PiriReis T
PiriReis T
PiriReis T
by
Prof. Dr. Afetinan
Translated
by:
Dr. Leman Yolag
T A B I H K U R U M U B A S I M E V I A N K A R A
1 9 5 4
A. portion from the map drawn by Toscanelli. (De la Ranci£re).
CONTENTS
« * #
INTRODUCTION
Along with this map he arranged his notes for the book
"Bahriye" which later turned out to be a kind of guide book
on navigation. In 1516—1517 Piri was given command of
several vessels taking part in the Ottoman campaign against
Egypt. Under the command of Cafer Bey the fleet took Ale-
xandria. With a part of this fleet Piri sailed to Cairo through
the Nile, and later drew a map and gave detailed information
about this area, too.
After Egypt was joined to the growing Empire, Piri had
a chance of making the personal acquaintance of the ruling
sovereign, Yavuz Selim; during the battle of Alexandria. He
presented the map he had previously drawn to the Sultan.
After the Egyptian campaign, during a period of relaxation
at Gelibolu, he put his notes on "Bahriye" into book form.
The reign of Suleyman the Magnificent, who ascended
the throne in 1520, is a history of successive victories. Piri's
taking part in the Turkish fleet going to the campaign on
Rhodes in 1523 is to be regarded as only natural.
Piri commemorates the royal command of Sultan Suley-
man to him to act as a guide to Pargah Ibrahim Pa§a, the
Chief Vizir, in verse (pp. 549-550).
Piri Reis' first map of the world. The shaded part is the portion we
now have, the rest shows the missing parts of it. The dotted region
in the north is of the North American area from the
second map of the world.
says that once on those shores he and Kemal Reis took, at a
single engagement at sea, seven Spanish vessels (Bahriye, p.
596). We have already noted how he refers to the "Antilia"
and the natives of the Antilles.
In one of the marginal notes on the map Piri mentions
a Spaniard who had taken part in three of Columbus 2
26.
the pictures. They are all written in Turkish, and can also be
found in his book "Bahriye".
You can follow the entry-notes beginning from the
north-west corner, turning southward, then proceeding along
the perimeter, and finally continuing in a winding fashion
towards the center.
Reading some of the notes is really difficult. The map
is transcribed by experts as follows :
I — There is a kind of red dye called vakami, that you
do not observe) at first, because it is at a distance . . . the
mountains contain rich ores . . . . There some of the fheep
have silken wool.
II. — This country is inhabited. The entire population
goes naked.
III. — This region is known as the vilayet of Antilia. It
is on the side where the sun sets. They say that there are four
kinds of parrots, white, red, green and black. The people eat
the flesh of parrots and their headdress is made entirely of
parrots' feathers. There is a stone here. It resembles black
touchstone. The people use it intead of the ax. That it is very
hard... (illegible).jpe saw that stone.
Note: Piri Reis writes in the "Bahriye": 'In the enemy
ships which we captured in the Mediterranean, we found a
headdress made of these parrot feathers, and also a stone resem-
bling touchstone."
IV. — This map was drawn by Piri Ibn Haji Mehmed,
known as the nephew of Kemal Reis, in Gallipoli, in the month
of muharrem of the year 919 (that is, between the 9th of March
and the 7th of April of the year 1513).
V. — This section tells how these shores and also these
islands were found.
These coasts are named the shores of Antilia. They were
discovered in the year 896 of the Arab calendar. But it is re-
29
females shot hand arrows. The tips of these arrows were made
of fishbones, and the whole population went naked and also
very... (illegible). Seeing that they could not land on that
that island; they crossed to the other side of the island, they
saw a boat. On seeing them; the boat fled and they (the people
in the boat) dashed out on land. They (the Spaniards) took
the boat. They saw that inside of it there was human flesh.
