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TheCatalan Atlas (Catalan:Atles català,Eastern Catalan:[ˈatləskətəˈla]) is a medieval world map, ormappa mundi, probably created in the late 1370s or the early 1380s (often conventionally dated 1375),[1][2] that has been described as the most important map of theMiddle Ages in theCatalan language,[3][4] and as "the zenith of medieval map-work".[4]
It was produced by theMajorcan cartographic school, possibly byCresques Abraham, a Jewish bookilluminator who was described by a contemporary as a master ofmappae mundi as well as of compasses.[5] It was in the royal library of France by 1380, during the reign ofKing Charles V, and is still preserved in theBibliothèque nationale de France. The Catalan Atlas originally consisted of sixvellum leaves (each circa 64.5 by 50 cm [25.4 by 19.7 in]) folded vertically, painted in various colours including gold and silver.[6] They were later mounted on the front and back of five wooden panels, with the ends enclosed in a leather binding bySimon Vostrec. 1515, restored most recently in 1991. Wear has split each leaf into two.[6]
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The first two leaves contain texts in Catalan coveringcosmography,astronomy, andastrology. These texts are accompanied by illustrations. The texts and illustration emphasise the Earth's spherical shape and the state of the then known world. They also provide information to sailors on tides and how to tell time at night.[7]
The four remaining leaves make up the actual map, withJerusalem located close to the centre; two depict the Orient; the remaining two show Europe, along with North and West Africa. The map is around 1.3 m2 (14 sq ft) in size. It shows illustrations of many cities—Christian cities with a cross, other cities with a dome—and with each city's political allegiance indicated by a flag. Wavy blue vertical lines are used to symbolise oceans. Place names of important ports are transcribed in red, while others are indicated in black. The illustrations and most of the text are oriented towards the edges of the map, suggesting it was intended to be used by laying it flat and walking around it.[8]
The oriental portion of the Catalan Atlas illustrates numerous religious references as well as a synthesis of medievalmappae mundi and the travel literature of the time, especiallyMarco Polo'sBook of Marvels andMandeville'sTravels and Voyage of Sir John Mandeville. Many Indian and Chinese cities can be identified.[9] The explanatory texts report customs described by Polo and catalogue local economic resources, real or supposed.[citation needed]
The Western portion is similar to contemporaryportolan charts, but contains the firstcompass rose known to have been used on such a chart.[4]
TheMali Empire and its riches are shown under the rule ofMansa Musa. The caption reads:
This black Lord is calledMusse Melly and is the sovereign of the land of the black people of Gineva (Ghana). This king is the richest and noblest of all these lands due to the abundance of gold that is extracted from his lands.[10]
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The depiction of Organa in the Catalan Atlas has come under several interpretations. The caption reads:
Here rules the King of Organa, aSaracen that constantly battles with the Saracens of the coast and with other Arabs.[11]
The first interpretation is bySuzanne Preston Blier, who identified Organa as theIfe Empire. Blier claimed that the nameOrgana alluded to an early dynasty of Ife rulers with the title 'Ogane (Oghene, Ogene)'.[12] She also points out that this same title is referenced in a Portuguese account from the 1480s by the seafarer Joao Afonso de Aveiro, whose work describes an inland ruler that played a central role inBenin royal enthronements by providing a brass crown, staff, and cross to acknowledge a new king.[12]
The second interpretation comes fromDavid Northrup who posits theKanem-Bornu Empire as the polity Organa depicts. He suggests that the nameOrgana was given by Europeans.[13]
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The western part of the Indian subcontinent is clearly depicted, and several of the location names are accurate.[14][15] To the north appears the Sultan of Delhi (Rey de delli), the ruler of the contemporaryDelhi Sultanate, with his flag on numerous cities (
). The caption reads:
Here is a great sultan, powerful and very rich: the sultan has seven hundred elephants and a hundred thousand horsemen under his command. He also has countless foot soldiers. In this part of the land there is a lot of gold and precious stones.[16]
In the center of India appears the traditionalYadava capital ofDiogil ("Deogiri", orDevagiri
). On top of the city ofDiogil floats a peculiar flag (
), while coastal cities are under the black flag of theDelhi Sultanate ().[17][18] Devagiri was ultimately captured byAlauddin Khalji of theDelhi Sultanate in 1307.[19] The trading ship raises the flag of theIlkhanate (
