Introduction to Idrisi’s World Map
A synopsis of the chapter on Idrisi from Jerry Brotton’s outstanding book A History of the World in Twelve Maps (available from Amazon)
Muhammad al-Idrisi (1100 – 1165 CE) composed the circular map for the first page of The book of pleasant journeys into faraway lands, which is an abbreviated version of the longer (lost) work on world geography that he composed for King Roger of Sicily.
This webpage offers a condensed review of a few of the major maps made by Abu Abdullah Mohammed Ibn al-Sharif al-Idrisi in the years 1154-1192. The page focusses on the cultural nuances present in the map. For instance, the myth of Gog and Magog is touched upon. I found this source especially interesting becase of its brief contextualization of the cultural background of the map.
These Biblical figures appear on this map, although during medieval times, Gog and Magog were allied with the Antichrist and Satan’s troops to aid in the apocalypse. An outstanding article on their appearance in maps is here (in Spanish)
Shown below is the outline of the area covered by Idrisi’s Circular map of the world laid over a modern map.
View World Mapped by Idrisi in a larger map