King Abdulaziz Public Library is home to one of the world's rarest geographical treasures, housing more than 3,300 rare maps that document the Arabian Peninsula and the wider world from the beginning of the printing era in the fifteenth century (1482) through the mid-twentieth century.
The collection includes an exceptional selection of original, printed, cloth, and hand-colored maps created by some of history's most renowned cartographers, including Ptolemy, Ortelius, Mercator, and Niebuhr, among other pioneers who charted the boundaries of the ancient world using various map scales and languages, including Latin, modern European languages, Arabic, Turkish, and others.
Scope of Coverage and Scholarly Purpose
These maps serve a wide range of purposes, from documenting the geopolitical surveys of ancient empires and states to religious cartography, as well as highly detailed maps focusing on:
- The Arabian Peninsula: Its geographical features and historic cities.
- Waterways: The Red Sea, the Arabian Gulf, and the Arabian Sea.
- Cities and Ports: Detailed maps of Makkah, Madinah, and Jeddah Islamic Port.
Distinguished Collections and Historical Sources
The department houses specialized collections of significant historical and strategic value, including:
- Aerial Survey Collection (1,847 maps): Donated by the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources.
- Muhammad Sadiq Bey Collection (84 maps): A unique cartographic record of Makkah and Madinah.
- George Rentz Collection: A rare geographical and research archive of exceptional historical value.
Digital Documentation and Knowledge Accessibility
In fulfillment of its scholarly mission, the Library has cataloged and documented this collection according to the highest archival standards. The maps have been translated and technically cataloged to include comprehensive metadata such as the title, publication date, cartographer, map scale, and geographical region. Through its electronic portal, the Library makes this cultural heritage accessible to researchers around the world, connecting the past with the present through knowledge and digital technology.
