Reading the Qur’an is one thing; fully understanding the geography in which it unfolded, the people, cities, tribes, and historical events it describes is quite another. The Living Atlas of the Qur’an, the product of many years of research by Professor Ahmet Bedir, is a comprehensive reference work prepared precisely to meet this need.
More than a conventional atlas, the book is an extensive scholarly study that brings together the disciplines of history, geography, Qur’anic exegesis, hadith, archaeology, and the history of religions. Its purpose is to present, as concretely as possible, the individuals, peoples, cities, regions, and historical events mentioned in the Qur’an, thereby making the historical and geographical context of revelation visible to the reader.
According to the author, this English edition is not merely a translation of the original Turkish work. The book has been thoroughly revised from beginning to end, with many sections expanded, others restructured, and the entire work enhanced to address the questions of contemporary readers. Particular attention has been paid to the concerns of the modern mind, bringing the classical Islamic intellectual tradition into dialogue with contemporary discussions through explanatory notes, footnotes, and marginal commentaries. The maps have been redesigned, the visual materials updated, and the pedagogical value of the atlas further strengthened.
In the book’s preface, Ahmet Bedir explains that the origins of this project date back to the 1990s. During that period, he encountered academic opinions claiming that it was impossible to identify with certainty many of the places and individuals mentioned in the Qur’an. Determined to investigate these claims firsthand, he embarked on extensive field research. Over the years, he conducted studies across a vast geographical region stretching from Egypt to Yemen, from Oman to Saudi Arabia, from Palestine to Israel, and from Jordan to Syria and Iraq. In his view, theoretical knowledge alone is insufficient; to truly understand the locations mentioned in the Qur’an, one must travel to those places, examine them on site, and observe their historical traces. For this reason, the atlas is not a work produced solely behind a desk, but rather the result of years of travel, photography, and field research.
One of the book’s most remarkable features is its detailed treatment of the individuals mentioned in the Qur’an. A prophet or historical figure is not presented merely through biographical information; rather, his family, historical period, geographical setting, people, historical context, relevant Qur’anic verses, hadith sources, and both classical and modern scholarship are examined together. The same approach is applied to cities and regions. Settlements are not simply marked on maps; their historical development, changes of name, and present-day condition are also explored and analyzed.
Adam: A Research Dossier Spanning from the Origins of Humanity to the Present Day
The entry on Adam in The Living Atlas of the Qur’an is one of the sections that best reflects the overall approach of the work. Professor Ahmet Bedir does not merely present Adam as the first human being and the first prophet. Rather, he offers a comprehensive study that brings together discussions from Qur’anic exegesis, hadith, history, archaeology, and modern science that have developed around his figure. As a result, the reader encounters not only a prophetic biography but also an extensive research dossier examining various perspectives on the origins of humanity.
The section begins with the creation of Adam. Drawing upon narrations found in classical Islamic sources, it explains that humanity was created from soils of different colors gathered from various regions of the earth. The author also explores the etymology of the name “Adam,” examining its equivalents in different cultures and tracing the imprint it has left on humanity’s collective memory.
One of the noteworthy aspects of the work is its treatment of narrations concerning the places where Adam was created or where his body remained before the divine spirit was breathed into him, alongside geographical data. Regions between Mecca and Taif, areas known as Dahna, and various historical sites are presented to the reader through maps and photographs included in the atlas. In this way, the text seeks to connect abstract narrations with tangible geographical locations.
One of the most intriguing sections of the Adam entry is devoted to the theory of evolution. Ahmet Bedir first summarizes the principal arguments of modern anthropology and evolutionary biology. After outlining the scientific view that the human species originated in Africa and spread across the world over hundreds of thousands of years, he turns to the Qur’anic account, which points to the direct creation of humankind. Within this framework, he evaluates the debates between modern science and the revelation-centered understanding of creation, enabling readers to compare different perspectives.
The author also relates discussions concerning the origins of humanity to contemporary archaeological discoveries. For this reason, a special place is devoted to Göbeklitepe. Photographs of this prehistoric site near Şanlıurfa are included, and attention is given to the ways in which Göbeklitepe has challenged established assumptions about human history. Thus, the narratives of the Qur’an and the findings of modern archaeology are examined within the same analytical framework.
