The Dhaka Times Desk If you go to Dhaka Zoo, you will see ostriches. But we don't know how big this ostrich is or what kind of eggs it lays. Today's illustrations are made with the eggs of the birds.
But we know what the world map looks like. But there have been many debates about this map over the ages. Each person has presented his meditation concept in a different way. But the ostrich egg has come into the debate about this world map.
This time there is an ostrich egg in the debate. You may be surprised to hear this but it is true. This ostrich egg is not plain. This ostrich egg has a map of the world painted in it. And who prevents researchers! Researchers have assumed that this is the oldest map of the world. This map is also a globe. An Austrian collector found it. This map was created 8 thousand years ago in 1504. Even in that map there are mentions of different countries and areas including newly discovered regions of the world.
The globe is made by joining two pieces of ostrich eggshell. Even in Latin letters, it identifies different areas of Japan, Arabia or the Middle East and Brazil. North America is shown again, as a collection of scattered islands. On the other hand, only 3 places in South America are shown on the globe.
And the surprising thing is that there is also a sentence written on the areas called Airap Jhanh: Utdhapparahbong of Southeast Asia. It means, there are dragons here.
Thomas Sander, editor of the Washington Map Society's journal 'Portolan', said, 'There are so many intriguing things about geography. This ancient globe also has images of sea monsters or sea-monsters. With these pictures, it has been explained again that those areas of the sea are dangerous. Stefan Misin is researching this globe. In his opinion, the image of the sea monster actually indicated those dangerous places in the sea where huge commercial and passenger ships often sank - because of this. And so there are pictures of sailors on sinking ships in many parts of the globe.
Researchers believe the globe was somehow lost from the workshop of the famous painter Leonardo da Vinci. Because there is no manufacturer's name on the globe. Many believe that someone from the time of Vinci may have made the globe to give a gift to an Italian nobleman with ideas about migration from seafarers. Moreover, it is known from history that the elite people of that time used to raise ostriches in their garden. Keeping ostriches was a matter of honor and pride for them.
Researchers believe that this globe is passed down from one family to another. It was eventually sold off along with many other artifacts due to the severe economic depression during World War II.
Last year an unidentified person bought the globe from a map fair in London. It then came into the hands of Missin. However, Missin did not tell anyone how and where he got it.
However, some claim that it is unrelated to Leonardo da Vinci's workshop. Again Keoba says, this globe must have been near Misin.
However, whether this globe belongs to Missin or whoever - many unknown facts of the ancient world are known from this ostrich egg map. Courtesy: Daily Yugantar.
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