Podcast Summary: Pourquoi le Nord est-il en haut de nos cartes ?

Podcast: Le Cours de l’histoire (France Culture)
Date: September 5, 2025
Host: France Culture
Episode Theme: Uncovering the historical and symbolic reasons behind the convention of placing the North at the top of world maps.

Overview

This episode delves into the historical, cultural, and political origins of why the North is positioned at the top of our maps. The host guides listeners through a journey from medieval Europe and the Islamic Golden Age to the Renaissance and modern cartography, highlighting the power dynamics and symbolism embedded in the way we visually represent the world.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Arbitrary Nature of “Up” and “Down” on Maps

• The episode opens with the provocative question: “Vous avez déjà vu une carte avec l'Afrique en haut ?” (Have you ever seen a map with Africa on top?) [00:00]
• The host emphasizes that the world is a sphere without inherent “up” or “down,” and that the orientation of maps is a human convention shaped by social and political forces.

2. Medieval Christian Maps: East on Top

• In the Middle Ages, European maps oriented East (not North) at the top.
  • Reference to the Hereford Mappa Mundi (13th century), a grand map (1.6m x 1.3m) featuring 420 cities, real and imagined peoples, and mythological creatures.
  • “L’Asie est en haut, l’Europe en bas à gauche, l’Afrique en bas à droite. Cette orientation vers l’Est permet de placer au centre Jérusalem, la ville sainte, et tout en haut, le paradis terrestre.” [01:12]
• The choice of East at the top was symbolic:
  • Scriptural reference: Paradise and salvation are associated with the East, where the sun rises (“orientation” derives from Latin oriens).

3. Islamic Cartography: South on Top

• Medieval Arab maps often placed South at the top.
  • “Elles mettent plutôt le sud en haut. Pourquoi ? Pour mettre en valeur la Mecque, la ville sainte de l'islam, qui se trouve au sud, du moins par rapport à Bagdad.” [02:20]
• Example: Al-Idrisi’s 1154 map for King Roger II of Sicily—one of the most advanced of its time, with Africa on top and Europe at the bottom.

4. The Rise of North: Magnetic Compass and European Expansion

• The proliferation of the magnetic compass (from China) between the 12th and 13th centuries made the North—where the compass needle points—an important navigational reference for European sailors.
• “A partir des XIIe-XIIIe siècles se diffuse la boussole magnétique, venue de Chine. L’aiguille pointe vers le pôle Nord, et le Nord s’impose progressivement...” [03:05]

5. The Mercator Projection and Modern Cartography

• During the Renaissance and with European maritime expansion, the entire globe needed mapping.
  • 1569: Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator introduces his cylindrical projection, standardizing North at top—a system still found in today’s world maps.
  • “Avec la diffusion de l’imprimerie et l’expansion maritime et coloniale de l’Europe, le Nord-Ao est devenu la norme. La cartographie moderne est née, le capitalisme aussi.” [04:00]

6. The Politics of Map Orientation

• The “North on top” convention persists, masking implicit power hierarchies and supporting Eurocentric worldviews.
  • “Le Nord-Ao est resté comme une convention graphique qui cache une hiérarchie silencieuse, car la domination passe aussi par les représentations du monde.” [04:18]
• Present-day geographers propose alternative map orientations as an act of reimagining global hierarchies—a symbolic and political statement.

7. Maps as Ideological Tools

• Maps are not neutral; every orientation expresses a particular worldview.
  • “Chaque carte exprime un point de vue, une vision du monde, même celle qui est accrochée dans votre salon.” [05:00]
• The host encourages listeners to challenge conventions and “flip” their maps as a playful experiment:
  • “Retournez-là dans le sens de votre choix. Si le corps vous en dit, perdez l'honneur. Et si on vous demande si c'est woke, répondez que c'est médiéval.” [05:22]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On symbolic directions:
  “Orientation vient du latin oriens, l’orient, le lieu du lever du soleil, symbole de lumière, de salut et de résurrection. Normal qu'il soit en haut.” (Orientation comes from the Latin 'oriens,' the East, the place of the sunrise, symbol of light, salvation, and resurrection. It makes sense for it to be on top.) [01:40]
• On the power of maps:
  “La domination passe aussi par les représentations du monde.” (Domination also takes place through the way we represent the world.) [04:18]
• On rethinking map conventions:
  “Proposer des cartes alternatives… c’est un moyen de remettre en question notre vision eurocentrée du monde, de décoloniser notre regard.” (Proposing alternative maps… is a way to question our Eurocentric vision of the world, to decolonize our perspective.) [04:38]
• On map humility:
  “Si on vous demande si c’est woke, répondez que c’est médiéval.” (If someone asks you if it’s woke, tell them it’s medieval.) [05:22]

Key Timestamps

• 00:00 – Introduction: The world has no top or bottom; why is North always up?
• 01:12 – Medieval Christian maps: East as the symbolic top.
• 02:20 – Arab maps: South at the top, Mecca in focus.
• 03:05 – Emergence of the magnetic compass and the North in European navigation.
• 04:00 – Renaissance, Mercator’s map, and the standardization of North-up.
• 04:18 – The silent hierarchy and Eurocentrism embedded in map orientation.
• 04:38 – The political significance of alternative map projections.
• 05:22 – Playful challenge: flip your own maps and embrace a medieval outlook.

Summary

This episode offers a fascinating exploration of how maps reflect power, religion, and worldview. The “North on top” orientation is neither natural nor neutral but the product of historical shifts in technology, religion, and imperial ambition. By showcasing alternative orientations from different cultures and periods, the host underlines that the way we see the world is always a matter of perspective—and invites us to turn our maps (and our minds) upside down.