Kitâb-ı Bahriye: Piri Reis's Book on Navigation

Piri Reis (c. 1470–1554) was a Turkish admiral of the Ottoman fleet and an esteemed cartographer
He dedicated one of his main works, a manual on seafaring in the Mediterranean, to Sultan Süleyman I (ca. 1494/96–1566)
This beautiful copy from ca. 1553–1600 comprises 215 artistic, gold-decorated maps

Kitâb-ı Bahriye: Piri Reis's Book on Navigation

Ms. H. 642 Topkapı Sarayı (Istanbul, Turkey)

Description

Kitâb-ı Bahriye: Piri Reis's Book on Navigation

The Kitâb-ı Bahriye: Piri Reis's Book on Navigation is probably one of the most beautiful examples of Ottoman cartography. The ornate copy of the esteemed manual on seafaring in the Mediterranean, which is now kept in the Topkapı Sarayı in Istanbul, was produced in the second half of the 16th century and contains 215 multi-colored maps of the entire Mediterranean region. While the detailed coastlines shine in gold, the rivers stand out in black. Countless small illuminations of settlements and ships enliven the often almost minimalist-looking maps. The admiral of the Ottoman fleet and cartographer Piri Reis (ca. 1470-1554) originally dedicated his cartographic masterpiece, which he completed in 1521, to Sultan Süleyman I (ca. 1494/96-1566). Not long afterwards, the Grand Vizier Ibrahim Pasha (ca. 1493-1536) commissioned him to expand and revise the handbook. This version was the basis for the present manuscript.

Codicology

Alternative Titles: Kitâb-ı Bahriye: Piri Reis' Buch der Seefahrt
Pîrî Reis. Kitab-ı Bahriye. 1 & 2.
Kitab-ı Bahriyye: Piri Reis's Book on Navigation
كتاب بحرية
Kitab-ı Bahriye
Kitab-ül Bəhriyyə
Book of the Sea
Type: Manuscript on paper
Size / Format: 842 pages / 32.0 × 22.0 cm
Origin: Turkey
Date: 1553–1600
Epochs: Late Middle Ages Onwards
Style: Islamic / Oriental
Genre: Geography / Maps
Language: Turkish
Script: Naskh
Illustrations: Lavish gold decoration and countless small illuminations of settlements and ships
Content: 215 maps
Artist / School: Pîrî Reis (ca. 1470–1553) (cartographer)

Available facsimile editions:

Facsimile Editions

#1 Kitab-ı Bahriyye

Limited Edition: 2000 copies

Binding: Brown leather with gold tooling

Commentary: 1 volume (446 pp.)
Language: Turkish, English

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#2 Pîrî Reis. Kitab-ı Bahriye

Binding: Grey leather with gold tooling

Commentary: 1 volume
Language: Turkish, English

4 volumes: Exact reproduction of the original document (extent, color and size) Reproduction of the entire original document as detailed as possible (scope, format, colors). The binding may not correspond to the original or current document binding.

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Kitâb-ı Bahriye: Piri Reis's Book on Navigation