From observing the cyclical movements of the stars in the night sky Greek philosophers theorized that the Earth was at the center of a circular universe. Aristotle surmised from the circular shadow of the Earth on the Moon that our planet must also be a globe. At least one of those Greek theories was correct.
Humans have known for over 2,000 years that the Earth is round. We have also been representing the world as a sphere for much of that time. The National Library of France's Le Monde en Spheres explores the history of maps and globes. Starting 2,500 years ago BnF looks at the invention of the globe, its development by Islamic scientists, its rediscovery in the west during the renaissance and even how it is being reinterpreted in the digital age.
Le Monde en Spheres is entirely in French. Even if you don't read French and your browser can't translate the text it is still worth visiting just to view the interactive images of the historical maps and globes featured in Le Monde in Spheres. The site features many zoomable images of vintage maps and animated globes from Ptolomy to the Space Age.
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