Plate 245 Tombs of the Memlooks, Cairo - After David Roberts

A depction of the Tombs of the Mamlouks (sometimes spelt Memlooks), Cairo. According to historical records, the population of Egypt exceeded more than half a million inhabitants at the end of the 14th century. This caused the Mamluk kings to look for new places to establish their necropolises and to build the Northern cemetery of Cairo which David Roberts has drawn here including the famous Mosque of Qaitbey which was completed in 1474.
 
The drawings and watercolours from this tour of the Holy Land and Egypt by Roberts were collated together into folios and released over a seven year period (1842-1849) by the publisher F.G. Moon from 20 Threadneedle Street London. This lithograph is from the Royal Subscription Edition (1842-1849) with only 500 copies produced per depiction.
 
Medium: Original Royal Subscription Edition by Louis Haghe, half-plate hand-coloured lithograph on thick woven paper.
 
Half Plate 245.
 
Inscribed lower left 'Tombs of the Memlooks, Cairo', 25.5 x 32 cm, mounted.