Modern cartographers argue that this rectangular world map of The Book of Curiosities may be the earliest preserved visual evidence of such a map. They point out that this map is remarkable as the earliest world map that the shows the names of cities rather than the names of regions or countries only – 395 cities are annotated. Inherited from late antiquity, Rapoport and Savage-Smith say this map is “dominated by a later, more consciously Islamic, abstract and schematic cartography focused on itineraries, which made no attempt to represent real distances or to employ any tool of mathematical geography.” The combination of traditions from late antiquity and Arabo/Islamic cartography reflects the hybridity of the intellectual culture of the Muslim regions. As with our two other maps, the River Nile and the Mediterranean territories occupy a focal position. However, new features figure in this map: the Arabian Peninsula as well as the territories of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers are given special prominence. Likewise, the cities and towns of these two territories are identified: Mecca, Madina, Basra, Baghdad, Aleppo, and Homs. Numerous red dots are used to highlight the location of cities and trade routes. For practical purposes, we agreed that we would only annotate the most important cities in our modified map. Also, given the deterioration of the document in many places, Huda could not recognize many of the names. Curiously, the mapmaker placed the illustration of the dam built by Alexander the Great in the lower eastern section of the map.

Foregrounding the present phenomenon of human migration, both forced and voluntary, we added embroidered figures, people moving in all directions, in this map. To represent these migrants, we adapted the iconic logo of a family on the run – used in the “Refugees Welcome” solidarity campaigns which circulated widely in Europe in 2015.

Shifting Perspectives: The Hybrid Rectangular World Map
(90cm x 140cm, textile, appliqué and embroidery, 2024)

Next: Squaring the Circle: Tahrir Square