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The monastery was mentioned again in the narrative of a 14th-century voyage taken by the Zeno brothers, published in 1558. While on the search for new land, Nicolo Zeno discovered a church dedicated to Saint Thomas, '...hard by a hill which vomited fire like Vesuvius and Etna'.

The Zeno Map, with St Thomas monastery located in the north of Greenland.

Map: Nova totius terrarum orbis iuxta neotericorum traditiones descriptio (Abraham Ortelius, 1564). Source: Basel University Library

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When the Christian king of this isle fell sick and was on his deathbed, St. Thomas of Canterbury appeared to him in a vision, instructing the king to build a church dedicated to him. As soon as the first stone was laid, the king's illness lifted.

St. Thomas Monastery, Gevaş, Van (not Greenland) Source: https://www.jelleverheij.net/monuments/st-thomas-monastery.html

The monastery likely stems from a legendary miracle recounted in the 14th-century travelogue of Sir John Mandeville. The story is set in Tile (Thule) - the furthest isle of the world inhabited by men.

Jean de Mandeville is sent forth from England on his expedition by Edward II

Map Myths @mapmyths.com · 10/08/2026

Gerardus Mercator writing in his 1595 atlas stated: Only two habitations in the extreme North, namely in Greenland, are known to us, Alba (11°W, 74°45'N) and St Thomas monastery (16°W 75°12'N).

Map: Septentrionalium terrarum descriptio (Mercator, 1595). Source: Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center Collection

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Yeah! It was restored in 2016, so it should stand for a while longer.

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Map Myths @mapmyths.com · 09/08/2026

Our new video is out... 🇺🇸v🇩🇰 and the myth of Peary Channel in northeast Greenland

youtu.be

The deadly race to map Greenland's last unknown frontier

YouTube video by Map Myths

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Map Myths @mapmyths.com · 07/08/2026

It would not be until 1798-99 when Matthew Flinders and George Bass sailed through Bass Strait that Tasmania was definitively determined to be an island. In 1856, Van Diemen's Land was renamed Tasmania in honour of the first European to visit the island. mapmyths.com/van-diemen's...

Map: A chart of Bass's Strait between New South Wales and van Diemen's Land explored by Mattw. Flinders 2nd, Lieut. of his Majesty's ship Reliance by order of His Excellency Governor Hunter, 1798-9 (A Arrowsmith 1800) Source: http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-231299708

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Map Myths @mapmyths.com · 07/08/2026

When more of the Australian coastline became charted, particularly following Captain Cook's visit to the east coast in 1770, cartographers became increasingly confident that Van Diemen's Land was connected to its larger neighbour.

Map: S. Hemisphere (James Cook 1777). Source: David Rumsey

Map: Tabula Geographica Hemisphaerii Australis (Leonhard Euhler, 1753). Source: David Rumsey

Map: Carte reduite du Globe Terrestre ( Pierre Marie François Pages 1782). Source: David Rumsey

Map: Southern Hemisphere (William Faden, 1790). Source: David Rumsey

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Map Myths @mapmyths.com · 07/08/2026

When Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) was discovered in 1642 by Abel Tasman, it appeared on contemporary maps as an isolated coastline. Its insular nature would not be confirmed for another 150 years.

Map: Magnum Mare del Zur cum Insula California (Frederick de Wit, 1690). Source: David Rumsey

Map: Hemisphere Meridional (Guillaume de L'Isle, 1714). Source: David Rumsey

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Reposted by Map Myths

Whit Durham @canebrake.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

It’s #MapMonsterMonday! Gerard Mercator’s 1600-1699 map of South America features a very spiny fish, a flying fish, a Patagonian giant, and some folks potentially exploring Antarctic waters. This map is held by the Bibliothèque nationale de France.

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Reposted by Map Myths

Daniel Bellingradt @dbellingradt.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

While celebrating or watching in horror the #July4th in the US of America, let's take a second and thank Matthias and Martin (M&M) who used the term #America first (in a world map they published in 1507), in honor of the Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci. The too long hashtag for M&M is ... 1/2

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Map Myths @mapmyths.com · 04/07/2026

#OTD in 1892, Robert Peary reached Independence Fjord and assumed it to mark the northern coast of mainland Greenland. The phantom Peary Channel he charted would remain on maps until Danish expeditions completed surveys of this coastline decades later. mapmyths.com/blog/peary-c...

