The Map of Piri Reis Topkapi Palace Istanbul – Chapter 3,
A Spanish sailor who had joined Christopher Columbus on his voyages fell captive to Piri Reis’s uncle Kemal Reis, and he made use of this man’s experience and knowledge in the preparation of his maps.
Listening to him tell the story of the approach to Antilles islands prompted Piri Reis to write the follow-ing on his map: ‘Columbus saw an island and they sailed to it. But when they saw huge snakes on the island he changed his mind and they went to another island. They laid down iron and slept there for seventeen days. The people of the island saw that no harm would come to them from this ship, and approached and caught fish which they brought to them. Pleased, they kept giving them glass beads in return. It happened that beads were valued on the island, and seeing the beads they began to bring more fish. One day they saw gold on the arm of a woman, which they took and gave beads in return. They told them to bring more gold and they would be given beads in its stead. So the people brought more gold because they had a gold mine in the mountains. Another day they saw one of the people with a pearl. They took it and gave him beads. Pearls were found at two fathoms on one side of the island, and from that place they cut a load of wood from the dogwood trees that grew there and took it to the Spanish Lord that year, accompanied ‘by two of the natives.” There is other interesting notes and information on the map of Piri Reis. Because the Americans are particularly interested in the map, it was taken to America in 1966 and exhibited in the Exhibition of Turkish) Art Treasures. Hundreds of thousands of people came to look at the map in its steel case. This unique map of America drawn by Piri Reis is now in Topkapi Palace Museum.
