I think that the border is cool, but I agree that it distracts from the map, and I don't like that it covers up so much of the map edge. So, in a choice between the two, I would pick no border. But I would have liked a third option with the border pushed out to the outside edge of the map and made smaller.

The smaller version instead of the original:
The_Sunken_Pyramid_CurrentBorder copy.png