Welcome to the “Why Were We Forgotten?” series, where I highlight often forgotten scholars of Muslim civilization and their unforgettable works.
In this 2’nd episode, I reveal the genius behind the first map that showed the continents of Asia, North Africa, and Europe.
A 1000 years ago, as travel increased, so did the demand for accurate maps. During the Golden Age of Islam, scholars gathered all available geographic knowledge to create some of the most valuable maps in the world.
One of these brilliant minds was Al-Idrisi, who lived in 12th-century Cordoba, Andalusia (Muslim Spain). With his deep expertise in geography, Al-Idrisi created many highly precise maps, which remained unmatched for over 300 years before the time of Christopher Columbus.
The story began when Norman King Roger II of Sicily, recognizing the contributions of Arab scholars to science, entrusted Al-Idrisi with the monumental task of creating detailed maps.
After 15 years of tireless work and data collection from over a 1000 travelers, Al-Idrisi succeeded in producing the largest and most detailed geographical map of its time, known as “The Tabula Rogeriana.”
This map was so precise that it included paths, countries, and waterways of the three continents: Asia, North Africa, and Europe—an unparalleled achievement for that era.
Al-Idrisi was also among the first to draw circular maps, reflecting the Muslim belief at the time that the Earth was round. He produced an atlas of 70 circular maps called “The Book of Roger.”
Following the customs of his time, Al-Idrisi drew his maps with the south at the top and the north at the bottom, a practice that required later maps to be rotated to match modern orientations.
His precision in geography improved navigation and opened up new possibilities for explorers to traverse our vast world.
So, why are the faces of Muslim scholars and their remarkable achievements often skipped in our history classes?
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Bye for now!
Fatima