Islamic Geographers
Islamic map of the world
As the Islamic Empire expanded into new countries where no Arab had been before, everyone was interested in what these places were like. And later on, people were trading all along the Silk Road to China and across the Sahara in Africa. It was very useful for traders to know what to expect in different places.
Islamic geographers made maps of the world, as the Romans had before them. Can you see how this map represents Europe, Asia, and Africa? North is toward the bottom of the map. The big land mass at the top is Africa. Under Africa to the right is the Mediterranean Sea, and below that is Europe. Under Africa to the right is the Indian Ocean, and below that are the Arabian Peninsula, and to the left India and China. Compare this map to a modern map. Is it accurate? Would it be useful to travelers?
One very famous Arabic geographer from North Africa was Ibn Battuta. He wrote in the 1300's AD.