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Map Myths @mapmyths.com · 01/07/2026

The solution was finalised a century later in 1985 by redrawing the border around the lighthouse so that it sat in Finland. The border then zigzagged elsewhere, giving Sweden an equal share of the island back. For more interesting border anomalies, check out our latest blog post below.

mapmyths.com

6 border disputes that got wonderfully (and dangerously) weird

Draw a line on a map, and humanity will inevitably find a way to make it complicated. From stubborn geopolitical standoffs to creative solutions over sovereignt

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Map Myths @mapmyths.com · 01/07/2026

The Finnish architect Georg Schreck managed to build the lighthouse on the highest point of the island; it just so happened to be on the Swedish side. Yet, the lighthouse was never considered Swedish, nor administered from Sweden.

Märket Lighthouse, Finland. Source: Wikimedia

Plaque on Märket island. Source: https://www.foboconsulting.com/post/market-reef

Map Myths @mapmyths.com · 01/07/2026

A lighthouse built on the Baltic island of Märket ended up redrawing an international border. In 1885, when Finland was part of the Russian Empire, a much-needed lighthouse was planned - the treacherous island had contributed to the sinking of eight ships in 1873 alone.

Märket on the border between Finland and Sweden
Karta öfver Åland (Nordisk familjebok, 1922). Source: Projekt Runeberg

Map of Märket
Source: https://www.histdoc.net/historia/se/market.html

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Reposted by Map Myths

Whit Durham @canebrake.bsky.social · 28/06/2026

It’s #MapMonsterMonday! Jan Baptista Vrients’s 1608 map of Genoa features a pair of sea beasts (one startled by the compass), and a siren with head plumage and braided tails. And how about those griffons? This map is held by a private collector.

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Map Myths @mapmyths.com · 23/06/2026

Look closely at Swisstopo maps, and you might find a hidden easter egg. www.swisstopo.admin.ch/en/hidden-im...

Hidden images in national swisstopo maps

A marmot hidden in the crags above the Aletschgletscher

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Map Myths @mapmyths.com · 20/06/2026

The full map by Diogo Homem (c. 1559), held by the British Library.

East Africa, with Prester John. The Queen Mary Atlas (Diogo Homem, c.1559). Source: British Library

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Map Myths @mapmyths.com · 20/06/2026

The legend of Prester John goes back to the mid-12th century, and tells of a Christian king of enormous wealth and power. His kingdom was initially thought to lie in Asia. The idea that it could lie in Africa emerged once Europeans began to learn about the real Christian kingdom of Ethiopia.

The Fra Mauro world map (1459).
'Here is the principal residence of Prester John'
Source: https://mostre.museogalileo.it/framauro/en/interactive-exploration/explore.html

Prester John enthroned in East Africa. The Queen Mary Atlas (Diogo Homem, c.1559). Source: British Library

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Map Myths @mapmyths.com · 17/06/2026

The Royal Cartographer to France created a rare mistake in 1780 by mapping 'Alaschka' as an island. The name derives from the Aleut language, meaning 'the mainland'. This early attempt at rendering the Aleutian Islands came just after Cook's voyage to the Pacific Northwest returned in 1779.

'Alaschka' as an island. Map: Planisphere suivant la projection de Mercator (Rigobert Bonne, 1780). Source: Yale University

Map: Planisphere suivant la projection de Mercator (Rigobert Bonne, 1780). Source: Yale University

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Reposted by Map Myths

Whit Durham @canebrake.bsky.social · 07/06/2026

It’s #MapMonsterMonday! Gerard Mercator and Andre Thevet’s 1569 map of western South America features a furry fish with a wolf-like head, what looks like a wolfman on all fours, and some Patagonian giants. This map is held by the Library of Congress.

