In antiquity, Asia Minor was crossed by all major commercial routes to Asia. The multitude of ethnicities which inhabited it and the wealth of archaeological findings at its ancient sites are among the features which constituted the area into a major pole of attraction, promising multiple benefits to European travellers.

From the 16^th century onwards travellers collected a large number of ancient coins, which were presented to Western rulers and monarchs and came to form part of rich private and public collections which exist until today. From the late 17^th century, archaeological explorations in search of ancient locations (such as cities and sanctuaries), and the recording of ancient inscriptions went hand in hand with passionate collection of antiquities.

The archaeological missions organized by the Dilettante Society start with Asia Minor in the mid-18^th century. Both research, invaluable until today, and pillaging of antiquities, a sad and much-discussed issue, went on until the late 19^th century.

A diversity of graphic material is available today, as Asia Minor includes locations such as Troy and the Troad, the Seven Churches of the Apocalypse, cities such as Smyrna and Bursa and famous ancient Greek colonies and Hellenistic cities such as Miletus, Ephesus, Didyma, Teos, Pergamon, and other cities in Lycia, Caria, Lydia etc.

Maps of the area occupy an important place in cartography, and the coast of Asia Minor has been charted in isolaria, port indexes and specialized research works. Depiction of human types, and in particular female costumes from Smyrna is another popular subject related to the area. 

The major political and military events of the early 20^th century, which radically altered the demographics of Asia Minor, were captured in photographs, the most powerful tool for an objective recording of reality.

1493 Schedel, H.

1547 Bordone, B.

1554 Belon, P.

1574 Camocio, G.Fr.

1580 Nicolay, N.  De

1598 / 1859 Vecellio, C.

1612 Breuning von Buchenbach, H.J.

1615 Sandys, G.

1615 Beauvau, H. de

1624 Deshayes, L. (Baron de Courmenin)

1632 Xαλκοκονδυλης, Λ.

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1660 Laurenberg, J.

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1720 Lucas P.

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1729 Gilles, P.

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1782 Choiseul-Gouffier, M.G.F.A. (comte de)

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1804 Gell, W.

1804 Roux, J.

1805 Griffiths, J.

1807 Wilkins, W.

1809 Choiseul-Gouffier, M.G.F.A. (comte de)

1810 Mayer, L.

1811 Castellan, An.L.

1812 Castellan, An.L.

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1813 Hobhouse, J.C. (Lord Broughton)

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1817 Tweddell, J.

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1825 Dupré, L.

1826 Stackelberg, O.M. von

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1830 Cockerell, Ch.

1832  Barthélemy, J.J.

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1833-34 Le Blanc, T.

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1838 Lewis, J.Fr.

1839 Fellows, Ch.

1839 Marmont, A.-Fr. Viesse de (Duc de Raguse)

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1843 Goupil-Fesquet, Fr.An.

1848 Estourmel, J. d’(Comte)

1849 Byron, George Gordon (Lord)

1850 c. Schranz, J.

1853 Flandin, E.

1854 Fellows, Ch. / Scharf, G.

1855-60 Brindesi, J.

1864 Texier, Ch.F.M.

1866 Walker M. A.

1867 Rey, Et.

1869 Busch, M.

1882 Wordsworth, Chr.

1882 Texier, Ch.F.M.

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1887 / 2002 Falke, J. von

1896 Beauregard, J. de

1913  Barth, H.

1915 Launay, L. De

1919 Jeancard, P.

1919  Banse, Ew.

1919  Boissonnas, Fr.

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Piraeus and Ports

Written by Ioli Vingopoulou