Ptolemy's World Map
A 15th-century reconstruction of the 2nd-century geographer's map. The foundation of Western cartography for over a millennium.
Tabula Rogeriana
Created for King Roger II of Sicily, this Islamic world map was the most accurate for three centuries. Note: South is at the top.
Hereford Mappa Mundi
The largest medieval map known to exist. Jerusalem at center, Paradise at top, monsters at the edges.
Fra Mauro Map
Considered the greatest memorial of medieval cartography. A Venetian monk's synthesis of all known geography.
Waldseemüller Map
The first map to use the name 'America.' Only one copy survives, now at the Library of Congress.
Piri Reis Map
An Ottoman admiral's map showing the Americas with remarkable accuracy. Compiled from older sources now lost.
Mercator World Map
The projection that shaped how we see the world. Designed for navigation, it became the standard world map.
Theatrum Orbis Terrarum
The first modern atlas. Ortelius compiled the best maps of his time into a single, systematic work.
Kangnido Map
A Korean world map showing Europe, Africa, and Arabia. One of the oldest surviving world maps from East Asia.
Da Ming Hunyi Tu
A Chinese world map with China at center, showing Africa and Europe. Reflects the Ming view of the world.
Catalan Atlas
A medieval world map showing Marco Polo's travels. Created by a Jewish cartographer in Majorca.
Ebstorf Map
A massive medieval mappa mundi with Christ's body encompassing the world. The original was destroyed in WWII.
Beatus Map
A T-O map from an illuminated manuscript. East at top, with Paradise and the apostles' mission fields.
Vinland Map
Allegedly a 15th-century map showing Norse exploration of America. Its authenticity remains hotly debated.
Cassini Map of France
The first topographic map of an entire country, based on triangulation. A revolution in scientific cartography.
Hevelius Moon Map
One of the first detailed maps of the Moon, made through telescopic observation.
John Snow's Cholera Map
The map that founded epidemiology. Snow traced cholera deaths to a contaminated water pump in London.
Minard's Map of Napoleon's Russian Campaign
Called 'the best statistical graphic ever drawn.' Shows the decimation of Napoleon's army in Russia.
London Underground Map
Beck's schematic design revolutionized transit maps worldwide. Geography sacrificed for clarity.
The Blue Marble
The first photograph of the fully illuminated Earth. One of the most reproduced images in history.