63 - JEAN DE THEVENOT: THE TRAVELS OF MONSIEUR DE THEVENOT INTO THE LEVANT IN THREE PARTS VIZ INTO TURKEY, PERSIA, THE EAST INDIES. LONDON, 1687

JEAN DE THEVENOT: THE TRAVELS OF MONSIEUR DE THEVENOT INTO THE LEVANT IN THREE PARTS VIZ INTO TURKEY, PERSIA, THE EAST INDIES. LONDON, 1687 First complete English edition. Large FOLIO, later, most probably late 18th or early 19th century, leather over boards, slightly trimmed, text clean and bright, complete all parts, overall in very good condition. Jean de Thévenot (1633-1667) was a wealthy, independent scholar who traveled for the sake of pure curiosity. He was one of the first to describe plants, like coffee and tea, minerals, and animals with the eye of a natural scientist. Thevenot began his travels in the Levant in 1655 returning in 1659. He had visited the Greek Archipelago, Constantinople, Anatolia and Egypt. His travel account in Greece is very praised. In a second trip, in 1663-67, visited Syria and Persia. He learned local languages, such as Greek, Turkish, Arabic, and Persian, allowing him to interview locals directly rather than relying on interpreters. Thévenot died at the young age of 34 in Persia. He was famously obsessed with life,how people ate, how they bathed, how their legal systems functioned, and even how they saddled their horses.A fine 17th century travel account in the Levant.