Mürsiyeli İbrahim

Sailor, cartographer (Date of birth and death: 15^th century, Tripoli). He was a scientist who had drawn the Mediterranean map in a suitable manner to the current map, 52 years before Piri Reis was accepted as the founder of modern cartographer by the experts. Mürseliye İbrahim, whose name is not seen in encyclopedias, is inarguably recognized by the experts to be both “founder of modern cartography” and Turkish-Islamic cartographer who shed the light for the Western World. We bear a map drawn by Mürsiyeli İbrahim who lived nearly five centuries ago. The map, which was drawn before the famous map of Piri Reis, more precisely in 1461 in Tripoli, is considered as accurate and a perfect map which complies with current standards by cartographers.

The Mediterranean map, which was drawn on a piece of gazelle, in Tripoli in 1461 by Mürsiyeli İbrahim, was designed to serve for navigation purposes. Whole Mediterranean, Aegean, and Black See as well as coastal side of Western Europe and British Isles were demonstrated on this map. This area covers among 27 degree-54 degree north latitude, 12 degree west, 42 degree east longitude. The cartographers who studied on the map stated that accuracy of this work is surprisingly correct and its preciseness particularly in the West-East direction deserves compliment. When compared to recent maps, it is seen that majority of it is similar to the maps of our age. There is, however, some degree of error in the coasts of the Sea of Azov and far surroundings (for ex., England).

However, when the map of Mürsiyeli İbrahim was compared with contemporary Mediterranean maps drawn by Europeans, it is seen that maps originated in Europe did not reach same perfectness level. It was published by Presidency for Office of Navigation Hydrography and Oceanography upon the initiatives by the Institute of Science and Technology History (1981). The original of the map is exhibited in the Deniz Museum located in Beşiktaş, Istanbul. Moreover, there are several maps which were drawn long before Mürsiyeli İbrahim’s map and were not thoroughly and scientifically examined in Topkapı Museum. There is anticipation that inspections to be carried out on these maps will reveal the success of the Turkish- Islamic world on cartography. 

   KAYNAKÇA: Dr. Doğan Uçar / “Mürsiyeli İbrahim’in 1461 Tarihli Haritası Hakkında Bir Araştırma” (Tebliğ, İTÜ - 1. Uluslararası Türk-İslam Bilim ve Teknoloji Tarihi Kongresi, 14 Eylül 1981), Abdulhakim Koçin / Çağını Aşanlar (Bilim ve Teknik, Temmuz 1991), İhsan Işık / Ünlü Bilim Adamları (Türkiye Ünlüleri Ansiklopedisi, C. 2, 2013) - Encyclopedia of Turkey’s Famous People (2013) - Resimli ve Metin Örnekli Türkiye Edebiyatçılar ve Kültür Adamları Ansiklopedisi (C. 12, 2017).