History

The name of our association has been derived from a famous historical figure, the well known Ottoman admiral and cartographer Piri Reis. Born in Gallipoli on the Aegean cost of Turkey, he lived in the years between 1465 and 1554 and served in the Ottoman navy. His great fame accrues to his outstanding qualities as admiral, his countless journeys to several continents and even more so to his astonishing skills as a cartographer. Having access to the imperial library in Istanbul, due to his high rank in the Ottoman navy, and having accumulated great knowledge through his own journeys, he was considered as one of the greatest scientist in the field of geography in the 16th century. Today he is known for his ingenious maps, which, drawn with such great precision, still manage to baffle the scientists of our time. Among these, one map drawn on gazelle leather still holds many unsolved mysteries. It is known as the “Piri Reis World Map”.

The map was found during renovations of the Topkapi palace in Istanbul on the 9th of November, 1929, with the half of this map missing. The (inscriptions) found on the map suggest that Piri Reis had drawn several references for aid in creating this map that has no parallels. Some of the references are even dating back to 300 B.C and also the lost maps of Christopher Columbus have been included in this one map.

The map shows in amazing detail the North coast of Antarctica, the West coast of Africa and the East coast of South America. It is surprising that the north coast of Antarctica has been drawn with incredible accuracy. An even more interesting point is that the surface of the North coast of this continent should not have been visible as it has been covered with ice since 4000 B.C. Only with the help of the USA military’s sonar resources, could the incredible accuracy of the map be confirmed. This means that seeing the same lines that Piri Reis drew is only possible with modern technology. More surprising is the fact that according to official data, the continent of Antarctica was discovered more than 3 centuries later.

In addition, it is evident that the source maps the cartographer used in compiling his own map described the world as a globe. How did Piri Reis acquire such information? This unanswered question brings up speculation that some of his sources are from a lost and very advanced civilisation. Some even speak suggest that this civilization could have been the lost Atlantis. These mysteries are still to be uncovered.

According to scientists, the Ottoman sultan, Yavuz Selim, when first presented Piri Reis’s world map in 1517, expressed his amazement with the words: “How small the world is...” With this exclamation, he divided the map into two parts, which is the reason why only the Western part has been preserved. The fate of the Eastern part of the map is yet unknown.

The reason for adopting the name “Piri” for our student association accrues to each of our member’s exploring nature, which is in line with the concept of cartography and the countless journeys of Piri Reis. We strive to overcome cultural differences and barriers for the benefit of many. We seek to broaden our horizon and acknowledge, as stated by the sultan, that the world is small, indeed. Hence, by encouraging every member to see the world from more than one angle and through creating the right environment for everyone to embrace their inherent potentials to the fullest, Piri Network provides its members the opportunity to put themselves on the map.