Cartography in Iran

Studying the ancient Iranian literature, We can find out, that, our ancestors believed in sphericity of the earth. It can be understood from their indirect remarks, when they were describing the movements of the stars, Zodiac, Seasonal changes, etc. In post-Islamic ages, Persian scientists took further steps to prove the hypothesis of sphericity of earth. * Abu Rayhan Biruni (973—l048 A.D.) accomplished some valuable research and compared his methods, measurements and achievements with the previous literature. He wrote some chapters on how to determine the latitude of different locations, distance between cities and other Sidereal, and terrestrial measurements. Ancient geographers divided the inhabited World into several geographical regions or climates, by two methods; first by using the circles parallel to the equator. They believed that only northern hemisphere is inhabited and the southern one is empty of life. Based on this belief, they drew some parallel lines to the equator and divided the northern hemisphere into seven climates. Second classification was based on a central climate. Biruni believes that division based on the parallel lines to the equator comes from Greece and, Iranians divided the inhabited World into seven climates as following: First, Climate: India and Indus and their islands. Second climate: Hejaz, Ethiopia, Aden, Yemen, and Bahrain. Climate three: Egypt, Levant, and Morocco. Climate four: Babylon, Iraq, Fars, Khorasan, Sistan, Zabulistan and Tokharestan. Fifth climate: Rome, Andalusia, Europe, Azerbaijan and Darband. Sixth climate: Ya’juj, Časpian Sea, Ghazni, Kyrgyzstan, Kimak, Russia and Slavs, and the seventh climate: China, Tibet, Hotan, Balkh and TransOxiana. Mohammad ibn Musa Khwarizmi, formerly Latinizedi as Algoritmi,(780—850 A.D.) Was a Persian scientist and geographer and one of the first, Scholars Who di Schussed the climates based on the latitude. Al-Mas’udi (896-956 A.D.) was a Muslim historian and geographer who attributed not only the planets but also the Zodiac to the seven climes.

He attributed Aries and Sagittarius to the first climate, Capricorn to the second oné Scorpio to the third, Gemini to the fourth Aquarius to the fifth, Cancer to the sixth and Libra to the Seventh climate. A number of Persian and Müslim geographers have mapped the World. Estakhri (?–957 A.D.) embarked on traveling to different regions and wrote the book "Roads and Kingdoms" inspired by Balkhi, and divided the Islamic territory into 20 geographical regions; beginning from Morocco to Transoxiana and Turkestan. He explained each part and wrote on cities, mountains, roads, industries, businesses, people and jobs but mentioned nothing about the features of the areas and people’s Costumes and traditions.What, he has written is a summary of Balkhi’s book and his own observations. In his "Book of Roads and Kingdoms", Estakhri has explained the territory of the kingdoms, Seas, rivers and distances. He begins with Morocco and Egypt, and continues with Levant, Mediterranean Sea,Mesopotamia and Iraq. He explains then Khuzestan, Fars, Kerman, Indus,India, Jibal, Tabarestan, Deylam, Caspian Sea, Khorasan, Sistan and Baluchestan, Afghanistan and finally Transoxiana. For each part, he mentions the cities, rivers and distance between cities and drew a map for each country. There is an illustrated manuscript, "Roads and Kingdoms" of Estakhri (object No. 5990) which includes 16 maps. In this map Caspian Sea is closed but, Persian Gulf is COnnected With Indian Ocean. He has drawn Some maps of Islamic regions and he has mentioned that Mecca is the navel of the earth. There is also a book "Road and Kingdoms" of Abi al-Hasan Sa’edi ibn Ali Jórjani (object No. 750) which is devoted entirely to the theoretical issues of the geography and is empty of any map. There is no much information about the author of this book but only his name and the name of his book in Katib CheLebi s work "Kashf aL–Zonun". Jorjani discusses the earth, stars, inhabited World, mountains, Seas, deserts, corresponding climate to each Zodiac with their latitude and longitude, tribes, mines of each regions, etc. - This manuscript is dated to Dec 27, 1686.

From this sea nothing can be achieved; neither pearl nor coral, but it can be used only for fishing and commerce; for traveling from town to town.There is no flourishing, residential island but Siahkuh which is a big island, where there are many trees and fountains and different, animals.

Tabarestan includes Deyalm (Deylaman), Mamtir, Sari, Mahravan, Lamrask andi Tamisheh. Astarabadi andi Abaskun and Dehestian are located in the forest of Gorgan. There is no much information about Badustan (Padusban?) mountians and Qaran and we don’t know many boroughs there but Semnan andi Maryam. It also includes Qaran-Kuh. The largest city which was a part of Persian Iraq is Shahr-e Ray and has famous gateways such as Matan Gateway.

The map of Pars (current Fars province) is quadrangle, except of an angle around Sepahan (Isfahan) to Kerman which finally reaches the Sea... I mapped all Pars region except the Villages and mountains, because villages are sporadic and mountains too many. Of cities I mapped only those with Friday Mosque (Jama Masjid) and others are described in the treatise... the largest city is Istakhr which is several times larger than Ardashir-Darreh.

Kuhestan consists of famous cities such as Hamadan, Dinavar, Sepahan and Qom and small cities such as Qashan (Kashan) Nahavand, Lur (Lorestan), Kurdi, Borj (Marj?) & JOrbadeghan (çig. Distance between cities of Jibal region: Hamadan to Asadabad: 9 farsangs (farsang or parsang is an ancient Iranian unit of length which is almost defined as 5.5 kilometers), Asadabad to Ghasr-e Dozdian: 7 farsang, Ghasr-e Dozdan to Qantarah al-Na'man and the village Abu-Ayyub: 4 farsang, Abu-Ayyub to Bistun: 2 fasrang, and from there to Kermanshah is 8 farsang.

Ahvaz is a town which is also called Hormoz,and other areas of Khuzestan are attributed to Ahvaz.

Shushtar, Gondishapur, Susan (Susangerd) and Ramhormoz all have bazaar which are affiliated with these cities, but Doragh (Shadegan); in which there is a bazaar called Sawgh, and thus it is also called as Doragh al-Sawgh.

Khuzestan is a plain with rivers, of which the largest one is Shushtar River. King Shapur has built a dam across this river.

There is no clear road in this desert. There are many bandits because of this desert, being linked to different regions; part of it in Khorasan, and part of it is in Sistan.It is also Linked to Kerman, Pars, Sepahan, Qom, Qashan (Kashan) and Ray. When bandits rob a caravan or commit a crime in a region they run away to another region.This desert is difficult to travel over, unless with camel and a caravan and only in a known road where there is a water Well.