IDRISI, Abu Abd Allah Muhammed al (Idrizi, Muhamed el) (1099 Ceuta - 1164, Palermo) cartographer and geographer. He was educated in Moorish Spain where he acquired a knowledge of cartography and geography. He finished his studies in Cordova and spent several years in northern Africa and Asia Minor. At the invitation of king Roger II, who was entertaining the idea of making a large map of the world, based on the contemporary results rather than on the old models, Idrisi came to Norman court in Palermo, Sicily. In order to realise his idea Roger II entrusted Idrisi with a task of making a large map of the known world. In the following fifteen years Norman galleys, with trained surveyors onboard, who were doing observations and collecting data for the future map, would set off from Palermo and sail all over the Mediterranean. Idrisi took part in some of these voyages. According to the reports of Abduraham Zeki, in 1153 Idrisi made a tour of the Croatian coast and visited Senj, Knin, Biograd, Sibenik, Trogir, Split, Ston and Dubrovnik. Data on the distances between places and countries were also gathered from ambassadors who visited the court in large numbers. Idrisi finished the map in 1154, several weeks before the death of king Roger and called it Tabula Rogeriana in honour of his patron. The map was 3.42×1.48 m in size and its copy was made on silver plates. Since both of the originals got lost only the subsequently made copies are available today. The first known map to mention Croatia by name, Tabula Rogeriana presents Croatia at a rather big scale. Idrisi wrote a commentary to the map, known as Geography or Kitab al Rudjar, where Croatia and its towns were mentioned. Tabula Rogeriana contains about 2500 geographical names and Kitab al Rudjar about 7000. Tabula Rogeriana is oriented in the Arabic manner, with the north is turned to the bottom. Owing to the fact that all names are written in the Arabic inscription, difficulties in reading and translation of certain names are still present.

Part of the world map by Idrisi