Understanding the Red Sea region as a multilayered space that extends beyond the sea and its littorals, encompassing its landed surroundings, we seek to explore how maps of the Red Sea region reflect the many historical developments of the sea and its different adjacent coastal regions during the long 19th century. What were the impacts of the newly introduced steamship navigation, and how did this reshape local networks connecting the coastal areas and the hinterland? What happened during and after the construction of the Suez Canal and in how far did this change local societies’ ways of living? In how far did maps of the sea contribute to a colonial project that extended far beyond the Red Sea as such? Finally, on a different level: In how far was the Red Sea perceived as a border? Or, by contrast, in how far was is rather taken as contact zone due to the numerous possible connections for trading goods and people?