The Ebstorf World Map, a monumental mappa mundi, is completed around 1301 in the monastery of Ebstorf, Lower Saxony. It is the largest known medieval world map, depicting a T-O schematic layout with Jerusalem at the center and Asia, Europe, and Africa as the three continents. The map combines geographic, historical, biblical, and mythical elements, reflecting the medieval Christian worldview that integrated classical and theological knowledge.

The Ebstorf Map's fusion of geography, legend, and scripture mirrors the encyclopedic scope of contemporary allegorical poetry, such as Dante's 'Divine Comedy' and the 'Roman de la Rose'. It embodies the medieval poetic tradition of imagining the world as a symbolic text, where every place holds moral or spiritual significance. Its visual narrative influences later travel literature and cosmological poems, shaping how poets conceived of the known and unknown world.