From the unsettled state of this country, once the seat of early civilization and the cradle of the fine arts, it is now comparatively imperfectly known, and the accounts left us by ancient writers are very meagre and unsatisfactory. It is, however, of perhaps greater interest to the geographer, the historian, and the antiquary, than almost any other country. It everywhere abounds with relics and monuments of antiquity, all tending more or less to throw light upon the history of the human race. It may be true that Asia Minor was only of secondary importance in the palmy days of Assyria and Egypt,—when science, literature, and arts flourished in Greece, or when Rome sat mistress of the world; but these rose to eminence for a short time, only to fall into a greater depth of barbarism, whereas it has maintained a greater or less degree of importance from the first dawn of history to the present time. But even apart from its historical interest, the country itself presents much to recommend it to notice. The grandeur and picturesque beauty of its scenery renders it at least equal, if not superior, to any country of Europe, while its extreme productivity, coupled with the number of its excellent ports and other advantages, give evidence, that under a more favourable system of government it might become a place of importance in a commercial point of view; but at present its imports are subject to very heavy and arbitrary taxes, and almost every branch of industry is paralyzed by the still more ruinous system of monopolies.

When the descendants of Noah were, from their numbers, obliged to disperse themselves over the earth, the family of Lud, one of the sons of Shem, is supposed to have been the first to people the wilds of Asia Minor, and to have at length settled on the banks of the Hermus. The traditionary Lydus, the eponymous king of the Lydians, is supposed to be the same with Lud, and his grandfather Manes is probably the Noah of Scripture. It is not our intention, however, to follow out here the history of the country, as that will be found in other parts of the work. Suffice it to say, that Asia Minor was the theatre of the earliest remarkable events recorded in protane history, as the Argonautic Expedition, the Trojan War, in which the gods are said to have descended from Olympus and joined battle with mortals; the conquests of the Persians, the overthrow of their empire by Alexander, and the settlement in this part of Asia of his successors. It subsequently fell under the Roman sway, and suffered severely in after ages in the wars of the Saracens, the Turks, Tartars, &c. It is also intimately connected with the early history of Christianity, and the first Christian churches were planted here.

From the earliest times till after the establishment of the Roman power in Asia Minor, that country, or a part of it, went under the general name of Asia. Homer and others apply this term to the valley between Tmolus and the Cays-trus. When the Romans extended their conquests beyond the peninsula, they divided their Asiatic territory into Asia intra Tauro, and Asia extra Tauro. The term Asia Minor seems to have been adopted about the fourth century of our era, and was applied to that peninsula of Asia extending westward from an imaginary line drawn from Trebizond to the Gulf of Scanderoon. It comprehended Mysia, Lydia, Caria, Lycia, Pisidia, Cilicia, Bithynia, Paphlagonia, Pontus, Phrygia, Galatia, Lycamia, Cappadocia, and Armenia Minor.

Most of the works of the ancient geographers and historians on this country are now lost, with the exception of Strabo, Pliny, Ptolemy, Stephen of Byzantium, and a few others. Accounts of several military expeditions into the country are, however, extant, as Xenophon's account of the expedition of Cyrus the younger; Arrian's history of the Asiatic expedition of Alexander the Great; the history of the Roman wars in Asia, by Polybius, Livy, and Appian, particularly Livy's account of the Marches of the Consul Manlius through Phrygia, Pamphilia, Pisidia, and Galatia, to Ancyra; Anna Comnena's account of her father Alexis Comnenus's expedition against the Turks. Among modern travellers in this country are Tavernier, Tournefort, Pococke, Niebuhr, Beaufort, Kinneir, Richter, Leake, Keppel, Arundell, Fellow, Texier, Hamilton, Chesney, Ainsworth, &c. The work, however, which promises to throw most light upon this interesting country is that by the recent traveller Tchilbabitchoff, entitled Asie Mineure, Description Physique, Statistique, et Archéologique. The first volume has lately been published, and is devoted to the physical geography; the second is to treat of the meteorology, botany, and zoology; the third of the geology; and the fourth is to give a statistical and archæological account of the country.

The peninsula of Asia Minor is the most western territory of Asia, and extends northward from the Mediterranean to the Euxine, and eastward from the Grecian Archipelago to the banks of the Euphrates. Its length from E. to W. is nearly 600 miles, and its breadth about 360, lying between Lat. 36° and 42° N., and Long. 26° and 40° E. It is divided into the pashaliks of Anatolia, Livas, Karamania, Isthil, Adana, Marash, and Trebizond. The principal towns are Smyrna, Trebizond, Brusa, Angora, Konieh, and Kaisaryeh.

It may be described as an elevated table-land, consisting principally of a succession of extensive plains, frequently furrowed by deep valleys, and intersected by lofty chains of mountains. The limits of this extensive upland, containing these plains and valleys, are marked by an elevated and almost continuous chain of mountains, round which, at a lower level, a succession of narrow plains border the shores of the Mediterranean and Black Seas. The Taurus mountain chain extends from E. to W., near its southern coast, rising frequently to the height of 8000 or 10,000 feet; and along the northern coast is another chain rising to the height of 6000 or 7000 feet, and comprising Mount Olympus and Mount Ida of antiquity. On the S.E. are the mountain chains of the Anti-Taurus, the loftiest point of which, Arjish Tagh, attains the height of 13,000 feet.

