One of the greatest figures of the his time and indeed ahead of his time Piri Reis led an eventful life as scholar and man of action. He appears on the stage of history in numerous guises as pirate chief explorer admiral of the Ottoman Egyptian Fleet the founder of scientific Turkish map making and master of navigation. Five hundred years on his writings about the science of navigation the ports and harbours of the Mediterranean the exploratory voyages of his day and struggle for naval supremacy are fascinating for the general reader today and a source of valuable information for researchers.