Abstract

Nine maps of the manuscript Bnf. ar. 2221 of al-Idrs'sNuzhat al-mutq give us one of the few examples of the use of geographical coordinates on the Islamic medieval maps. The longitude and the latitude of 34 places are written with the numerical value of the letters (abad notation). Their examination shows that they belong to al-Idrs's work but that they were copied in this manuscript as an iconographical element. Furthermore, these coordinates are in majority new and original, and they throw light on al-Idrs's new and unknown source.

Walter de Gruyter 2011