The Oldest Map......

Babylonian world map

The oldest known world map is the Imago Mundi of 6th century BC Babylonia.The map as reconstructed by Eckhard Unger shows Babylon on the Euphrates, surrounded by a circular landmass showing Assyria, Armenia and several cities, in turn surrounded by a "bitter river" (Oceanus), with seven islands arranged around it so as to form a seven-pointed star.

The accompanying text mentions seven outer regions beyond the encircling ocean. The descriptions of five of them have survived.


The third island is where "the winged bird ends not his flight," i.e., cannot reach.  on the fourth island "the light is brighter than that of sunset or stars": it lay in the northwest, and after sunset in summer was practically in semi-obscurity.

The fifth island, due north, lay in complete darkness, a land "where one sees nothing," and "the sun is not visible."  the sixth island, "where a horned bull dwells and attacks the newcomer"
the seventh island lay in the east and is "where the morning dawns."