What is the mystery of the Piri Reis map?

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

We are talking about the geographical maps of the world, created in 1513. They were drawn by the Turkish admiral Piri Reis. The maps were found in 1929, have been studied a lot since then, and they raise more questions than answers. And it makes you rethink history - is it true what we know about the discovery of America and Antarctica? Most likely, the Europeans knew much more about the southern and western parts of the Earth than modern science claims.

The author of the mysterious map, Admiral Piri Reis

The map itself consists of patches of skin, therefore the exhibit is called in the plural - "maps". They still exist, are kept under the protection of the Turkish police and are rarely exhibited as an exhibit.

Equator

In the map, the Earth's equator is measured with an accuracy of about 100 km. And the length of the equator, let me remind you, is 40 thousand km. Where in 1513 was it possible to draw and calculate the equator so accurately? Let me remind you that Magellan traveled around the world only in 1519 and even then did not make any maps. And all the details were known.

Piri Reis claims to have compiled his maps based on the works of other cartographers. And some of the maps that he used belong to the era of Alexander the Great (IV century BC). That is, he took all such accurate information from ancient manuscripts. So people used to know more and just a lot of knowledge has been lost?

North and South America

As is known from geography textbooks, Columbus discovered America in 1492. It sounds pretentious "discovered America"! In fact, in 1492, he first encountered the Caribbean Islands. After 10 years, he visited South America. As you understand, during this time he could not draw up any detailed maps, he did not even know what these continents were.

Compare South America's Coastline - Amazing Accuracy!

Imagine, in complete darkness, you entered a large hall, in which objects are scattered, there is furniture, somewhere in the distance you can hear the sounds of a melody. And you groped the edge of the table with the tablecloth. Can you quickly recreate the exact floor plan for these subjects? Not! And Admiral Piri Reis could. And this is the first riddle of the map.

The map shows both Americas, where the coastline of the North and South part is drawn in detail. The rivers and the Andes are marked there. According to official science, the Andes was discovered only in the middle of the 16th century. How then did the Turkish admiral know so much about them?

And he himself does not ascribe any merit. According to Piri Reis, Columbus already knew exactly where he was sailing. Supposedly he had a book in which all this was written!

Antarctica

This fact causes the most controversy among scientists. The fact is that Antarctica is well traced on the Piri Reis maps, which, according to official science, people discovered only in 1820. Because it was physically impossible to sail there earlier with the level of shipbuilding at that time!

Where, then, are such details on the Piri Reis map, where the Palmer Peninsula, Princess Martha Coast, Queen Maud Land are drawn? This coast was discovered on January 28, 1820 by the Russian naval expedition of Bellingshausen and Lazarev.

Piri Reis, of course, is great, but our heroes Bellingshausen and Lazarev showed Antarctica to the modern world.

And here is an excerpt from the conclusion of the US intelligence on July 6, 1960, which studied the Piri Reis map at the request of one of the American professors. They acknowledged that the coast of Antarctica was accurately traced and added:

“We have no idea how the data on this map might correlate with the estimated level of geographic knowledge in 1513.

Harold Z. Olmeer, Lieutenant Colonel, Commander, 8th Reconnaissance Squadron, US Air Force"

So far, the only explanation for this phenomenon by scientists says: the maps of Antarctica were compiled in ancient times, when there was still no ice. One of the ancient seafaring peoples. These ancient documents were used by Piri Reis, and now they are lost.

However, skeptics argue that Piri Reis could not paint Antarctica at all. After all, he also has serious shortcomings in the continuation of the coastline and he "did not notice" the strait between South America and Antarctica.

Perhaps so, but all these facts are already quite enough to subject the entire world history to a serious reevaluation in the era of major geographical discoveries. Judging by this map, people were aware of the geography of our planet long before Columbus and Magellan. Rather, they are performers who followed the work of previous generations.