Adam’s descent from Paradise to earth constitutes another major theme of the chapter. Various narrations found in Islamic sources are presented, and traditions associated with Adam’s Peak in Sri Lanka, as well as locations in India, Arabia, and other regions, are compared. The author not only recounts these traditions but also provides photographs of the relevant sites and discusses their historical backgrounds.
The chapter also examines narrations concerning the creation of Eve, her reunion with Adam, and the multiplication of the human race. While differing views found in classical sources are presented comparatively, the author traces the historical and cultural heritage that has developed around humanity’s first family.
As with other entries in the atlas, locations believed to contain Adam’s tomb or memorial shrine are also examined in detail. Claims associated with Jerusalem, Hebron (al-Khalil), Mecca, India, and Sri Lanka are evaluated in light of historical sources. Contemporary photographs of these sites are included, allowing readers to engage with the subject visually as well as intellectually.
The chapter on Adam is an interdisciplinary study that brings together a wide range of subjects—including the origins of humanity, creation, evolution, archaeology, sacred geography, and historical memory—under a single heading. In this respect, The Living Atlas of the Qur’an stands out as an original work that approaches the individuals mentioned in the Qur’an not merely as historical figures, but together with the entire cultural, geographical, and intellectual heritage that has developed around them.
One of the primary goals of the atlas is to transform the reading of the Qur’an from an abstract textual experience into a historical and geographical journey. To this end, the work includes hundreds of photographs, detailed maps, chronological tables, indexes of peoples and cities, verse indexes, and historical routes. Readers can follow a wide variety of subjects—from the routes traveled by Abraham and the regions associated with Moses to the people of Sheba and the Companions of the Cave—through rich visual documentation.
Another noteworthy feature of the work is its approach to controversial subjects. In matters concerning the tombs of prophets, the identification of historical sites, sacred locations, and traditional narrations, the author avoids issuing definitive judgments. Instead, he presents existing opinions, sources, and evidence in a comparative manner. In doing so, he seeks to provide readers with a research-based perspective rather than a one-sided narrative.
As emphasized in the publisher’s note, this work is not merely a reference book but also an intellectual journey. Its purpose is not only to inform but also to invite readers to reconsider the historical and geographical world of the Qur’an. In this respect, the atlas helps readers gain a holistic understanding of the places where Qur’anic events occurred, the environments in which people lived, and the historical circumstances that shaped those events.
Professor Muhammed Shafiq, a scholar of the History of Religions who wrote the book’s foreword, describes the work as “a significant scholarly contribution that maps the prophets, peoples, beliefs, and sacred places of the Qur’an.” According to Shafiq, one of the atlas’s greatest strengths is that it relies not only on written sources but also on the author’s field research conducted through personal visits to the locations in question over many years. This makes the work a unique resource for researchers seeking to understand the geography of the Qur’an.
The Living Atlas of the Qur’an is a comprehensive reference work prepared for those who wish to rediscover the individuals, cities, peoples, and events mentioned in the Qur’an within their historical and geographical contexts. The product of more than twenty-five years of research, thousands of miles of fieldwork, hundreds of photographs, and meticulous scholarly effort, the atlas aspires to serve as a powerful guide for those who wish to walk through its world. By bringing the geography of the Qur’an vividly before the reader’s eyes, it demonstrates how revelation became embodied in history while making a significant contribution to a deeper and more holistic understanding of the sacred text.
The author of The Living Atlas of the Qur’an, Professor Ahmet Bedir, is a scholar who has spent many years teaching and conducting research in the fields of Qur’anic studies and exegesis at universities. Combining his profound mastery of the classical tafsir tradition with extensive field research, he has transformed The Living Atlas of the Qur’an into a unique work through investigations carried out across a vast geography stretching from Egypt and Yemen to Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey.
In this respect, the work deserves a place not only in our homes but also in libraries, schools, universities, cultural centers, and dialogue centers as a lasting reference source.
