Idrissi, Abu Abdullah Muhammad Al-Charif Al-Idrissi HE was a Moroccan cartographer, geographer and traveller (1100-1165) born in Sebta, Northern Morocco under the Almoravids. He died in his city after a long stay in Andalus and Sicily, where he lived at the court of King Roger II. Al-Idrissi's best known work is his map of the world “Lawh Al-Tarsim” (Plank of Draught), drawn in 1154 while he was in Sicily. He worked on the commentaries and illustrations for 18 years. His map is now known as the ‘Tabula Rogeriana', his book as the ‘Geografia'. Taken together, they were named Nuzhat Al-Mushtak fi Ikhtiraq Al-Afaq, dedicated to King Roger (hence the nickname of the book: Al-Kitab Al-Rujari or Roger's Book). His maps were used extensively during the explorations in the Renaissance. Al-Idrissi became famous in Europe more than other Muslim geographers and several of his books were translated into Latin. It is said that Christopher Columbus used the map which was originally taken from Al
