Travels of Ali Bey in Morocco, Tripoli, Cyprus, Egypt, Arabia, Syria, and Turkey, Between the Years 1803 and 1807. In Two Volumes. (FIRST EDITION, 1816. TWO VOLUME COMPLETE SET)

London: Printed for Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, Paternoster-Row; Printed by A. Strahan, Printers-Street, London, 1816. First Edition. Hardcover. Very Good. 10.75" x 9" x 1.5" (respectively). Illustrated with maps and plates. FIRST EDITION, 1816. COMPLETE IN TWO VOLUMES. Matching, hardcover set. Bound in half dark brown / burgundy leather with brown, (very likely sheepskin), with cream and orange marbled papers. Hubbed spines bear title and volume number in gilt. Illustrated throughout with plates and multiple large foldout maps, engravings, diagrams, music scores, and facsimiles of Ali Bey's handwritten Arabic. All plates are present as per the "Explanation of Plates" at the beginning of Volume I. Half titles present. Frontispiece in Volume I is a portrait engraving of Ali Bey El Bassi in black and white. Frontispiece in Volume II is a large foldout map of the "Route of the Journeys of Ali Bey El Abbassi, In the Isle of Cyprus, and from Cairo to Constantinople", also in black and white. Vol. I: xlii, 399 pp.; Vol II: ix, 373 pp. On the shelf, these two volumes span 3 inches. <br><br>ABOUT THE AUTHOR: "Domingo Francisco Jorge Badia y Leblich; 1767 to 1818), better known by his pseudonym Ali Bey el Abbassi, was a Spanish explorer, soldier, and spy in the early 19th century. He supported the French occupation of Spain and worked for the Bonapartist administration, but he is principally known for his travels in North Africa and the Middle East. He witnessed the Saudi conquest of Mecca in 1807. Badía was born in Barcelona on April 1, 1767. After receiving a liberal education, he devoted particular attention to the Arabic language, which he learned in Vera, Almería, where his father was a military accountant, and in London. He also made a special study of the manners and customs of Arabian lands. Under the assumed name of Ali Bey el Abbassi, Badía spent the two years from 1803 to 1805 in Morocco, entertained by its king while pretending to be a descendant of the Abbasid caliphs. He then went to Mecca—then under the possession of the Wahabites—in order to perform the hajj. On his way, he stopped in Tripoli, Cyprus, and Egypt. By pretending to be a Muslim, he was able to enter places forbidden to others, such as Mecca and the Cave of Machpelah at Hebron. On his way back, he visited Jerusalem and Syria before reaching Constantinople in the autumn of 1807. There, he was for the first time suspected of not being a real Muslim and fled to French-occupied Spain. Having returned home in 1807, he declared his support for King Joseph I. He was appointed intendant of Segovia and then Cordoba. On the abdication of King José following the French defeat at Vitoria in 1813, Badía fled to France. In 1814, he published a French account of his travels in three volumes. An English translation was published in 1816.[8] There was much mystery about Ali Bey, since the account was written from his persona. Bankes, writing in 1830, roundly asserted that he was a Jew, and many later writers have thought that he was a genuine Muslim of Moroccan origin but of Spanish education. He set out on a second journey in 1818 under the assumed name of Ali Othman. He was said to have been acting as a French agent and, when he suddenly died at Aleppo on August 30, it was credited by some to poisoning. He was denied an Islamic burial because a cross was found in his vest." (Wikipedia). <br><br>CONDITION: This set is overall VG with some rubbing and wear. Some leather has stripped in spots, particularly on the back cover corners of Volume II. Foxing throughout. Some leaves are VG- with a moisture mark on the lower right of pages (please see image). Free from marginalia or annotation with two exceptions: Previous owner's name written in ink on the pastedown of both Volumes I and II; and a notation at the bottom of the last page of Volume II reads, (in pencil), "Finished reading this book on Monday the 24th of July 1848. L. M." Pagination is complete and bindings are sound. Engravings are stunning, even with foxing. A fascinating, handsome set, evoking a profound sense of mystery and adventure. <br><br>Additional photographs available upon request. At 7 lbs., due to their size and weight, additional shipping may be needed. This set will be delivered with "adult signature required". Full refund if not satisfied.