John Harrison Allan was from Britain. He was a member of the Athenian Archaeological Society and the Egyptian Society of Cairo. He made a journey to the Mediterranean from April 1841 to June 1842. This Grand Tour of the East had become quite usual for wealthy European in the 19th century, and was considered almost a necessity, as a means to educate oneself and as a sign of social status.

Allan published his memoir in 1843, creating a work, of interest above all for its illustrations, which was republished two times. The plates illustrating this large-format work were based on drawings made by Allan himself. The edition is comprised by forty lithographs and sixty-eight wood engravings.

The voyage began in Liverpool. The ship reached Venice by way of Gibraltar and Malta, sailed across the Adriatic and the Aegean sea and reached Istanbul. In continuation, the company sailed along the coast of Asia Minor, stopped over at Syros and set anchor at Alexandria. They explored Egypt down to the cataracts of the Nile in Assouan and returned to Alexandria. After a stopover at Malta, they were in Syros again, from where they travelled to Athens. They toured Attica, the Peloponnese, Delphi, and reached Patras. They then visited the Ionian islands, and sailed to Malta, Sicily, Southern Italy, Rome, Marseilles, Barcelona, Malaga and Lisbon.

Written by Ioli Vingopoulou

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  Title page. Scenes from the author's trip to the Mediterranean.

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  Title page.

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  Coats of arms. Author's dedication to Prince William of Prussia.

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  The "Oriental", the ship in which the author travelled from Liverpool to the shores of the Iberian peninsula.

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  Grand Harbour, Malta.

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  Iris, the ship in which the author travelled from Malta to the Gulf of Trieste, Italy.

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  Fig. 1. View of Pula in Croatia. Fig. 2. Iris, the ship in which the author travelled from Malta to the Gulf of Trieste, Italy.

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  View between Senglea and Vitoriosa in the Grand Harbor of Malta.

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  View of Herceg Novi.

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  View of the eastern shores of the Dardanelles. In the background the Sultaniye Castle.

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  Landscape on Mount Uludağ, near Bursa.

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  Dancing dervishes of the Mevlevi Order, in the Tekes of Pera (Istanbul).

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  Ottoman ships in the harbor of Izmir.

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  View of Foca in Asia Minor.

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  View of the remains of the ancient theater of Erythrae, ancient city in Asia Minor. In the background the island of Chios.

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  The ruins of the Temple of Hera on Samos island.

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  The remains of the Temple of Apollo in Didyma, ancient city of Asia Minor.

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  Ancient reliefs from the island of Kos. On the first (left top), Zeus, Hera and Hercules. On the second (right top), Apollo with the Muses. On the third (bottom left), Hercules with the Lion of Nemea. On the fourth (bottom right), the contest of Apollo with the Satyr Marsyas.

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  The central square of the city of Kos with the Plane tree of Hippocrates.

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  The ruins of the Thermae of Gaius Xenophon (Kos) at the Asclepion of Kos island.

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  Fig. 1. View of Bodrum (anc. Halicarnassus). In the background the Castle of Halicarnassus, also called Castle of St. Paul. Fig. 2. View of the ruins of the Temple of Ares in Bodrum (anc. Halicarnassus).

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  Fig. 1. Part of stele from Bodrum (anc. Halicarnassus). This stele was most probably at the site of the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus. Fig. 2. Metopes from the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus. These Metopes, on which scenes from the Amazonomachia are depicted, are some of the very few elements of the Mausoleum preserved today, because the locals used them to cover several parts of the sewer system. Inscription from the Castle of Halicarnassus, also know as Castle of Saint Paul.

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  View of the medieval city of Rhodes. On the right the Naillac Tower, constructed during the era of the Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller Philibert de Naillac, hence its name, and  demolished in the mid-19th century.

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  View of Marmaris in Asia Minor. In the background the Castle of the city, constructed by the Knights Hospitaller.

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  Fig. 1. View of the Hellenistic, theater of Fethiye (anc. Telmessos) in Asia Minor. Fig. 2. Lycian tombs and sarcophagi at Fethiye (anc. Telmessos) in Asia Minor.

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  Lycian sarcophagi and mausoleums at Fethiye (anc. Telmessos) in Asia Minor.

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  Lycian sarcophag at Fethiye (anc. Telmessos) in Asia Minor.

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  Carved tombs in Fethiye (anc. Telmessos) in Asia Minor.

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  Fig. 1. Rock-cut mausoleum in Fethiye (anc. Telmessos) in Asia Minor. Fig. 2. Lanscape at the Gulf of Saint Paul, in Lindos (Rhodes).

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  View of Agia Marina, Leros. On the left the Castle of Leros, also known as Castle of Panagia, which was initially constructed by the Knights Hospitaller. In the background the Bourtzi Fortress, dating back to the Roman era.

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  America, the ship in which the author sailed to Alexandria, Egypt.

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  Pompey's Pillar, also known as Triumphal pillar of Diocletian, in Alexandria, Egypt.

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  The port of Alexandria.

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  View of Fuwwah, city close to the Delta of Nile, east of Alexandria.

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  The Meidum or Maidum Pyramid, south of Cairo. Due to its unusual shape it is also called as False Pyramid.

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  View of Minya in Egypt. In the background the El-Amrawy Mosque.

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  Nile fish.

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  The pylon of the Temple of Luxor (anc. Thebes), together with the colossal statues and the obelisk of Ramses II.

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  View of the great hypostele of the Temple of Amun-Re at the Precinct of Amun-Re in Karnak.

