When we look at most world maps, the Mediterranean Sea appears as a barrier—a blue divide separating Europe from Africa, Christianity from Islam, the developed North from the developing South. But what if we flipped this perspective entirely?
French artist and cartographer Sabine Réthoré did exactly that with her striking 2011 work “Méditerranée sans frontières” (Mediterranean without Borders). This remarkable map, seen above, presents the Mediterranean basin from a radically different angle, one that reveals truths our conventional maps have been hiding for centuries.
The Ancient Perspective
Réthoré’s approach isn’t just artistic—it’s historically accurate.
For the ancient Romans, the Mediterranean wasn’t a barrier but a highway. They called it “Mare Nostrum” (Our Sea), and for good reason. The Roman Empire sprawled around its entire coastline, from Britain to Morocco, from Spain to Syria.
To a Roman citizen, traveling from Marseille to Alexandria was no more foreign than an American driving from New York to Los Angeles today. The sea connected, rather than separated, the civilized world.
What The Map Reveals
When viewed from Réthoré’s perspective, several fascinating patterns emerge that traditional north-up maps obscure.
The Mediterranean becomes the center, not the edge. Suddenly, we see how North Africa and Southern Europe form a natural geographic unit.
The Atlas Mountains of Morocco appear as the logical southern boundary of this Mediterranean world, while the Alps serve as its northern frontier.
Cultural Connections Across The Water
This perspective illuminates why Mediterranean cultures share so much despite being on different continents. The similar climates of southern Spain and northern Morocco, the architectural similarities between Italy and Tunisia, the culinary connections between Greece and Turkey—all make perfect sense when the sea is viewed as a unifying force.
Even today, a fisherman in Sicily has more in common with one in Tunisia than with a farmer in northern Germany. The Mediterranean creates its own cultural zone that transcends continental boundaries.
Modern Implications
Réthoré’s map challenges our modern political geography.
While today’s borders emphasize separation—with the EU creating a “Fortress Europe” mentality—history suggests the Mediterranean region functions best when connected.
Climate change, migration, and economic challenges affect the entire Mediterranean basin. Viewing it as Réthoré does—as a unified region rather than separate continents—might offer better solutions to shared problems.
A Lesson in Perspective
Maps shape how we think about the world. By reimagining the Mediterranean as a unifying sea rather than a dividing line, Réthoré’s work reminds us that geography is often a matter of perspective.
Sometimes, to understand our world better, we need to literally turn our maps another way.
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