The Historical Maps Quiz – Facts Worth Knowing

Take the historical maps quiz to explore Ptolemy's Geography, the Hereford Mappa Mundi, the Piri Reis map, the Waldseemüller map, al-Idrisi's Tabula Rogeriana and Mercator's projection. Ten questions with facts worth knowing.

Start the Historical Maps Quiz

🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

Greece
Which ancient scholar wrote Geography with coordinates for places?
England
Which medieval map at Hereford Cathedral shows Jerusalem at the center?
Ottoman
Who drew a famous 1513 map showing parts of the Americas?
Sicily
Which geographer made the Tabula Rogeriana for King Roger II in 1154?
America
Which 1507 map first used the name America?
Rome
Which Roman road map survives as a long scroll?
Mallorca
Which 1375 atlas shows Mansa Musa holding gold?
Mercator
Mercator's 1569 projection was designed to help whom?
Babylon
The oldest known world map comes from which civilization?
Words
What does the word cartography mean?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: Which ancient scholar wrote Geography with coordinates for places?
Answer: Ptolemy
His work used latitude and longitude around AD 150.
Q2: Which medieval map at Hereford Cathedral shows Jerusalem at the center?
Answer: Mappa Mundi
It was made around 1300 on a single sheet of calfskin.
Q3: Who drew a famous 1513 map showing parts of the Americas?
Answer: Piri Reis
The Ottoman admiral used many earlier maps as sources.
Q4: Which geographer made the Tabula Rogeriana for King Roger II in 1154?
Answer: Al-Idrisi
It was one of the most accurate world maps of the Middle Ages.
Q5: Which 1507 map first used the name America?
Answer: Waldseemüller map
The Library of Congress owns the only surviving copy.
Q6: Which Roman road map survives as a long scroll?
Answer: Tabula Peutingeriana
It shows roads from Britain to India.
Q7: Which 1375 atlas shows Mansa Musa holding gold?
Answer: Catalan Atlas
It was made by Jewish cartographers in Mallorca.
Q8: Mercator's 1569 projection was designed to help whom?
Answer: Sailors
Lines of constant compass bearing appear straight.
Q9: The oldest known world map comes from which civilization?
Answer: Babylonian
The Babylonian Map of the World shows the world as a disc.
Q10: What does the word cartography mean?
Answer: Map making
It comes from the French carte, meaning map.

The Historical Maps Quiz – Maps Through History

People have drawn maps for thousands of years to understand their world. Babylonian clay tablets, Greek geographies and Roman road maps show how early cultures saw the lands around them.

Medieval maps mixed geography and faith, often placing Jerusalem at the center, while Islamic geographers like al-Idrisi produced detailed maps from travelers' reports.

The Age of Exploration transformed mapmaking. New coastlines appeared, America got its name and Mercator created a projection for navigation. Old maps today are treasured as works of art and history.

What This Quiz Teaches

This quiz is for history and map fans exploring old maps.

Who used coordinates first
What the Mappa Mundi shows
Who drew the Piri Reis map
Which map named America
Why Mercator made his projection

Did You Know?

Ortelius made the first modern atlas.
Portolan charts guided Mediterranean sailors.
China's Da Ming Hun Yi Tu is an early world map.
Sea monsters decorated old maps.
Google Earth launched in 2005.