It happened that these people were of that nation which went
from island to island hunting men and eating them. They said
Colombo saw yet another island, they neared it, they saw that
on that island there were great snakes. They avoided landing
on this island and remained there seventeen days. The people
of this island saw that no harm came to them from this boat,
they caught fish and brought it to them in their small ship's
boat (filika). These (Spaniards) were pleased and gave them
glass beads. It appears that he (Colombus) had read - in the
book that in that region glass beads were valued. Seeing the
beads, they brought still more fish. These (Spaniards) always
gave them glass beads. One day they saw gold around the
arm of a woman, they took the gold and gave her beads. They
said to them, to bring more gold, we will give you more beads,
(they said). They went and broght them much gold. It appe-
ars that in their mountains there were gold mines. One day,
also, they saw pearls in the hands of one person. They saw
that when; they gave beads, many more pearls were brought to
them. Pearls were found on the shore of this island, in a spot
one or two fathoms deep. And also loading their ship with
many logwood trees and taking two natives along, they carried
them within that year to the Bey of Spain. But the said Colombo,
not knowing the language of these people, they traded by
sings, and after this trip the Bey of Spain sent priests and barley,
taught the natives how to sow and reap and converted them
to his own religion. They had no religion of any sort. They
walked naked and lay there like animals, Now these regions
31
have been opened to all and have beco-me famous. The names
which mark the places on the said islands and coasts were
given by Colombo, that these places may be known by them.
And also Colombo was a great astronomer. The coasts and
island on this map are taken from Colombo's map.
VI — This section shows in what way this map was
drawn. In this century there is no map like this map in any-
one's possession. The — hand of this poor man has drawn it
and now it is constructed. From about twenty charts and
Mappae Mundi —these are charts drawn in the days of Ale-
xander, Lord of the Two Horns, which show the inhabited
quarter of the world; the Arabs name these charts Jaferiye-—
from eight Jaferiyes of that kind and one Arabic map of Hind,
and from the maps just drawn by four Portuguese which show
the countries of Hind, Sind and China geometrically drawn,
and also from a map drawny by Colombo in the western
region I have extracted it. By reducing all these maps to one
scale this final forai was arrived at. So that the present map
is as correct and reliable for the Seven Seas as the map of these
our countries is considered correct and reliable by seamen.
VII. — It is related by the Portuguese infidel that in
this spot night and day are at their shortest of two hours, at
their longest of twenty two hours. But the day is very warm
and in the night there is much dew.
VIII. — On the may to the vilayet of Hind a Portuguese
ship encountered a contrary wind (blowing) from the shore.
The wind from the shore. .. (illegible) it (the ship) After being
driven by a storn in a southern direction they saw a shore
opposite them they advanced towards it (illegible) They saw
that these places are good anchorages. They threw anchor
and went to the shore in boats. They saw people walking, all
of them naked. But they shot arrows, their tips made of fish-
bone. They stayed there eight days. They traded with these
32
people by signs. That barge saw these lands and wrote about
them which... The said barge without going to Hind, returned
to Portugal, where, upon arrival it gave information. . . They
They described these shores in detail. . . They have discovered
them.
IX. -— And in this country it seems that there are white-
haired monsters in this shape, and also six-horned oxen. The
The Portuguese infidels have written it in their maps.. .
X. — This country is a waste. Everything is in ruin and
it is said that large snakes are found here. For this reason the
Portuguese infidels did not land on these shores and these are
also said to be very hot.
XI. — And these four ships are Portuguese ships. Their
shape is written down. They travelled from the western land
to the point of Abyssinia (Habesh) in order to reach India.
They said towards Shuluk. YThe distance across this gulf is
4200 miles.
XII.— on this shore a tower
is however
in this climate gold
taking a rope
is said they measured
(Not: The fact that half of each of these lines is missing
is the clearest proof of the map's having been torn in two.)
XIII. — And a Genoese kiike coming from Flanders was
caught in a storm. Impelled by the storm it came upon these
islands, and in this manner these islands became known.
XIV. — It is said that in ancient times a priest by the
name of Sanvolrandan (Santo Brandan) travelled on the Seven
Seas, so they say. The above-mentioned landed on this fish.
They thought it dry land and lit a fire upon this fish,
when the fish's back began to burn it plunged into the sea,
33
they reembarked in their boats and fled to the ship. This event
is not mentioned by the Portuguese infidels. In is taken from
the ancient Mappae Mundi.
XV. — To these small islands they have given the name
of Undizi Vergine. That is to say the Eleven Virgins.
XVI. — And this island they call the Island of Antilia.
There are many monsters and parrots and much logwood.
It is not inhabited.
