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THE WORLD MAP OF PİRİ REİS (1513) This is the only extant fragment of the world map made in 1513 by Piri Reis, the renowned Turkish navigator, geographer and cartographer. Drawn in colours on an antelope leather, the map measures 90x65 centimeters. It shows the South-West end of Europe, the North-West of Africa, the coasts of the South and Central America and the Atlantic Ocean. The annotations in the margin refer to the methods Piri Reis employed when drawing the map, the books he consulted and his comments on the regions he mapped. This map is an original work which shows the Old World and the New World together. The map proves the extraordinary talent the Turkish scientists displayed in geography and cartography in early 16th century as well as the exceptional position they held within the frontiers of civilization in the same period. Currently stored in the Archives Department of the Museum of Topkapı Palace, Piri Reis’s map is recognized to be a valuable piece of work considering its date of production, accuracy, and drawing methods.
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