Various interpretations of Heinrich Büntig's original Navel of the World map
There are two levels of influence at play in the maps above. First, ancient cartographers often positioned Jerusalem as the focal point of the known world since exploration hadn't veered far from the Fertile Crescent. Secondly, the Middle Ages saw a return to form, of sorts, when the Crusaders sought to spread their religious influence abroad. They harkened back to the idea that Jerusalem was the epicenter of the spiritual realm due to its depiction in The Bible as such.
