Abraham Cresques was a modest man of Jewish descent, born in Mallorca. A man who was particularly interested in cartography and worked as a compass maker in his hometown. Through his knowledge, skills and interests in seafaring, navigation and cartography, he was one of the leading figures of the Mallorcan school of cartography. This includes other Spanish cartographers, such as Gabriel de Vallesca.
But none come close to the success and work of Cresques.
Abraham Cresques always had a keen interest in compasses, seafaring and clocks. Yet he never went out to sea himself. Instead, he stayed in his town and within his community, where he fathered his son Yehuda with his wife. When he was old enough, he passed on his interest and knowledge of cartography and seafaring to him. Jehuda also became enthusiastic about it, while he was introduced to the vast knowledge and learned from his father.
In 1375 Abraham finally received the most important order of his life, from the King of Aragon himself. He asked him to draw four maps that would show everything known from east to west. So he accepted and together with his son he drew the famous Catalan Atlas - without having made even one sea voyage himself. All the knowledge about the landscapes, the seas and the conditions with which he drew the atlas was based on the knowledge of foreign navigators. He obtained the information about their voyages, whose routes passed through the hub of Mallorca. Taking Mallorca as a starting point, he drew based on the reports that were told to him. Presumably, he interrogated many sailors to get as many details as possible.
Finally, with his son, he created the Catalan Atlas. In it are detailed nautical charts, which resemble more navigation charts than a real map. Knowledge of astrology, medicine, common customs and the geography of the world also went into the atlas. In addition, it created the basis for Christopher Columbus, because without Creque's mathematical calculations contained therein, they would not have been able to embark on their adventurous voyages a hundred years later. In addition, the geographical findings of Marco Polo's voyages were written down and recorded in this work for the first time.
However, the cresques outdid themselves. In the end, the four required pages became a whole six double-page spreads depicting the then known world from the Atlantic to China. In addition, they are even richly provided with pictorial information, cultural backgrounds and information about the inhabitants there.
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.jpg "Montage of 8 Pages from the Catalan Atlas by Cresques; the Then Known World by Abraham Cresques")
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.jpg "North Africa, Europe and the Middle East from the Catalan Atlas by Abraham Cresques")
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.jpg "Detail of Copy of a Catalan Map of Europe and North Africa, presented to Charles V of France in 1381 by Abraham Cresques")
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.jpg "Catalan Atlas by Abraham Cresques")
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_ancient_name_of_Mongolian_China_in_Central_Asia_an_-_(MeisterDrucke-1053068).jpg "Mapping: Map of Cathay, ancient name of Mongolian China in Central Asia and Europe. There are: Delhi, with the Aral Sea, the Volga River, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus, Euphrates, the Arabian Peninsula and the cities of Dehli by Abraham Cresques")
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.jpg "Map of Eastern Europe, View from the South. Catalan Atlas by Abraham Cresques")
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.jpg "Catalan Atlas, Sheet 2 by Abraham Cresques")
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 (detail of 151844) - (MeisterDrucke-38188).jpg "Detail from the Catalan Atlas (detail) by Abraham Cresques")
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.jpg "Map of northeastern Africa and southwestern Levant, view from the south. Catalan Atlas by Abraham Cresques")
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.jpg "Map of Eastern Europe, View from the South. Catalan Atlas by Abraham Cresques")
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.jpg "Merchants Travelling to Cathay, China, Following in Marco Polo")
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.jpg "Cosmography: Representation of the Earth as an Astronomer with an Astrolabe by Abraham Cresques")
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.jpg "Detail from the Catalan Atlas by Abraham Cresques")
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 - (MeisterDrucke-53730).jpg "Copy of Catalan Map of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East by Abraham Cresques")
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.jpg "The Detroit of Gibraltar and North Africa, Detail of the Catalan Atlas by Abraham C by Abraham Cresques")
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.jpg "Detail from the Catalan Atlas, Sheet 6, Showing Mansa Musa Enthroned by Abraham Cresques")
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.jpg "Catalan Atlas, Sheet 1 by Abraham Cresques")
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.jpg "Full 1 of the Catalan Atlas by Abraham Cresques")
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.jpg "Astrological and Astronomical Diagram from the Catalan Atlas by Abraham Cresques")
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.jpg "Catalan Atlas, Sheet 4 by Abraham Cresques")
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.jpg "Unknown Image by Abraham Cresques")
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.jpg "Unknown Image by Abraham Cresques")
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.jpg "Detail from the Catalan Atlas, Sheet 6, Showing the Western Sahara and Mansa Musa by Abraham Cresques")
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.jpg "Four Vellum Leaves of the Catalan Atlas by Abraham Cresques")
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.jpg "Map of Eastern Europe, View from the South. Catalan Atlas by Abraham Cresques")
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.jpg "Catalan Atlas by Abraham Cresques")
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.jpg "Catalan Atlas, Sheet 7 and 8 by Abraham Cresques")
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.jpg "Catalan Atlas, Sheet 7 by Abraham Cresques")
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.jpg "Catalan Atlas, Sheet 3 by Abraham Cresques")
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.jpg "Catalan Atlas, Sheet 6 (detail) by Abraham Cresques")
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.jpg "Spain and the Atlantic in the Catalan Atlas by Abraham Cresques")
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.jpg "Unknown Image by Abraham Cresques")
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.jpg "Catalan Atlas, Sheet 9, 1375 by Abraham Cresques")
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.jpg "Cathay, China from the Catalan Atlas by Abraham Cresques")
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.jpg "Catalan Atlas, Sheet 11, 1375 by Abraham Cresques")
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.jpg "Catalan Atlas, Sheet 12, 1375 by Abraham Cresques")
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.jpg "Catalan Atlas by Abraham Cresques")
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.jpg "Catalan Atlas, Sheet 6 by Abraham Cresques")
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.jpg "Catalan Atlas, Sheet 10 by Abraham Cresques")
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.jpg "Catalan Atlas, Sheet 5 by Abraham Cresques")
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.jpg "Unknown Image by Abraham Cresques")
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.jpg "Catalan Atlas, Sheet 8 by Abraham Cresques")
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