XVII. — This barge was driven upon these shores by
a storm and remained where it fell... Its name vas Nicola di
Giuvan. On his map it is written that these rivers which can
be seen have for the most part gold (in their beds). when the
water had gone they collected much gold (dust) from the
sand. On their map. . .
XVIII. — This is the barge from Portugal which enco-
untered a storm and came to this land. The details are written
on the edge of this map.
(Note: See VIII.)
XIX. — The Portuguese infidels do not go west of here.
All that side belongs entirely to Spain. They have made an
agreement that (a line) two thousand miles to the western
side of the Strait of Gibraltar should be taken as a boundary.
The Portuguese do not cross to that side but the Hind side
and the southern side belong to the Portuguese.
XX. — And this caravel having encountered a storm was
driven upon this island. Its name was Nicola Giuvan. And
on this island there are many oxen with one horn. For this
reason they call this island Isle de Vacca, which menas, Ox
Island.
XXI. --• The admiral of this caravel is named Messir
Anton the Genoese, but he grew up in Portugal. One day the
above-mentioned caravel encountered a storm, it was driven
upon this island. He found much ginger here land has written
about these islands.
34
Close studies here confirm the idea that the map posses-
ses all the important information that was on the map of C.
Columbus drawn and sent to Europe in 1498 and also on the
map of Toscanelli that Columbus had in hand when he first
ventured out on his voyages. This part of the map contains
many imaginary islands with a picture of a parrot on each.
The island of Trinidad is written as "Kalerot", which probably
is derived from a cape on this island which Columbus called
"Galera". Porto Rico is named here San Juan Batichdo, and
on its eastern coast is drawn the. picture of a fortress. There is,
however, another island to the west of Trinidad, again with
a picture of a parrot near which is written San Juan Batichdo.
Drawing various islands on the South American coast oppo-
site Trinidad shows the influence of Colombus, who believed
this newly discovered continent to be a group of islands. This is
to be observed also on the island of Haiti, called by Columbus
Hispanyola, and by Piri the Island of Spain: instead of showing
it extending from the east to the west, as it does, he shows it
extending from the north to the south, which proves that Co-
lumbus took this island to be Zipang, i.e. Japan as Marco Polo
calls it and in accordance with Marco Polo's descriptions of
it, the island is given this mistaken position.
The real Antilles are shown on the map not as islands,
but as C. Columbus believed it to be, as a continent. Hence
Piri calls Central America "the County of Antilia", and the
North American coast "the coast of Antilia". It is true that
at a certain spot quite near the North American coast there
is marked an island called the Antilia, but evidently that stood
for the legendary island popularly regarded as fabulously wealthy
and prosperous at the time when Columbus first started on
his voyages. It is to be noted, however, that beside the island
is a note that states that, contrary to the common fallacy, the
; island is not prosperous. Cuba, too, is shown as a continent
'•in accordance with Columbus' firm belief. So confident was
38-
The map of the world drawn by Waldseemiiller, bearing the date 1507.
Scattered about the map are some other entries which
also enlighten us about various details in the discoveries.
Beside the picture of a ship near the Azores is written that this
Genoese vessel came from Flanders, was shipwrecked, and
that the survivors discovered these islands. From another entry
we learn that the sea there is the Western Sea, but the Euro-
peans call it the Spanish Sea, and after the discoveries of Co-
lumbus' the name is changed to Ovasana, i.e. "Osean".
By a picture near the island of Santiano is a note stating'
that the names of these places were found and given by a
Genoese sailor brought up in Portugal. In another entry close
to the picture of a ship drawn near the South American coast
he summarizes all the information given in a map by Nikola
di Juan who was shipwrecked there. In one of the notes on
the Atlantic Ocean he mentions the treaty of "Tordesillas"
1599, and a certain line that divides the Spanish and the Por-
tuguese possessions.
Towards the north, on the map is a picture of a fish on
which is drawn a woman and a man making a fire, nearby is
another ship and three people in a boat. This is the story of
Santa Brandon which was very popular in the middle ages,
and was recorded in the "thousand and one night" stories.
But Piri does not neglect to add that the legend comes down
not from the Portuguese but from the old Mappa Mundi. This-
shows that the Turkish geographer made use of many sources
and did not neglect the latest information nearest to his age,,
and that he was very careful about his bibliography.