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Map Myths @mapmyths.com · 04/06/2026

Wow, that sounds pretty epic!

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Map Myths @mapmyths.com · 04/06/2026

The myth of the Mountains of the Moon features prominently as a source for the 'Egypt Nile', but also the 'Sudan Nile', flowing to the Atlantic. The latter is likely a conflation of great rivers such as the Niger, at the southern edge of the Mediterranean's 'known world'.

Of the ten surviving copies of the Tabula Rogeriana, six contain at the start of the work a circular map of the world, which is not mentioned in the text of al-Idris. Source: Bodleian Library

(Rotated) Of the ten surviving copies of the Tabula Rogeriana, six contain at the start of the work a circular map of the world, which is not mentioned in the text of al-Idris. Source: Bodleian Library

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Map Myths @mapmyths.com · 04/06/2026

Muhammad Al-Idrisi's world map from 1154 is one of the most advanced of its time, drawn for the Norman king of Sicily, Roger II. To ensure its accuracy, 15 years were spent examining existing maps and interviewing travellers. Note that south is at the top of the map.

Tabula Rogeriana, drawn by al-Idrisi for Roger II of Sicily in 1154. Modern consolidation, created from al-Idrisi's 70 double-page spreads.Source: BNF

(Rotated) Tabula Rogeriana, drawn by al-Idrisi for Roger II of Sicily in 1154. Modern consolidation, created from al-Idrisi's 70 double-page spreads.Source: BNF

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Map Myths @mapmyths.com · 23/11/2024

A short story on the mysterious 'double-life' of Giles Land - a phantom island that persisted on maps of the Arctic well into the 20th century. How did the island manage to fool mappers and explorers for so long? 🧵

media.tenor.com

a foggy landscape with mountains and a body of water in the foreground

ALT: a foggy landscape with mountains and a body of water in the foreground

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Map Myths @mapmyths.com · 23/05/2026

Thanks, that would be wonderful! Please, do feel free to share it.

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Map Myths @mapmyths.com · 22/05/2026

That was a nice write-up. Related to this, I created the map below, which provides a bit of a visual reenactment of how these numerous expeditions gradually explored the Arctic and finally traversed the Northwest and Northeast passages.

mapmyths.com

An interactive history of Arctic exploration

Relive how the Northwest and Northeast passages were revealed through four centuries of exploration on this interactive map.

Map Myths @mapmyths.com · 21/05/2026

Thanks for sharing, very nice article!

Poor positioning of the original sighting meant this island would survive in duplicate on some maps (along with Honden Eylandt or Puka Puka) well into the 20th century.

Map: South Pacific Ocean (John Bartholomew, 1922). Source: David Rumsey

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Dutch explorers Jacob le Maire and Willem Schouten also landed at Puka-Puka on April 10, 1616, naming it 'Honden Eylandt' (Dog Island) on account of seeing three dogs along the coast. This was also the voyage that proved a route around Cape Horn was viable, thus avoiding the Strait of Magellan.

Map: Mare del Sud detto alurimenti Mare Pacifico (Vincenzo Coronelli, 1693). Source: David Rumsey

Map: Americas and the Pacific (Joannes van Keulen, 1680). Source: David Rumsey.

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Together with Tiburones they were named Islas Infortunadas (Unfortunate Islands in Spanish) on account of them not having any water or fresh food. Only trees, birds, and sharks. The date of discovery is near the festival of when Paul the Apostle is traditionally said to have become a Christian.

Map: Americae Sive Novi Orbis, Nova Descriptio (Abraham Ortelius, 1570). Source: University of Washington.

Map Myths @mapmyths.com · 29/04/2026

During the first circumnavigation of the world, Ferdinand Magellan came across only two islands during their traverse of the Pacific Ocean. One found on 24th January 1521 was named San Pablo, probably the Puka-Puka atoll in the north-eastern Tuamotu Archipelago.

NASA astronaut image of Puka Puka Atoll (Tuamotu Archipelago, French Polynesia) in the Pacific Ocean

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Its picture nicely demonstrates why many phantom islands once filled charts of the Southern Ocean, like Dougherty, Nimrod, Emerald, Pagoda Rock, and more. All of which have since melted away. 📖 mapmyths.com/dougherty-is...

