World map of al-Istakhri, 1193
, 1193CE
h = 100 cm
This is the one of the earliest of many copies from this otherwise unknown cartographer. It has been enlarged for easier viewing.
From Bastan Museum, Tehran, Iran. MS.3515
VIEWING AID
1) The map is oriented with South at the top
2)Europe is the small triangle at the bottom right
3)India, Tibet and China are clustered just below centre-left
4) The reverse-P shaped body of Water is the Aral Sea
5). The Nile flows vertically into the Mediterranean and Africa occupies the rest of the circle