▁Muhammad ▁al - Id ris i , ▁produced ▁his ▁medieval ▁at las , ▁Tab ula ▁Roger iana ▁or ▁The ▁Rec re ation ▁for ▁Him ▁Who ▁W ishes ▁to ▁Tra vel ▁Through ▁the ▁Count ries , ▁in ▁ 1 1 5 4 . ▁He ▁incorpor ated ▁the ▁knowledge ▁of ▁Africa , ▁the ▁Indian ▁Ocean ▁and ▁the ▁Far ▁East ▁gathered ▁by ▁Arab ▁mer ch ants ▁and ▁expl or ers ▁with ▁the ▁information ▁inherited ▁from ▁the ▁classical ▁ge ograph ers ▁to ▁create ▁the ▁most ▁accurate ▁map ▁of ▁the ▁world ▁in ▁pre - mod ern ▁times . ▁With ▁fund ing ▁from ▁Roger ▁II ▁of ▁Sic ily ▁( 1 0 9 7 – 1 1 5 4 ), ▁al - Id ris i ▁drew ▁on ▁the ▁knowledge ▁collected ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Cord oba ▁and ▁paid ▁draft s men ▁to ▁make ▁jour ne ys ▁and ▁map ▁their ▁routes . ▁The ▁book ▁describes ▁the ▁earth ▁as ▁a ▁sphere ▁with ▁a ▁circum ference ▁of ▁ ▁but ▁maps ▁it ▁in ▁ 7 0 ▁rect angular ▁sections . ▁Notable ▁features ▁include ▁the ▁correct ▁dual ▁sources ▁of ▁the ▁N ile , ▁the ▁coast ▁of ▁Gh ana ▁and ▁mentions ▁of ▁Norway . ▁Cl imate ▁zones ▁were ▁a ▁chief ▁organiz ational ▁principle . ▁A ▁second ▁and ▁short ened ▁copy ▁from ▁ 1 1 9 2 ▁called ▁Garden ▁of ▁Jo ys ▁is ▁known ▁by ▁sch ol ars ▁as ▁the ▁Little ▁Id ris i . ▁ ▁On ▁the ▁work ▁of ▁al - Id ris i , ▁S . ▁P . ▁Scott ▁commented : ▁ ▁Al - Id