The Babylonian World Map

The British Museum in London houses an extraordinary collection of artifacts from Mesopotamian civilization—one of the oldest in human history.

Among its most notable exhibits are:

• The Cyrus Cylinder, considered one of the earliest legal texts in the world.

• The winged bulls (Lamassu) that once guarded the entrances of Assyrian palaces and temples in Nimrud and Ashur.

• Wall panels from the Ishtar Gate, decorated with divine symbols and mythical animals.

The museum’s collection also includes a vast number of cuneiform tablets, inscribed with a variety of texts such as letters, contracts, religious hymns, and literary masterpieces like the Epic of Gilgamesh. Other highlights include the statue of King Ashurbanipal II, artworks reflecting everyday life in Mesopotamia, ritual objects, and the renowned Wounded Lioness sculpture, which I discussed in a previous article.

In this article, I focus on one of the most important and fascinating exhibits in the museum:The Babylonian World Map, known as Imago Mundi, dating back to the 6th century BCE.

Discovered in 1889 by a British expedition in the ancient Babylonian city of Sippar, this map is carved on a small clay tablet.

What the Map Shows:

This ancient map portrays the world as imagined by the Babylonians. At the center is Babylon, reflecting their belief that it was the heart of the universe. Surrounding Babylon are other cities like Susa and Ur, while natural features such as marshes and mountains are shown as circles or rectangles.

The Euphrates River is clearly depicted, and the entire known world is enclosed by a circular body of water—referred to as the “Great Ocean.”

Beyond this ocean, the map reveals mysterious outer regions referred to as “the other lands.” These areas are believed to represent mythical territories and are described in the cuneiform inscriptions, often linked to legends, rituals, and cosmological beliefs.

Historical and Cultural Significance:

This map is a testament to the Babylonians’ advanced understanding of geography and their desire to make sense of the world. It merges mythology and reality, illustrating their spiritual and intellectual view of the universe.

The artifact likely dates back to the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar II, during a time when Babylon was a thriving empire stretching from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea. The map emphasizes Babylon’s central role in their worldview, both politically and cosmologically.

Today, this remarkable object offers not only historical value but also insight into how ancient civilizations perceived their place in the world—where mythology, geography, and power coexisted on a single clay tablet.