"Perhaps we share stories in much the same spirit that explorers share maps, hoping to speed each other's journey, but knowing the journey we make will be our own." --Gloria Steinem
Interestingly enough, the Islamic way of showing the map of the world is "upside down" like in your picture. Don't know why. I think it's also centered on Mecca.
Darth Phil, Now you've given me something to research. It never ends! Here is a link to more reading of "upside-down" maps:
http://www.flourish.org/upsidedownmap/
According to this (and other sources I've skimmed), the Islamic map has South as "up" because when a person woke up facing the sun, South was on the right. The perception that right=good made for a favorable map in which South was up.
P.S. I like this a non-fiction picture-book about Ibn Battuta, a Muslim traveler of the 14th century. It's called Traveling Man: The Journey of Ibn Battuta, 1325-1354, and it's written and illustrated by James Rumford. While it's not a map book per se, I would use it to garner more interest in maps.
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Did you learn about it through the "West Wing?" I did!
ReplyDeleteInterestingly enough, the Islamic way of showing the map of the world is "upside down" like in your picture. Don't know why. I think it's also centered on Mecca.
ReplyDeleteDarth Phil,
ReplyDeleteNow you've given me something to research. It never ends! Here is a link to more reading of "upside-down" maps:
http://www.flourish.org/upsidedownmap/
According to this (and other sources I've skimmed), the Islamic map has South as "up" because when a person woke up facing the sun, South was on the right. The perception that right=good made for a favorable map in which South was up.
P.S. I like this a non-fiction picture-book about Ibn Battuta, a Muslim traveler of the 14th century. It's called
ReplyDeleteTraveling Man: The Journey of Ibn Battuta, 1325-1354, and it's written and illustrated by James
Rumford. While it's not a map book per se, I would use it to garner more interest in maps.