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 |
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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. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||