Waldseemüller
Waldseemüller (also Waltzemüller; Latin: Hylacomilus), Martin (born 1470 in Radolfzell – died 16 March 1520 in Saint-Dié, Lorraine) — German cartographer.
In 1507, together with the German cartographer Mathias Ringmann, Waldseemüller published the work “Introduction to Cosmography” (Cosmographiae Introductio). In this work, the authors proposed that the newly discovered continent be named “America”, in honor of Amerigo Vespucci. Waldseemüller was the first to place the name America on a map, in 1507.
On his second world map, dated 1516, Waldseemüller included significant information about Georgia. The small crosses drawn between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea are thought to indicate Christian lands. The territory corresponding to Georgia on the map extends to the upper edges of the Sea of Azov and the Caspian Sea.
In this context, Colchidis (Colchis) likely designates Samegrelo (Mingrelia); Iberia probably refers to the Kingdom of Imereti; and Georgia denotes the Kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti. Between 1513 and 1518, the Kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti was indeed briefly unified, so it is possible that Waldseemüller had this information.
In eastern Georgia, the map shows the city of Tbilisi (Triphelis), marked with the image of a church or a town. Nearby, a Georgian king is depicted wearing a crown, royal garments, and holding a scepter. Since at that time the King of Kartli-Kakheti was David X, we can conclude that Waldseemüller’s map likely presents an image of King David X of Kartli-Kakheti.
South of Tbilisi, a lake is depicted within the kingdom of eastern Georgia — this should be Lake Sevan, although the author may have confused Sevan with Lake Van. From this lake, a river flows westward — the Euphrates, and eastward — a combined course of the Kura (Mtkvari) and Araxes (Aras) rivers, which together flow into the Caspian Sea. On the mountains south of the lake, a small image of Noah’s Ark is shown.
According to the map, the territory of the Kingdom of Eastern Georgia also includes Black Sea coastal regions.
Literature: თ ვ ა რ ა ძ ე ა., საქართველო და კავკასია ევროპულ წყაროებში (XII –XVI საუკუნეთა ისტორიოგრაფიული და კარტოგრაფიული მასალის საფუძველზე), თბ., 2004.
A. Tvaradze
