Muhammad al-Idrisi

Description: (12th Century Muslim Geographer, Cartographer and Egyptologist)

Muhammad al-Idrisi also known as Abu Abd Allah Muhammad al-Idrisi al-Qutubi al-Hasani al-Sabti was a Muslim cartographer, geographer, traveler and Egyptologist famous for his travels all over Europe, Africa and Asia and mapping the regions he travelled in. The maps drawn by him were often corrections of the existing maps at that time which showed inaccurate geography of the regions in question. He was the descendant of a long line of Princes, Sufi leaders and Caliphs down to the Prophet Muhammad. He was the immediate descendant of the ‘Hammudis’ who ruled Andalusia around 1016 to 1058 AD and were an offshoot of the ‘Idrisids’ who ruled during the period 789-985 AD. He acquired geographic information by sending men to far off lands accompanied by draftsmen. When these men returned with the information about these lands he used the data collected by them to update the geographical treatise he had created with the information received from Greek and Arabic geographers. He took almost eighteen years to compile all the information and create a map of the world which was very accurate and had never been created before. This map was one of his greatest creations in the pre-modern era. The voluminous treatise has a large amount of detail about Europe in the 12th century.

Overview

Alternative names Abu Abdullah Muhammad al-Idrisi al-Qurtubi al-Hasani as-Sabti, al-Idrisi
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Did you know

What is Muhammad al-Idrisi known for? Muhammad al-Idrisi is known for creating accurate and detailed maps of the world, including the most famous one known as the Tabula Rogeriana.
Where was Muhammad al-Idrisi born? Muhammad al-Idrisi was born in Ceuta, a Spanish-ruled city in North Africa, in 1100 AD.
What impact did Muhammad al-Idrisi's work have on European exploration? Muhammad al-Idrisi's maps and geographical knowledge greatly influenced European exploration and navigation during the Age of Discovery, providing vital information for seafarers.
What motivated Muhammad al-Idrisi to create his world map? Muhammad al-Idrisi was commissioned by King Roger II of Sicily to create a world map that would showcase the extent of geographical knowledge at the time and promote Sicily as a center of learning and culture.
How did Muhammad al-Idrisi's work contribute to the advancement of geographic knowledge? Muhammad al-Idrisi's work helped to advance geographic knowledge by incorporating information from various cultures and civilizations, leading to more accurate and detailed maps of the world.
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