Piri Reis: Ottoman Navigator, Admiral, and Master Cartographer

Piri Reis was a renowned Ottoman admiral, navigator, and cartographer born in Gelibolu. Serving alongside his uncle Kemal Reis, he accumulated extensive naval experience across the Mediterranean. He gained lasting fame for his detailed 1513 world map—which incorporated advanced geographical knowledge of the Americas—and his comprehensive navigation guide, *Kitab-i Bahriye*. Later appointed admiral of the Ottoman Indian Ocean fleet, he commanded campaigns against Portuguese forces in the Red Sea and Persian Gulf. Following an unsuccessful siege at Hormuz and a tactical retreat, he was executed in Cairo in 1553 under imperial authority.

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