Античная древность и средние века (Oct 2018)
Strait of Constantinople on views Arabic medieval Scientists (before al-Idrisi)
Abstract
The article is devoted to representations of Arab geographers of the 9th –11th centuries on waterways linking Byzantium and Asia Minor with the north of Europe. “Geography” Ptolemy was important for the Arabs. Al-Khwarizmi’s book changed the coordinates of the Ptolemy and transformed the ancient beliefs, showing the connection Meotis and North Outer Sea. Al-Khwarizmi was not aware of the Cimmerian Bosporus and the confluence of the Black and Azov Seas. However, a break from the Black Sea (“Sea Barika and Lazika” by al-Khwarizmi) to Constantinople, as well as further communication with seas up to Gibraltar were known al-Khwarizmi. Ibn Khordadbeh, Ibn Rusta and a num-ber of later geographers learned about Constantinople and the surrounding waters, including the Strait, from the former Byzantine captives; they do not lead the ancient names for the Black and Azov Seas. Al-Battani and a number of other scientists after him, on the contrary, used the names of Pont and Meotis. He described connection of the Meotis, located on the north by the river Tanais, the Pont, who, in turn, was connected by a channel passing by Constantinople, to the Mediterranean Sea. In the tenth century Arab geographers presented the socalled “Atlas of Islam”. Maps don't have the coordinates and were schematic images of water bodies and land, with their description. The founder of this school was al-Balkhi, whose work was considered lost, but now it is believed that it is still preserved. His work was the foundation for al-Istakhri and his younger contemporary of Ibn Haukal, with the consent of the first, used and changed the work of al-Istakhri. All these maps and texts have the peculiarity that do not know the names for the Black and Azov Seas, but there is the huge body of water, stretching from Gibraltar to Syria and Egypt, and then turning to the north and rolling in the Strait of Constantinople. This stream passes Constantinople and Byzantium and passed the land of the Slavs, leaves in northern waters, which are considered part of the surrounding land Ocean. A recently was published an anonymous map and text to it (the beginning of 11th century). It is somewhat similar to the map of Ibn Haukal: Strait of Constantinople also departs from the general body of water, but about Constantinople shows the “long wall” and also the city of Kiev (Kuiaba) – a single image it on the Arabic maps. This is a unique card. Thus, the Arab geographers show information about the connections of the northern lands (Rus, Khazaria, Bulgaria on Volga, Scandinavia) with Byzantium and the East. The fact that many do not know about the existence of the Black and Azov seas, is advantageous to the areas of their interest of Islam and the Volga region.
