Rare Cedid Atlas Tercümesi Discovered at National Library of Norway

Thanks to a community of map lovers, Norwegian reference librarian Anders Kvernberg has uncovered a remarkable edition of a rare atlas.

Published in Istanbul in 1803, this significant work had remained obscured in the National Library of Norway, located in Oslo, until Kvernberg initiated a thread on Reddit where he shared scanned pages. Fellow enthusiasts of cartography quickly recognized these pages as part of the Cedid Atlas Tercümesi, acknowledged as the first atlas published in the Muslim world.

Only 50 copies of this historical atlas were printed, and interestingly, until this discovery, it was believed that only 14 copies remained. It is thought that the library obtained its copy in the 1950s. This uncovering not only highlights the importance of community engagement in historical research but also enhances our understanding of cartographic history in the Muslim world.