Back to Table of Contents 2      To next page
Translation of Biruni's map found in his book on Astrology
Of the maps added:
One is in Arab, and gives his rather schematic view on the distribution of land and sea on the globe. This is the map concerned. This map is very famous and can be found on several web-pages and in several books.
The next one (also available on the web) filled with Arab figures resembles way closer the actual world maps.
THIS IS NOT A REAL MAP OF BIRUNI; IT IS THE TRANSLATION OF THE FIRST MAP. And I will translate the index of this map. This map found on the web is wrongly called the world-map of Al-biruni.
The next map, also available on the web and taken out of a centuries old book. It is since many centuries wrongly called world-map of Al-Biruni. It is clearly a Ptolemiean idea of the world, with the Indian Ocean an enclosed lake. An idea Biruni did not subscribe to.  
1-Caspian                                                         18- Egypt
2-Turks                                                            19-Sudan
3-China                                                            20-
Ras berbera
4-Java                                                              21-
Mounts of the Moon
5-India                                                             22-
Sofala al-Zanj
6-Makran                                                          23-Morocco
7-Persia                                                            24-Zuqaq
8-Khurasan                                                       25-Andalusia
9-Persian Gulf                                                   26-Rum
10-Oman                                                           27-Constantinople
11-Aden                                                            28-Slavs
12-Qulzum                                                        29-Khazars
13-Syria                                                            30-Baltic and Varangies
14-Iraq                                                              31-Surrounding Ocean
15-Pontus                                                          32-Dibacha Islands
16-Mediterranean                                                33-
Islands of the Zanj Empire.
17-Alexandria

(This translation I took from : The book of instruction in the elements of the art of astrology; translated  by R. Ramsay Wright.)
Note: By now better translations are available and the translation: Islands of the Zanj Empire has been changed to Sea of Zabadj
This is a map I found in the Miller atlas called the map of the 7 seas of Biruni.
The following maps are taken from: Persian Gulf in old maps published by the government of Iran. They give a not complete list of existing variations of Biruni's maps. Not all maps are part of mss of Biruni's work. Some are found in the mss of other authors.
Hosted by www.Geocities.ws

1