Although Both The Original And Revised Manuscripts Have Been Lost,

more than forty copies survive of a fascinating book of seafaring maps, 

illustrations from The Walters Art Museum, above map of Two Islands Santorini and Thera in the Aegean Sea North of Crete, the book was titled, Manuscript of Piri Reis’ Book of Seafaring (ca. 17th Century), born circa 1465–70, likely in Gallipoli, Piri began his life on deck sometime around 1481, in 1495, Piri and his uncle hung up their pirate hats and began serving sultan Bayezid II, assisting in military efforts during the Ottoman-Venetian war (1499–1502), two years later, Piri started making maps that were among the most accurate of their time, including a world map, only one third of which survives, above and below are a few illustrations of what at the time and even now are an incredible book,

map of the Island of Crete

map of the Islands of Mojorca and Minorca

map of Western Europe and North Africa, He commanded the 1548 reconquest of Aden, a former Ottoman territory in Yemen that had fallen under Portuguese control, and received a substantial financial reward for his victory. After a subsequent attack on Hormuz in Persia failed, Piri sailed to Cairo, where he was executed in 1554 due either to his errors at Hormuz or for “financial indiscretion”, according to Isom-Verhaaren. Words from the Kitab-ı Bahriye serve as a fitting memorial: “I have always been an eager and willing lover of the sea”, Piri wrote. “Knowledge is infinite. By no effort can its end be found.” what is left of the surviving book and its illustrations are here.