12th Century Berber’s South-up Map Was World’s Most Accurate

The Nuzhat al-mushtāq fi’khtirāq al-āfāq, by Muhammad al-Idrisi, circa 1154 CE.

The Nuzhat al-mushtāq fi’khtirāq al-āfāq (also known by it’s Latin name, Tabula Rogeriana) is a map of what was then the known world made in 1154 by Muhammad al-Idrisi. Al-Idrisi hailed from North Africa, and was one of the greatest ancient geographers. In this map, al-Idrisi oriented South at the top of the map, and the labels (which can be seen better by clicking on the map and zooming in), are written in al-ʻArabiyyah (Arabic). The Nuzhat al-mushtāq fi’khtirāq al-āfāq remained the most accurate world map for three centuries.

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