The coast of Asia Minor is deeply indented by bays and gulfs, particularly on its western and southern sides. Along the western coast there are numerous deep and well-sheltered harbours, as well as in that part of the southern belonging to Lycia, while those of the northern coast are all more or less exposed to the action of the winds. Asia Minor contains several lakes, some of which receive streams but emit none, evaporation being sufficient to preserve their level. The Tuza, or salt lake of Koch-Hissar, situated nearly in the centre of Asia Minor, is stated to have only a circumference of 30 leagues, although it is 50 miles in length. Its waters are so salt that no fish exist in it; and birds are said to avoid it, as when they alight on it their plumage instantly becomes incrusted with salt so as to impede their flight. Wood thrown into it is immediately incrusted with salt. Vestiges of a causeway that once crossed it are nearly concealed by a coating of salt; and in some places the bottom is a solid mass of muriate of soda. This salt is collected at four places, and is a government monopoly. Its surface is 2500 feet above the level of the Mediterranean. In the language of the adjacent district it bears the names of Tuz-choli (salt desert) in summer, when partially dried up; Tuz-Goli (salt lake), Agi-goli (bitter lake), or Koch-Hissar-goli (lake of Koch-Hissar). Southward of this lake, towards the Gulf of Adalia, are several other lakes; one of these, Egerdir, is a fine fresh-water lake, 30 miles long, surrounded by lofty branches of the Taurus, clothed with forests. The lake of Beg-shehr, also fresh, is about the same size, and discharges its superfluous waters by a considerable stream into the lake of Seidi-shehr, or Soghlah, which has no visible outlet, but is fabled to have a subterranean passage through the chain of the Taurus. The other lakes deserving notice are those of Ak-shehr, Eber-Ghieul, Ak-Ghieul, near Eregh; Mangas-Ghieul, and Ulubad, or Apollonia, to the S. of the Sea of Marmora.

The principal river of Asia Minor is the Kiril-Irmak, which has a tortuous course of about 400 miles through the eastern part of that region, and falls into the Euxine. It is the celebrated Halys of antiquity. The other principal streams falling into the Black Sea are the Jekil-Irmak, the Jorukh, and the Sakaria; while the Caicus, the Hermus, Cayster, and Meander with its three affluents, now individually the Grimalthi, Sarabat, and Meinder-su, pour their waters into the Mediterranean.

The mountain ranges of Asia Minor seem to be principally composed of limestone reposing on granite, quartz-rock, and schists, with secondary formations on their flanks; in the valleys, tertiary and lacustrine deposits, ancient and modern igneous rocks, and recent sedimentary accumulations. The micaceous schist and associated rocks, however, form a great part of the mountain chains which intersect the western portion of the peninsula. Tertiary lacustrine formations occur in almost every valley, and secondary deposits, with organic remains, are found in several places. Trap-rocks are of frequent occurrence, and trachyte is abundant in the western part of the country. About 90 miles eastward of Smyrna is the district of Katakekaumene, or burnt-up country, about 19 miles in length and 8 in breadth. It consists of mounds of erupted rocks, referable to two epochs; the older cones are low and flat, their craters only marked by slight depressions, or have entirely disappeared; the more recent ones, three in number, still retain their forms unaltered, though they have been extinct for more than 3000 years. The former are covered with vineyards which produce the Katakekaumene wine, celebrated since the days of Strabo.

The climate in the lower parts of the country bears a considerable resemblance to that of Southern Europe. The soil, except in the rocky districts, is very fertile and well watered. A large portion of the surface, particularly in the territory bordering upon the two seas, consists of a fine alluvial soil, covered with rich herbage, or the finest grain crops. The mountain ranges are in many places mantled with extensive forests of pine, beech, chestnut, walnut, plane, and mulberry, while the plains and valleys produce oranges, lemons, grapes, figs, and olives.

The chief productions of the country are silver, copper, iron, lead, and alum; grapes and other fruits; grains, silk, cotton, hemp, flax, tobacco, opium, saffron; madder, mastic, and other gum resins, galls, skins, hides, wool, goats' hair, leeches, sponges, wax, honey, salt, and some wine. The imports are confined chiefly to coffee, sugar, spices, cutlery, and cloths.

The principal inhabitants of Asia Minor are Osmanli, or Othman Turks. In the interior are several nomade tribes of Turkomans, Kurds, and Yorukhs; of these the Turkomans are the most numerous and civilized. Like the Osmanli, they are a branch of the great Turke family, and speak a kindred dialect. In summer they live in tents, but in winter are generally inhabitants of villages. They possess large herds of camels, buffaloes, sheep, and goats. They have also a fine breed of horses, which they dispose of, with flesh, butter, and milk, to the inhabitants of the adjacent towns and villages, in exchange for money, arms, and articles of clothing. Their women spin wool and weave handsome carpets. Each camp or village is under a chief, whose power is regulated by custom and the habits of his tribe. They pay to the pasha of the province they inhabit a certain rate per cent. for the privilege of pasturage in the uncultivated lands. The Kurds are inclined to pillage travelers, and inhabit the wilder parts of the country. The Yorukhs live in tents throughout the year, among the mountains generally; and when near towns they cultivate a little ground, and are usually the charcoal burners of the district.

See Beaufort's Karamania, Lond. 1817; Leake's Journal of a Tour in Asia Minor, Lond. 1824; Rennell's Geography of Western Asia, Lond. 1831; Arundell's Visit to the Seven Churches, Lond. 1828; Arundell's Discoveries in Asia Minor, Lond. 1834; Hamilton's Asia Minor, Lond. 1842; Chesney's Expedition to the Euphrates, Lond. 1850; Tchihatcheff's Asie Mineure, Paris, 1853; various Papers in the London Geographical Journal.