Piri Reis, Turkish Cartographer

Who is Piri Reis?

Famous Turkish sailor and the first Turkish marine cartographer. Piri Reis was both a great sea commander who was heroic and smart in battle and one of the most important cartographers and sailor writers of his time. Starting with his days of piracy, he systematically wrote down his observations. Works he produced written by using the material he found on marine cartography and marine geography and the maps he produced have a distinguished place in history of science. The world map he charted was printed by the Turkish Historical Institution in 1935. This map was presented by Piri Reis to Yavuz Sultan Selim in Egypt in 1517.

"Map of Piri Reis"

Drawn on leather by famous Ottoman sailor, geographer and mapdrawer Piri Reis (1457-1555) in 1513 with realistic additional information on the Atlantic Ocean, Africa and America. Kitab-ı Bahriye (Book of the Seas) (1521) by Piri Reis includes many maps very similar to modern maps. (Topkapı Palace Museum)