The Catalan Atlas: Maps of North Africa and Asia Year: 1989 Reproduction (1375 Original) Call Number: MAP-1989-06 The original image is a map of North Africa and the Near East from the Catalan Atlas published in 1375 by Abraham Cresques, a representative of the Mallorca School of Cartography. It is half of the entire world map. The content depicted in it combines the latest geographical information, national territories and cultural imagination at the time. Kings, caravans, ships and mythical creatures are used as decorative elements to present a unique perspective in which reality and stories coexist. The map, composed of six pieces of parchment stitched together, is beautifully painted with vibrant colors. Influenced by travel literature such as The Travels of Marco Polo, the depiction of North Africa and the Near East is very interesting. The island at the far bottom right of the map is the Kingdom of Sheba in eastern Africa. The woman sitting on the royal chair is the Queen of Sheba, and the man in a green robe sitting cross-legged at the far top right is Jani Beg of the Golden Horde. The top left of the map depicts stories of mythological and religious figures. Alexander the Great built walls to defend against the black-winged creature, Satan, and to prevent the invasion of Gog and Magog. This was a doomsday story popular in the Middle Ages. The caravan of merchants on the upper left side of the map is led by Marco Polo and his uncle, who traveled to the Yuan Dynasty to pay a visit to Emperor Kublai Khan. Camels were carrying goods and merchants were riding horses, heading to China along the Silk Road. In the lower left side of the map, CATAYO (Khitan) was marked in blue and red. The man wearing a golden robe next to him was Kublai Khan. It was written in Latin: The north is the Khitan region, with the Great Khan and his capital, Khanbaliq (Beijing); the south is the Manzi Province (referring to the former Southern Song Dynasty area), with the famous cities of Çaiton (Quanzhou) and Quinsai (Hangzhou). The part at the bottom of the map decorated with gold, red, green and other gemstones is the South China Sea. According to Marco Polo’s records, there are 7,448 islands in the South China Sea. It is the origin of spices and has a large amount of gold, gemstones, herbs and other treasures. 39 02
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