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Al-Idrisi
Ceuta, spain
Archival Overview
North African Arab geographer, cartographer, and Egyptologist of noble Idrisi lineage who created the 'Tabula Rogeriana' in 1154 for King Roger II of Sicily, the most advanced world map and geographic encyclopedia of the medieval era.
Biographical Record
Abu Abdallah Muhammad al-Idrisi al-Hasani (1100–1165) was born in Ceuta, educated at the great colleges of Cordoba, and traveled extensively across North Africa, Spain, France, and Asia Minor. Around 1138, King Roger II of Sicily invited Al-Idrisi to Palermo to lead an unprecedented scientific project compiling all geographic knowledge of the known world.
Over fifteen years, Al-Idrisi coordinated interviews with merchant captains and travelers, fabricating a monumental silver celestial globe and drawing the Tabula Rogeriana (Nuzhat al-Mushtaq fi Ikhtiraq al-Afaq). His map accurately divided the world into climatic zones, mapped the headwaters of the Nile, and described continents with astonishing precision, serving as the definitive world atlas for three centuries.
Key Life Milestones
Completion of the Tabula Rogeriana
Presented King Roger II with the 70-sheet world atlas and silver celestial globe mapping Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Identification of the Source of the Nile
Correctly identified the African equatorial lakes as the primary headwaters of the Nile centuries ahead of Europe.
Memorial Guestbook & Tributes
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Final Resting Place
Perpetual MemorialCeuta, Spain