Mind-Benders of Islamic History
A silver world map for a Christian king
Around 1154, the geographer al-Idrisi completed at the court of the Norman king Roger II of Sicily a book of world geography (the "Book of Roger") together with a large planisphere: a disc of silver reportedly some two metres across and weighing about 400 pounds, engraved with the seas, rivers and cities of the known world. He finished the work the same year Roger II died; the silver map was later broken up during civil unrest and lost.
How we know
al-Idrisi c.1100–1165; Book of Roger + silver planisphere (~400 Roman ratls, ≈2 m diameter) completed Jan 1154, weeks before Roger II of Sicily (b. 22 Dec 1095, d. 26 Feb 1154) died; map destroyed in unrest c. 1160.
One of many fact-checked wonders across eight traditions at The Spring of Wisdom.