From various kinds of research work done on the
map we conclude that compared with the other maps of the
period, Piri's is the most perfect and original. It will interest
the Americans as one of the oldest maps of their country, and
we Turks will always be proud that the author of the maps
was one of us.
42.
Fifteen years after this first map, Piri Rcis drew a second
•one, again at Gelibolu. Like the previous one it bears his sig-
nature. Unfortunately to-day we have only a small portion
•of it i.e. a small portion of the western hemisphere. It is 68/69
centimeters in size. Ornamental figures are drawn in the
margins and most of it is in COIQUI".
_\ part of the second map of the world drawn by Piri Reis, showing
North America, and dated 1528 (Arabic 935).
- , 43
T353
Sailors in the 16th Century, in crossing the Atlantic Ocean from the
coasts of Europe and Africa used to take advantage of the trade winds
and the gulf streams. In this map the latter are shown with pointed
arrows indicating the direction taken.
A galleon
The mosque called " Agalar Camisi " at the Palace of Topkapi
where these historical maps are kept.
49
The date of this portulano known as the "La Cosa Map" is 1500. La Cosa
was (he most noted cartographer and sea-man of this period. He parti-
cipated in the first voyage of Columbus and served as official cartographer
on the second. The map we now have is based upon his own observations.
The most important points to be noted here are the line of the equator
and the Meridians which are drawn in conformity with the Tordesillas
agreement (1494). There arc illustrations on some parts of Europe and
Africa, but not on America. Only in the north the British and in the south
the Castillian flags are to be observed. The distances between the contin-
ents on the maps, especially when compared with Pin Reis' prove to be
very inaccurate.
-51
On the other hand there are some who claim that the
name of America was adopted because the natives of
Nicaragua called a part of their land "America". It is true
that in the first half of the XVI th century this new
continent diew the attention of geographers, and that resul-
ted in various maps being drawn cf it. Piri Rcis was one
of these cartographers. Hence, a comparison of his works
with some other contemporary maps drawn between 1507-
1550 will reveal to us the gieatnes of Piri maps as historical
documents in the discovery of America.
The map of the world known as Gloreanus', drawn in 1510. (At Bonn
Library). Though the book that contains a re-print of the map ascertains
the date to be 1510, the matter can bear further scholarship for
confirmation.
52.
Jean Severs' map, showing a part of Europe and Africa with another
part of South America. It is believed to be published in 1514 at Leyd. When
compared with Piri's^even a casual glimpse shows the great errors in the
drawing of America and especially in the distance between the two con-
tinents There is hardly any line dividing Central and North Americas,
nor does it have the usual explanatory notes of a portulano on it. The coast-
line of Europe and Western Africa, however, are drawn with greater ac-
curacy. The wind-roses are shown here with arrows to the north.
"I
-53
Map of the world, attributed to Lopa Hamen, dated 1519. The round-
ness of the earth is indicated here by the circular frame. Although at many
points on Asia and Africa he is quite incorrect his greatest error lies par
ticularly in the coastline of the north-east regions of America. South Ame-
rica looks quite similar to that of the map on the preceding page. A closer
study will reveal to us the inaccuracy in the distance between the two
continent?.
Furthermore, there is shown a continent joining Asia and America in the
North Pole. Though Piri had made the same mistake in his first map in
1513, he corrected it in the later book dated 1521. This is a contempo
rary map of the world, but little does it tell us of America.
54.
Conclusion
1521 Version
1- Istanbul. The Library of the Treasury Department, Top-
kapi Palace. No : 575
2- Istanbul. Topkapi Palace Library. No : 333
3- Istanbul. Nuruosmaniye Library. No : 2290.
4- Istanbul. Nuruosmaniye Library. No : 2292 Date : 1628
5- Istanbul. Kopriilii Library. No : 172. (No date)
6,7- Istanbul. Library of the Naval Museum. No : 59, 50
(2 copies).
8- Dresden. Date of copy : 1544 (Arabic : 961). Part of it was
published in 1926 by Paul Kahle.
9-90 Bologne. No : 3612-3613. Only one has a date : 9574
(A. 982)
ri- Berlin. Prof. Martman. 1644 (A. 1050)
12- Berlin. State Library.
; . . 61