Ottoman Admiral Piri Reis designed his nautical chart based on a body of knowledge that was already widely disseminated in the Mediterranean and on new information brought back by Portuguese navigators. This article presents the sources used to make the Piri Reis map, thoroughly quoted against other charts of its time, and reveals certain aspects of Portuguese mapmaking practices in the 16th century.
Nautical charts; Portolan maps; 16th century; Coastal Surveying Expeditions; Piri Reis; Toponymy