the golden tripod of Plataeae, originally in the sanctuary of Apollo at Delphi.

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  Fountain at Pera,.

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  Feast at Tarabya, on the northwestern coast of the Bosporus.

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  The aqueduct of Uzunkemer near Belgrade Forest, Istanbul.

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  Dam at Belgrade Forest, Istanbul, (most probably Valide Dam).

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  Caravanserai at Küçükçekmece, near Istanbul.

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  Wooden bridge at Küçükçekmece, near Istanbul.

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  The stone bridge built by architect Sinan in Büyükçekmece, east of Silivri

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  Title page.

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  Woman of Caramania carrying her baby. Behind follows her daughter, carrying a bowl of water.

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  Kastellorizo: Lycian sarcophagi near Castel Rosso.

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  Lycian sarcophagi at Andriake (today Çayağzı), the port of ancient Myra (today Demre).

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  Lycian sarcophagi at Myra (today Demre).

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  "Archocrateion", Hellenistic rock cut tomb, at Lindos, Rhodes.

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  A colossal vase near Limassol in Cyprus.

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  View of an ancient monument, probably of the Kolossi Castle, at Limassol, Cyprus.

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  Lycian sarcophagi at Andriake (today Çayağzı), the port of ancient Myra (today Demre).

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  Entrance to Roman baths at Myra (today Demre).

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  View of ancient granary, built during the reign of the Roman Emperor Hadria, at Andriake (today Çayağzı), the port of the city of Myra (today Demre).

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  View of the Roman theater at Myra (today Demre).

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  Lycian sarcophagus at Fethiye (gr. Makri).

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  Scene from the encounter of the Voivode of Caramania with other Ottoman officials at his residence.

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  A Caramanian family changing its abode.

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  Caramanian woodcutters.

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  View of the Castle of Bodrum, or Castle of Halicarnassus.

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  View of Corinth and Acrocorinth. In the background the Temple of Apollo (at ancient Corinth).

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  The ruins of the Temple of Apollo at ancient Corinth.

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  The Arch of Marcus Aurelius in Tripoli, Libya.

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  Title page.

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  Half-title page with illustration.

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  Half-title page with illustration.

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  The Sultan's tent, in the course of a military campaign.

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  A street in Çorlu, close to Tekirdağ. In the background, the mosque of Sultan Suleiman I, built by architect Kassim and the mosque's Külliye, built by architect Sinan.

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  Ottoman market at Lüleburgaz in Turkey.

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  Karavanserai at Lüleburgaz in Turkey.

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  View of the village Kaskerat, which according to the author is located in eastern Thrace, close to Edirne and 35 leagues from Istanbul.

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  The village of Eski Istambul, near Kirklareli (in Greek Saranta Ekklisies).

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  Kirklareli (in Greek Saranta Ekklisies), Eastern Thrace.

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  Landscape in the Balkan mountains.

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  Caravan in the Balkan mountains.

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  Dance of Bulgarian peasants.

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  The village of Çalikkavak near Smyadovo, Bulgaria.

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  Snapshot at Olt river in Rumania. Possibly a scene from the author's journey to Bucharest.

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  The church of Saint Nicholas in Curtea de Argeş, Romania.

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  The entrance to the monastery of Saint Nicholas in Curtea de Argeș, Romania.

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  Woodchopping at Argeş River in Pireşti, Romania.

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  Palace at Bucharest.

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  Cemetery near Bucharest.

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  Ancient temples at Agrigento, Sicily.

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  The base of a gigantic column near Syracuse.

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  Ruins occasioned by the earthquake at Messina.

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  View at Villa Scabrosa, Catania, Sicily.

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  Ancient bath in Palagonia, near Catania, Sicily. According to Roman myth, the three small lakes of the area were the birthplace of the Sicilian deities Palici.

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  A modern structure erected on the site of the ancient cistern in Val di Noto, southeastern Sicily.

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  Crater of Aetna volcano.

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  The ruinsof an ancient temple on Salina island, which is situated at the centre of Isole Eolie archipelago.

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  Island of Stromboli.

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  Crater in the island of Stromboli.

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  Ancient ruins at Ephesus.

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  Ruins of an aqueduct at Ephesus, most probably the Byzantine aqueduct at Selçuk, near ancient Ephesus.

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  The Roman stadium of Ephesus.

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  View of the wall of the ancient theatre of Ephesus.

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  The ruins of the temple of Artemis at Ephesus.

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  A Roman building at Ephesus, probably a bathhouse.

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  Roman baths at Ephesus, probably the Roman baths of Varius in Selçuk, near ancient Ephesus.

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  View of the port of Latakia, the ancient Laodicea.

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  The mosque built on the site of the temple of Dionysus in Latakia (ancient Laodicea).

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  View of the mosque built on the site of the temple of Bacchus in Latakia (ancient Laodicea).

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  The Tetraporticon or Arch of Septimius Severus at Latakia (ancient Laodicea).

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  The cathedral of Our Lady of Tortosa in Tartus, Syria.

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  A building near Tartus, Syria.

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  A fountain on Amrit river, south of Tartus in Syria.

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  A monumental building on the coasts of Syria, possibly a Roman funerary monument between Tartus and Amrit, to the south of Tartus.

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  A monumental building on the coasts of Syria, possibly a Roman funerary monument between Tartus and Amrit, to the south of Tartus.

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  A monumental building between Tartus in Syria and Tripoli in Lebanon.

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  Phoenician funerary monuments in the necropolis of Amrit, south of Tartus, Syria.

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  Phoenician funerary monuments in the necropolis of Amrit, south of Tartus, Syria.

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  View of Arwad island outside Tartus, Syria.

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  The castle of Arwad on Arwad island.

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  The ruins of the temple of Hera on Samos island.

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  The ruins of the temple of Hera on Samos island.

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  The port of Pythagoreion on Samos island.

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  Roman aqueduct on Mount Kastron, Samos island. The aqueduct was connected to the Eupalinian aqueduct or Tunnel of Eupalinos, near the port of Pythagoreion.

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  A market in Jerusalem.

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  Reconstruction of Salomon's temple in Jerusalem.

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

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  The Calvary Chapel in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem.

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  The cave of Jeremiah in Jerusalem, with reconstruction of the prophet's tomb. The city of Jerusalem in the background.

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  A sarcophagus from the Tombs of the Kings complex outside Jerusalem.

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  View of Bethlehem.

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  The Grotto of the Nativity in Bethlehem.

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  The temple of Ammon, or Siwa Oracle or Temple of Zeus, in Siwa Oasis, Egypt.

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  The interior of the temple of Ammon, or Siwa Oracle or Temple of Zeus, in Siwa Oasis, Egypt.