Compiled by cartographers Stephan Hormes and Silke Peust, The Atlas Of True Names is a collection of maps that displays the original meanings of places around the world.
For example, instead of seeing the name ‘Sahara’ over the desert, the Atlas displays the name “The Tawny One”, derived from Arab. es-sahra “the fawn colored, desert”.
Great Britain would translate to “Great Land of the Tatooed”, after the people who lived there, while the Seine’s translation “The Gentle One” references the character of its water.
The Atlas Of True Names hopes to “restore an element of enchantment to the world we all think we know so well”, allowing us to see the world in a new way.
Besides a world map, the duo has also produced maps of the United States, Canada, Europe and the British Isles for purchase.
[Atlas Of True Names, via io9]