Interlude. The Sahel in historical atlases (1493–1789)

This chapter focuses on the section of the AtlaSahel website dedicated to historical cartography. The reference maps are those included in atlases, and other printed books supplemented by maps, preserved at the Library and Museum of Geography of the University of Padua, spanning the period 1493–1789. The maps provide an overview of the cartographic representation of Africa, particularly the Sahel region, as depicted by Europeans during the Early Modern Era. The interweaving of knowledge from ancient authors, legends, early European explorations and oral descriptions from native interlocutors shaped a cartographic idea of Africa and the Sahel region that significantly diverged from reality for a long time. Only from the mid-17th century onwards did directly verified information start to be prioritised. The examples discussed in the chapter mainly concern hydrographic features. On the AtlaSahel website, the maps can be viewed in a high resolution.