This map was created during medieval times. It is an Islamic map of the world. At the center of the map are the two holiest cities of Islam: Mecca and Medina. The map shows China and India in the north and the "Christian sects and the states of Byzantium" in the south. The outer circles represent the seas.

As you can see, this European map has also been embellished beyond reality. During the 1500s this type of mapmaking was common in Europe and represented national borders combined with national identity.