Mapping Palestine: Erasure and Unerasure

Abstract

British Mandate maps of Palestine from the 1940s depict a territory that has since been transformed almost beyond recognition, making them an important historical, cultural and political artefact in the context of the present day Palestinian/Israeli conflict. This article notes the colonial purposes for which these maps were created, and yet how they offer a uniquely detailed record of a Palestinian geography that has been systematically erased. In this context, the article describes the genesis of the online platform Palestine Open Maps, which seeks to make the maps freely available and accessible to a general audience.

Topics & Concepts