Mosaic pavement in front of Padrão dos Descobrimentos or the Monument to the Discoveries, an iconic landmark of Lisbon, near Belem Tower. The mosaic was offered by the South African government in 1960 when the monument were completed, representing a compass with the map of the world charting the routes taken by the Portuguese explorers. On the right is a metallic representation of the esfera armilar; a mathematical model of the universe based on the Ptolemaic conception of the geocentric cosmos. It was this model that enabled navigators to explore the globe and to be guided by stars in the celestial sphere.