More correct Map

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Note on the Further Evolution of the more Correct Map.

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Al Umari included his map (according to Fuat Sezgin derived from) Tabula Almamuniana map (of Caliph Al-Mamoun) (833) in his work: Kitab masalik al-absar by Ibn Fadlallah al-Umari (d. 1349 A.D.), MS 2797/1 Ahmet III Collection, Topkappi Sarayi Library, Istanbul. The manuscript is one of the author himself (Umari) and dates from about 1340AD. (Fig.6). I added a close copy (Fig.7). These maps are very special as they are the only maps showing Madagascar. In Caliph Al-Mamoun’s days the Madagascar colonisation efforts by Indonesian people was at its highest. See:

-Tabula Almamuniana (833)

-Ibn Jazlah (copy of 13th)

-A detailed description of Madagascar as it appears in Fig 6 and Fig 7 is given by Ibn Sa'id (1250).

Under the construction of a map (Fig 1) using the coordinates given by him.
His work (1250) is the first one to give a geography based on this map (833); (The later Abulfeda also does by citing ibn Said a lot). This late date puts in doubt the fact of the identification of the map as being the map of Caliph Al-Mamoun.

See also my webpage on Ibn Sa'id: -Ibn Said al Maghribi (1250)

Taken from: The Map entitled Geography used by Ibn Sa‘īd (13th C.) and al-‘Umari (d. 1348) as a Source by Jean-Charles Ducène 2014

Jean-Charles Ducène is one of the authors who disagree with Fuat Sezgin.

It appears that the map would have shown toponyms that are separable into four groups. A large number of them are comprised in the first group and come from al-Hwarizmi. The toponyms in the second group are similar to the place names found in al-Idrisi’s work. A certain number of them, particularly in Asia, make up the third group and refer to places or people closer to the time of the Mongol era in the XIIIth Century (Hita’, Bas Baliq for Bishbalik and Han Baliq for Peking). The fourth group gathers together toponyms that are completely original, however. They are located in southeast Asia and Africa, but they are yet to be identified.

Conclusions made by Jean-Charles Ducène:

It is clear that Ibn Sa‘id and al-‘Umari both had access to the same source, which was entitled Gugrafiya and which was obviously a detailed map. We can put forward the hypothesis of a conceptualisation of the map at around the 1250s, which fits in with Ibn Sa‘id's period of writing. The reasons for this are that, on the one hand, we are given a toponymy of Upper Asia, which would have been better known during the Mongol era and, on the other, Ibn Said's presentation of the Balkans and the Greek islands is more detailed with information dating from the XIIIth Century.

Fig 1 Map from G.R. Tibbetts; A Study of the Arabic Texts containing Material on South-East Asia.

- The (original) map of Caliph Al-Mamoun influenced other maps: 2 maps out of manuscripts of the early 15^th century: Nizam al-Din al-Nisapuri: Tawdih al-Tadhkira (Commentary on Astronomy) (Fig.8 – 9)

Most of the information brought by the Indonesians centuries earlier has disappeared. And about the two times appearing Horn of Africa in the map of Caliph Al-Mamoun; the first one has nearly disappeared while the second one remains but at very big distance south of Aden. In the small peninsula that remains is written: Bilad al Barbar wal Habasha =the Horn of Africa (Fig.2detail and Fig.3detail).

Just under: Fig.2detail(map of Umari showing the 2 Horns of Africa)

and Fig.3detail (Nizam al-Din al-Nisapuri) showing in the middle the 2 peninsula Ethiopia (left) and Arabia.

-Al Nawagi 1455 produced a simplified version of the map of Nizam al-Din al-Nisapuri (Fig.10-11)

-A 1331 manuscript of Nasir al-Din al-Tusi (1201-1274) of Al-Tadhkira (Fig.12) and a World map in the same style in Book on Created and Existing Beings in a manuscripts compiled for the Safavid Shahs Abbas II (ruled 1642-1666) and Sulayman (ruled 1666-1694) (Fig.13)

In these two very similar maps hardly anything is left of the first Horn of Africa. It only remains as a tiny gulf in the red sea. (Fig.4detail and Fig.5detail)

Fig.4detail and Fig.5detail

-There are also very similar in shape maps from Europe: Sallust de Geneve (1420) and Fra Mauro (1459). (Fig 14b and 14). In the last years before the Portuguese reached India several Africa maps of this type appeared in Europe. Given: Florence manuscript of Martellus’s Insularium from 1491 (Fig 14a)

-In some later copies of Qazwini’s work maps appear that resemble, but simplified, the once in fig. 8-9 (Fig. 15-16-17-17a)

-Two authors who worked around 1420 and who lived close to China Hafiz I Abru (Herat) (Fig. 18-21) and Al Kashi (Samarkand) (Fig. 22) produced similar maps with Africa pointing south. Their maps compared with the giant Chinese maps carry only few names.

The Yuan dynasty was also the time that Ibn Battuta and the Polo’s went to China and Wang Dayuan, a merchant, went up to East Africa and Yang Tingbi and Yiheimishi went as ambassadors to places in South India after which Ma’bar twice send zebras as tribute to China.

Fig. 6-7: (derived from) Tabula Almamuniana (Caliph Al-Mamoun) (833)

Fig.8: A map of the world from Nazam al-Din al-Hussein bin Muhammad al-Nishapuri's Sharh al-Tadhkarah, an astronomical commentary originating from Anatolia or Iran. This copy is from the early fifteenth century.

Fig.9: a map from a different copy of this book: 822-828AH Add Ms 23397 British Library Oriental Manuscripts.

Fig. 10-11: Al Nawagi 1455 produced a simplified version of the map.

Fig.12: A 1331 manuscript of Nasir al-Din al-Tusi (1201-1274) of Al-Tadhkira. The drawing given is just the outlines of the map as Needham copied them.

Fig.13: From: Book on Created and Existing Beings in a manuscripts compiled for the Safavid Shahs Abbas II (ruled 1642-1666) and Sulayman (ruled 1666-1694).