SCHEDEL, H. - Constatinopolis.

Woodcut published in the so-called pirate edition of the "small Schedel" in Augsburg, 1497, Latin edition.
Originally the Nuremberg Chronicle by Hartmann Schedel was published 1493 in Nuremberg. The Latin edition was in July 1493, followed by the German edition in December 1493. After the great success of this first illustrated description of the world, Johann Schoensperger published February 1st, 1497 in Augsburg a pirate edition of the Nuremberg chronicle.
A Latin edition 1497 and a German edition in 1500. It was also illustrated with approximately 1800 woodcuts in text after M. Wolgemut and W. Pleydenwurff. The size of this pirate edition was reduced to approximately 2/3 of its original size. This woodcut illustration of Istanbul is one of the earliest obtainable city views.

Perched between East and West, ancient Constantinople was an essential stop for merchants from both sides of the world. Today, renamed Istanbul, this historic city was also the gateway to the Silk Road.
From Istanbul sprang the commercial routes that reached China, and the city was an epicenter of commerce, exchange, and multiculturalism.