Centuries ago, when much of the world remained unexplored, Muhammad al-Idrisi, a Muslim scholar, transformed our understanding of geography. Born in 1100 in Ceuta, Spain, Idrisi’s passion for exploration and knowledge led him to create one of the most accurate medieval world maps. His finest, most renowned work, “Tabula Rogeriana” captured cities, rivers, and coastlines with remarkable precision. Idrisi’s detailed maps and writings, influenced explorers and scholars for generations, leaving a lasting impact on cartography and the way people viewed the world.

Who was Muhammad al-Idrisi, and what made his maps so special? Let’s go on a journey to find out more about him:
Early Years and Education
From his early youth, Idrisi developed a great interest in geography and traveling. His fondest interest was to gather knowledge about varied regions and learning experiences from travelers. When he was young, he concentrated on geography and science. At that time, quality maps were hard to find. People didn’t exactly understand how the world geographically looked like. Being curious, Muhammad Al-Idrisi wanted to change that!
A King’s Special Request
Idrisi made trips through the Middle East, Africa, and Europe to increase his educational experiences. Norman King Roger-II of Sicily reached out to him as his proficiency in geography started to become famous. The king wanted him to develop the best map of the world. This was so exciting! Idrisi accepted the challenge. He put all his knowledge from books, the stories of travelers, and his explorations into creating an amazing map. He gathered and documented the information taken from the Norman voyagers, then drew the most accurate map of the world that is known as the best of pre-modern times. 
“Tabula Rogeriana”
Idrisi drew this map in 1154, after a stay of 18 years in Sicily. The map was named after King Roger-II as “Tabula Rogeriana”. This was so complete and accurate that the descriptions of many parts of the earth are still authoritative. His map was copied by geographers for three centuries without any alteration. The relative position of the lakes that form the river Nile, as delineated in his work, does not differ greatly from that established by modern geographers like Baker and Stanley more than seven hundred years afterward. The ‘Tabula Rogeriana’ showed the state of the recognized world at that time by including Europe, Asia and Africa. His map was interesting because the top indicated the south, which reflected the usual approach taken in mapmaking in the Muslim world. Certainly, when compared to almost all other kinds of maps, Idrisi’s mapping looks remarkably elaborate and precise. He drew mountains, rivers, cities, and coastlines that were the first of their kind to appear on a map. People found it incredible how much data he accumulated during his adventures and talks with explorers.
“Nuzhat al Mushtaq” – His Famous Book
Muhammad Al-Idrisi didn’t stop here! Along with the map, he wrote a special book called “Kitab Nuzhat al-Mushtaq fi Ikhtiraq al-Afaq” (which is translated as “The Book of Pleasant Journeys into Faraway Lands”. This book was like an encyclopedia of the world. It described all the different countries, the people who lived there, what they ate, and what kinds of animals and plants they had. His book and map became super important because they helped people learn more about the world beyond their towns and cities. “Nuzhat al-Mushtaq” has been preserved in nine manuscripts, seven of which contain maps. 
Medical Dictionary
Idrisi also compiled a medical dictionary, in which he brought down a list of simple drugs and plants and their curative effects. His list included the names of drugs in as many as 12 languages.
Why Idrisi’s Work Was So Important?
For hundreds of years, travelers and explorers made use of the map by Muhammad Al-Idrisi! He created work that assisted in the discovery of new trade paths, clarified distant countries, and motivated upcoming cartographers. He linked various cultures through his work. According to the French National Library, “Ten copies of Tabula Rogeriana exist worldwide today. Of these, six contain at the start of the work a circular map of the world which is not mentioned in Idrisi’s text. His work greatly influenced Ibne Khaldun. Although he was an excellent cartographer, Idrisi was also a person who appreciated education and took pleasure in imparting learning to others. He supported the finding that, although the world is enormous, everything is interconnected. His cartography made the world appear more manageable and smaller to understand.
Idrisi’s Place in the Modern World
Today if we recall the maps and books created by Idrisi and analyze his work, we find Idrisi’s groundbreaking place in the modern world. Even with the assistance of satellites and computers for our modern mapmaking, Idrisi’s maps were remarkably developed for their time. Bear in mind that the next time if you look at a map, don’t forget the early Muslim cartographer, Muhammad al-Idrisi, who inspired a new view of the world.