Island in the Weddell Sea not yet recorded on nautical charts (Photo: Alfred Wegener Institute / Simon Dreutter)

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Map Myths @mapmyths.com · 29/04/2026

A new island was just discovered in Antarctica. And it definitely isn't an iceberg. The 'dirty iceberg' spotted by RV Polarstern in the Weddell Sea turned out to be a rocky island 130 metres long & 50 metres wide. The naming process is underway.

awi.de

Uncharted island soon to appear on nautical charts

A 93-strong international expedition team has been exploring the northwestern Weddell Sea in the Antarctic on board the Alfred Wegener Institute's icebreaker Polarstern since 8 February 2026. In this ...

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Map Myths @mapmyths.com · 27/04/2026

For #MapMonsterMonday, why not check out our new video on Abraham Ortelius' Islandia? If the sea monsters, the erupting gateway to hell, or polar bears didn't get you, at least you could quench your thirst at the spring of beer 🍺

youtu.be

The bizarre details hidden in a 16th-century map of Iceland

YouTube video by Map Myths

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Whit Durham @canebrake.bsky.social · 27/04/2026

1/3 It’s #MapMonsterMonday! Gerard Mercator’s 1569 (reprinted here 1864) sheet five of his map of the world hosts many incredible creatures that defy description. This map is held by a the University of Pittsburgh.

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Although it was realised during the 17th century that the Paraguay River did not connect with the Amazon basin, Lago de los Xarayes would appear on some maps even into the 19th century. 📖 mapmyths.com/lago-de-los-...

Map: Mar di Aethiopia vulgo Oceanus Aethiopicus (Johannes Jansson, 1650). Source: David Rumsey

Map: South America (John Grigg, 1830). Source: David Rumsey

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Relevant Spanish explorations of the Paraguay River (in search of gold) included Sebastian Cabot in the 1520s and later by Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca in 1543, who at the time was the Spanish governor of Río de la Plata, based in Asunción.

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The lake's name later became commonly associated with the Xarayes (the indigenous people who lived in the region and roughly translated to 'masters of the river') following the 1601 publication of Antonio de Herrera's chronicles of Spanish conquests in the New World.

This river is called Paranaguazu in the language of the Indians, and commonly Parana. It has its entrance and mouth on the South Sea from 35 degrees to 36 degrees high, between the capes of Santa Maria and Cabo Blanco, which from there another ten leagues wide, with many islands in between, and many very large and volumunious rivers that enter it from the east and west, up to the port of Los Reyes, which is a large lagoon called Los Xarayes, a little less than 300 leagues from the Rio de la Plata...

Source: Historia general de los hechos de los Castellanos en las Islas i Tierra firme del Mar Oceano

Map: Paraguay o Prov. De Rio De La Plata cum regionibus adiacentibus Tucuman et Sta. Cruz De la Sierra (Willem Blaeu, 1642). Source: Stanford University

Map Myths @mapmyths.com · 18/04/2026

Early explorations of the Paraguay River and the discovery of the vast Pantanal floodplain soon led to the embellishment of a vast inland sea. Initially, it went by the name of Eupana on Portuguese and other European maps.

Map: Bartolomeu Velho, 1561. Source: Istituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza

Aerial view of Pantanal Wetlands in Brazil. Source: Greenpeace

Map: America (Mercator & Hondius, 1623). Source: David Rumsey

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William Parry, who was on that 1818 voyage, returned the next year and emphatically dispelled the supposed mountains, making record progress in revealing a navigable route through the Canadian Arctic. mapmyths.com/arctic-fog/

mapmyths.com

An interactive history of Arctic exploration

Relive how the Northwest and Northeast passages were revealed through four centuries of exploration on this interactive map.

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Map Myths @mapmyths.com · 18/04/2026

He named the mountains after the First Secretary of the Admiralty, and with no further investigation or consultation with his crew he turned the ship around, despite the many protestations of his officers.