World Maps Compiled in Aid of the East-West Exchange

The maritime routes of the Silk Road were the main porcelain and Spice Roads, as well as direct avenues of contact between the East and the West. Throughout time, maps and charts have reflected the cultural exchanges taking place between the East and the West, including international trade and religious activities Shifts in knowledge, power and culture resulting from the Silk Routes have been captured in a rang of maps, including the Ptolemy World Map (150 AD), the Islamic World Map (1154 AD), the Catalan Atlas (1375), and the Korean World Map 1402. This shows the correct shape of Africa, and is an important contribution to the history of mapmaking, capturing early contacts between the East and the West. It also reflects the influence of Arab geography in the Chinese World, as well as providing a snapshot of how Koreans also conceived the world.