The oldest map dates back to the Babylonians
The oldest map in the world: a Babylonian treasure that reveals the worldview of an ancient civilization
The world's oldest map was discovered in the early 1880s In Abu Habba, an ancient metropolis now located in Iraq and dates back approximately 2,600 years. Of Babylonian origin, the map continues to amaze generations of historians and archaeologists with its surprising details even after many years.
The map shows how the Babylonians interpreted the world beyond the borders of their empire and reveals a hidden aspect of this people: their dedication to geographical exploration. For years, Babylonian merchants and adventurers ventured far from home in an attempt to learn about new peoples and cultures. This goal also positively influenced the societies of some of their neighbors, such as the Greeks or Egyptians.
The tablet on which the map is inscribed is filled with unique details that offer a different worldview from our own. For example, the world is depicted as a singular disk, surrounded by a ring of water called the Bitter River. At the center of the Earth is the Euphrates River, which in ancient time flowed through the city of Babylon, the capital of the Babylonian Empire.
Above the map, some words in cuneiform can be read, telling the story of the world's origin by the deity Marduk, one of the main gods in the Babylonian pantheon.
The map is currently housed in the British Museum, stored in a shock-resistant display case, where it is visited by thousands of people every year.