). Its caption reads:
Let it be known that these ships are named nichi, and measure sixty cubits in depth and thirty-four cubits in length; there are few with less than four masts and some even have ten. The sails are made of reed and palm leafs.[20]
To the south, at the tip of India, appears the "King of Colombo" with a Christian flag (
). He was identified as Christian due to the earlySaint Thomas Christianity there (since at least the 8th century), and the Catholic mission there underJordan Catala since 1329.[21] His caption reads:
Jordan, Christian missionary to Colombo from 1329, who wrote "Book of Marvels" (Mirabilia descripta, 1340), was probably the source of the information aboutColombo in the Catalan Atlas.[22] He mentions the earlier presence of theSaint Thomas Christians in India.[23]
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The MongolIl-Khanate ruler and his dominions are depicted in the area ofPersia under the title"Rey del tauris", after his capital city ofTabriz. The Ilkhanate flag also appears:.[25][15]
The caption is only related to the city ofBabylon:
Here there was the Great Babylonia, where Nabuconodosor resided, and that is called Baldaca today. Let it be known that many spices, as well as other noble products, come to this city from the Indies and they are distributed by Siria, in particular at the city of Damascus.[20]
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), sailing theIndian Ocean towards the coast of India under the control of theDelhi Sultanate (
).[26]Over him appears a city within a sphere, with the following caption, mentioning the Persian city ofShiraz andPtolemy:
This city is namedSiras, and in antiquity, it was named the City of Grace because it was there where astronomy was invented by the great wise manPtolemy.[20]
Two ships with flags of the Ilkhanate appears on theIndia Ocean, sailing to and from the Indian coast, where appear flags of theDelhi Sultanate. The label attached to one of the ships reads:
Know that these ships are calledjunks (inchi) and have sixty-cubit hulls with thirty-four cubits of freeboard. They have on top of this between four and ten masts, and their sails are of canes and palm.[27]
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The Mongol polity of theGolden Horde is accurately depicted north of theCaspian Sea. The ruler namedJani Beg has been identified in this representation, being mentioned as"Jambech senyor deSarra", and the flag of the Golden Horde also appears (
).[28] The caption to the right reads:
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, dated 1273–1275.Here resides the emperor of this northern region whose empire starts in the province of Bulgaria and ends at the city of Organcio. The sovereign is named Jambech, Lord of the Sarra.[20]
The symbolism of the Golden Horde flag depicted by the Catalan Atlas (
) is fairly similar to the type oftamgha symbols (such as) actually found on the coinage of the Golden Horde.[29][30] Such symbols were used until the time ofJani Beg, but essentially disappear thereafter.[31]
The text to the left reads:
Let it be known that those that wish to cross this desert stop and rest during a week in a city named Lop. Here, expeditions and their animals relax/enjoy themselves. After that, they procure what is needed for the next seven months of the journey, because in the desert one travels an entire day and night before reaching potable water; however, every day and a half, they can find plenty of it, enough for fifty or a hundred people or even more. And if it happens that a rider, tired by the journey, falls sleep or for any other reason he separates from his companions, he will often hear the voices of devils, similar to the voices of his companions, often calling him by his own name. In this way, the devils take him through the desert to a fro such that the traveler cannot find his companions. A thousand stories are known about this desert.[20]
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TheAnatolian Beyliks, a group of Turkic principalities inAnatolia are also depicted, in the region labelledTurqhia (Turkey). The caption next to the seated ruler in Anatolia reads:Asia Minor also called Turkey, where there are many cities and castles.[32][33] Numerous Turkic principalities appear, with a variety of flags, but very little prominence is given to the Orthodox princes of theByzantine Empire, although several Byzantine cities appear with the Byzantine imperial flag (
), orTrebizond (
).[33] The Christian kingdom ofCilician Armenia appears heavily fortified within green walls, with its ports and flags (
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) clearly visible.[34][35]
The land of "Gog i Magog" (Gog and Magog) appear in the top right corner. Its king is mounted on a horse, followed by a procession. Next to it appears Alexander's Gate, showing Alexander, theAntichrist, and mechanical trumpeters.