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  View of the Ptolemaic Temple of Kom Ombo.

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  The Nile river from Shellal, south of Aswan. This point is often called First Cataract, due to the high speed of the waters.

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  View of the Temple of Dedwen, Nubian deity, at the cape of Kalabsha (anc. Talmis), near Aswan. During the first Christian centuries, this temple served as a church, and it is still called this way.

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  View of an Egyptian temple at Kalabsha (anc. Talmis), near Aswan.

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  View of the Temple of Mandulis, Nubian deity. This temple is also called Temple of Kalabsha as of its location (at Kalabsha, near Aswan).

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  View of the Temples of Abu Simbel in Egypt.

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  View of the Nile river at Wadi Halfa in Sudan. This point is called Second Cataract, due to high speed of the waters.

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  View of the Temple of Ra-Horakhty in Derr, Egypt.

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  Front view of the Temple of Hathor and Nefertari, also known as the Small Temple, in Abu Simbel Egypt.

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  Interior view of the Temple of Hathor and Nefertari, also known as the Small Temple, in Egypt.

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  Front view of the Temple of Ramses II, also known as the Great Temple, in Abu Simbel, in Egypt.

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  Interior view of the Temple of Ramses II, also known as the Great Temple, in Abu Simbel, in Egypt.

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  View of the Temple of Amada, in Egypt.

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  Quarries in Qertassi, near Aswan. The author claims to have discovered over sixty inscriptions in Greek at the location.

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  View of the Temple of Ramses II, in Wadi es-Sebua, near Aswan.

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  View of the Hellenistic Temple of Serapis in Meharakka, location between Amada and Wadi es-Sebua.

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  View of the Hellenistic Temple of Thoth in Dakka, Egypt.

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  View of the Temple of Gerf Hussein, dedicated to the Egyptian deities Ptah, Ptah Tatenen, Hathor and Ramses. This temple has been transferred to Kalabsha.

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  1. View of the Temple of Dendur, near Aswan. This Temple was ordered by the Roman Emperor Augustus, and was dedicated to Isis and Osiris. The temple is today at the Metropolitan Museum of New York.

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  View of the roman Kiosk of Qertassi. The kiosk initially stood at the entrance of the quarries of Qertassi, yet has been transferred to Kalabsha.

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  View of the Temple of Debod, dedicated to Isis of Philae, island near Aswan. The temple is today in Madrid.

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  View of the Temple of Isis and the Kiosk of Trajan on the island Philae, in Lake Nasser, in Aswan.

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  View of the Kiosk of Trajan, on the island Philae, near Aswan.

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  The boat with which the author traveled the Nile river.

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  View of the quarries of Gebel el-Silsila, near Aswan.

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  View of the Ptolemaic Temple of Kom Ombo, or Temple of Sobek and Haroeris, Egyptian deities, near Aswan.

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  View of the Ptolemaic Temple of Horus in Edfu, Egypt.

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  Interior view of the Temple of Khnum in Esna, near Luxor.

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  View of the ruins of the Temple of Menthu in Armant, Egypt.

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  View of the Temple of Hathor in Dendera, Egypt.

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  View of the ruins of Antinopolis, today Sheikh Ibada, Egypt.

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  View of the Pyramids at Giza from the quarries of Gebel el-Ahmar, on the Mokattam hills.

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  View of the Pyramids of Cheops and Chephren in Giza, Egypt.

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  The Sphinx in front of the Pyramid of Chephren in Giza, Egypt.

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  Statue from Memphis, Egypt.

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  The ship Great Liverpool, in which the author traveled from Egypt to Greece.

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  View of Nafplio. On the left Palamidi, on the right the Bourtzi.

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  View of the Temple of Aphaia in Aegina.

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  View of the Temple of Apollo in Ancient Corinth. In the background the Acrocorinth.

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  View of Missolonghi.

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  The Coat of Arms of the United States of the Ionian Islands. The Coat of Arms of Great Britain framed by those of the seven islands.

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  View of the lazaretto on Manoel island, near Valletta, Malta. On his way back to England, the author spent five days on quarantine there.

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  View of Messina in Sicily. In the background Mount Etna.

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  View of Taormina in Sicily. On the left the Saracen castle of Taormina.

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  View of the ancient amphitheater of Taormina, in Sicily.

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  View of Catania in Sicily. On the left the church of Saint Francis of Assisi, where initially the Temple of Athena stood. In the background Mount Etna.

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  View of the ancient theater of Syracuse, in Sicily.

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  View of the river Anapo passing through Syracuse. This river empties into the smaller Ciane river. In the background Mount Etna.

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  View of the Temple of Hera in Agrigento, Sicily.

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  View of the ruins of Selinunte, Sicily.

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  Marsala, Sicily.

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  View of the Doric Temple of Segesta, Sicily.

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  Palermo, Sicily.

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  View of Trapani, Sicily.

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  Fig. 1. View of Mount Vesuvius from the port of Naples. Fig. 2. Views of the Temple of Poseidon (on the right) and the Temple of Hera (on the left) in Paestum, Italy.

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  View of the amphitheater of Pompeii, Italy.

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  Fig. 1. View of the post of Barcelona, Spain. Fig. 2. View of the Cathedral of Valencia, Spain.

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  View of Alicante, Spain.

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  Fig. 1. View of the port of Cartagena, Spain. Fig. 2. View of the Cathedral of Malaga, Spain.

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  Gibraltar.

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  View of Vigo, Spain.