The Tabula Rogeriana

After fifteen years of work, the geographer al-Idrisi presented King Roger II of Sicily with the most accurate map of the world anyone had yet made — and drew it upside down. In the tradition of Islamic cartography, south sits at the top and Mecca is given pride of place, so Europe hangs at the bottom and Africa crowns the world. Al-Idrisi had calculated the Earth's circumference to within a tenth of the truth; his map would not be bettered for three hundred years. The known world, seen from the other side.

Maker

Muhammad al-Idrisi

Date

1154

Medium of the original

Plate

Original held by

Made for Roger II of Sicily

Credit

Made for Roger II of Sicily

Rights

Public domain, verified

Catalogue number

PA-00320