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The KhanKebek, Mongol ruler of theChagatai Khanate is depicted with the following caption:
Here reigns the King Chabech (Kebek), lord of the Medeja [Media] Empire. He resides at Emalech (Almaliq).[36][37]
His cities appear with the Chagatai flag (
).[38]
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) appears on all the territory.The cities of Cathay, at that time theEmpire of the Great Khan (Yuan China), are shown raising a flag with three red crescent moons (). The flag is seen all over eastern Asian cities in the Catalan Atlas.[41]
Kubilai Khan appears enthroned and wearing a green coat, with the following caption:
The most powerful prince of the Tartars is named Holubeim [Kubilay Khan], that means Great Khan. This emperor is richer than any other emperor in the world. This emperor is protected by twelve thousand horsemen with their four captains that stay at the court three months of the year.[37]
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TheAntichrist appears beyond theGreat Wall of China, next to the territory ofGog and Magog. The label reads:
Antichrist. He will be raised in Goraym of Galilea, and at the age of thirty he will start to preach in Jerusalem; contrary to the truth, he will proclaim that he is Christ, the living son of God. It is said that he will rebuild the Temple.[42]
In the top corner isAlexander the Great ("Allexandri") fighting the devil.
Beyond is the ocean ("Mare Oceanis"), without mention ofJapan.
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![Depiction of a Sanhaja Berber, known as 'the veiled ones' due to their custom of wearing a face veil.[43][44] The caption reads: "All this land is populated by people who cover themselves such that only their eyes can be seen; they live in tents and ride in camels. There are animals named lemp [orice] whose skin can be used to make good leather shields."](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aOriginal_representation_of_Abu_Bakr_ibn_Umar_al-Lamtuni_from_the_Catalan_Atlas_of_1375_AD.jpg)
The Catalan Atlas is conventionally attributed to 1375, because that year is used as the starting-point for the computation of the Golden Number, but 1376 and 1377 are also mentioned in its accompanying texts; it conforms closely to the description of such an atlas in the French royal library catalogue, dated 1380 [...] The Catalan Atlas can be assigned with some confidence to the late 1370s or the early 1380s.
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{{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)Organa was the name that Europeans gave to the powerful central African empire of Kanem-Bornu.
...helps identify another curious flag found in northern India – a brown or originally silver flag with a vertical black line – as the flag of the Delhi Sultanate (602-962/1206-1555).
The sultan captured the Rajput fort of Chitor, in Rājasthān, and in 1310 he subjected most of the Deccan to his power. He took Devagiri – the capital of the Yādava – in 1307.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)Coinage ofMengu-Timur. Bulghar mint. Dated AH 672 or 3 (AD 1273-1275)The tamga ( a sign of ownership or of belonging to a clan ) drawn on the flag can be seen on coins minted in Bulgar and Bilyar at the time of the early Golden Horde. (...) Besides the Catalan atlas of 1375 there is also a 50 x123 cm Catalan map preserved in Paris.
Tamga in the form of a two-pointed prong was retained on the coins minted in Bolgar, Mokhsha and the Crimea up until the reign of Janibek, marking the disappearance of this image for the rest of the 14th century.
The Cilician kingdom of Armenia Minor is more clearly indicated. Founded at the end of the twelfth century, it fell to the Turks in 1375
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