Volume : 19 Issue: 1

Piri Reis’s Map (The First World Map)

Piri Reis’s map is one of the oldest maps which reached our times illusturating the continent of America. It was drawn by Ottoman Admiral Piri Reis in 1513 and depicts western shores of Europe and Africa and eastern shores of South America. It is a valuable historical document demonstrating geographical knowledge of 16th century European and Muslim seamen. It was prepared by combining 20 maps including a map which belonged to Christopher Colombus.

This text is about the first map of Piri Reis, who drew a second map illusturating America in 1528.

The side notes on the map mentions that this map was a combination of approximately 20 maps including some maps obtained from Spanish and Portugese ships captured in the Mediterrenean sea. Among other maps there were 8 “Caferiye,” 4 Portugese, an Arabic map illusturating South Asia, and an American map, which belonged to Christopher Columbus. Caferiye maps were copied during Abbasi Caliphate Me’mun and belong to times of Great Alexander.

To report the source of Middle America as Christopher Columbus on Piri Reis’s map the following was written on the side of map by a handwriting diffirent than Piri Reis’s one: “These names were given to the mentioned islands and shores by Columbus, so that they are known. Columbus was a grand astrologer. These shores and islands depicted in Middle America were written from Columbus’s map.”

Piri Reis’s map is a historical document, which brought together all geographical knowledge on 20 maps with correct and false data at that time. Should one consider that some of these maps were enemy secrets and side notes included statements from Spanish and Portegese prisoners of war, at the same time the map is a valuable maritime intelligence work. The ability to collect all these material in one hand could be seen as an indicator of military power of Ottoman Navy in 16th century.

Source: Wikipedia Piri Reis' Map (İlk Dünya Haritası) item.

http://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piri_Reis'in_Haritas%C4%B1_(%C4%B0lk_D%C3%BCnya_Haritas%C4%B1 ) .

Piri Reis was the Admiral in Ottoman Navy overseeing the Red and Oman Seas during his last official duty. Besides commanding the navy he was involved in maritime sciences of the time, as well. This map and his book named “Bahriye” (Maritime Sciences) clearly demonsterates his knowledge and skills about maritime sciences of the time. In addition to describing and classifying the Mediterrenean sea and cities and countries located on the shores of it at that time, “Bahriye” also contains significant knowledge about navigation and seamanship.

Piri Reis drew his map in 1513 in the city of Gelipoli and personally presented it to Sultan Selim I, the conquerar of Egypt, in 1517 in Egypt.

The map was drawn in color on parchment paper carefully. The part of map we have in hand today is a section of a world map. The careful examiners would notice the side notes on the east site of the map were cut in the middle. One can deduce from this that the whole map had also illusturated the known parts of the world at that time (i.e. Europe, Asia, Afrika, and discovered parts of America).
Unfortunately, we only have a part in hand of this very important map. We would have had a perfect map in Turkish, drawn in 1513 illusturating the old and new world together, if the other parts were not cut and lost. As the voyages of Christopher Columbus occurred in the end of 15th and beginning of 16th centuries (he returned from his forth voyage in 1504), the map, which was drawn within few years of new discoveries, would have been one of first maps showing all continents of world together.

(Source: Turkish History Association web site: http://www.ttk.org.tr/index.php?Page=Sayfa&No=82 )
 

Volume : 19 Issue: 2

Ibn Sina (also known as Avicenna), who was called to treat a relative of old Gurgan emperor Qabus Vesmgir, saw a young man with a handsome face and appropriate extremities. The patient was emaciated and needed to shave. Ibn Sina sat and felt his pulse and checked his urine. Then he requested someone, who knew the names of all sections in Gurgan and surrounding areas. They found and brought such a man. Ebu Ali (Ibn Sina) asked the man to call the names of sections of Gurgan, while he was feeling pulse of the patient.

The pulse of patient showed an unusual change when the name of a particular section was called. Ibn Sina asked the caller to name the streets in that section. The unusual pulse change repeated when the name of a street was called. Then he requested someone, who knew all the families lived in that street. A man was identified and brought. When a certain family name was called, the same unusual pulse change occurred again. Ebu Ali asked for a man, who knew all the names in that family. They brought the man and he started to speak up the names of all family members. The same unusual pulse change repeated during pronounciation of a name. Ibn Sina turned to staff of Emperor Qabus and said: “ This young man had been in love with this girl, who lived in this street, and in this section of city. Marrying to her was his medicine and seeing her would have made him feel better.” The patient was listening to, he covered his face because of emberassment, the staff realized the issue was as Ebu Ali described.

Emporer Qabus was suprised when they reported the situation to him. He asked his staff to bring Master Ebu Ali. Emporer recognized him, as he was sent a picture of Ibn Sina by Sultan Yeminüddevle. The emperor came down from his throne and welcomed and hugged him. They sat on a carpet in front of the throne.

Emperor complimented Ibn Sina and said: “Dear supreme and magnificient philosopher tell me feature of this treatment!” After checking the pulse and urine I thought the condition was love sickness and it reached this degree because he did not share the problem with anyone else. If I had asked him, he would have not told the truth. I placed my fingers on his pulse. They called the names of sections, when the section of the loved one was called his pulse changed, that meant the loved one was from that section. I ordered the names of streets to be called, I noted name of the street, where the loved one resided. I ordered the family names residing in that street to be called. When family name of his loved one was called his pulse changed again. Then I ordered all individual names in that family to be called. When he heard the name of his love, he changed and become upset. I noticed and told him, he could not deny and admitted the truth. Qabus felt very good and surprised. The suprise was deserved. Later he said: “Dear Supreme Sir, both the patient and his loved one were son and daughter of my sisters. Determine a good time to conduct their marriage ceromony.” Master Ebu Ali determined a time, ceromony was carried out and the patient married to his sweetheart. The patient recovered from an illness that almost killed him. Ibn Sina treated a love sickness case successfully.

(Translated from text of Gökay F.K, titled “Place of Ibn-i Sina in Turkish and World Medical Literature” by A. Dalkilic, MD).
 

Volume : 19 Issue: 3

Şerefeddin Sabuncuoğlu (1386-1470) THE PHYSICIAN OF SULTANS

Şerafeddin Sabuncuoglu, who made serious contributions to medical world and lived during Sultan Mehmet, The Conqueror around Amasya, is a global Turkish physician. Prof. Dr. Süheyl Ünver discovered the first handwritten book about this valuable scientist named “Cerrahiyyetü’l Haniyye (Imperial Surgery).” In 1992 Prof. Ilter Uzel published this book in contemporary Turkish with the same name.

Şerefeddin Sabuncuoğlu practiced surgery, dentistry, pharmacology, similar medical fields. His work in psychiatry was not known until 1996. Associate Professor Osman Sabuncuoglu showed first time to the whole world by having the miniature drawing copied from “Cerrahiyyetü’l Haniyye” published as cover picture in worlwide known the American Journal of Psychiatry in 1996 volume 163, December Issue. The same miniature is on the cover of this issue of our journal and we are thakful to Dr. Osman Sabuncuoglu for sharing it with us.

The history of modern psychiatry started about 200 years ago. However, Şerefeddin Sabuncuoğlu described psychiatric treatments in his hand written book 500 years ago. In “Cerrahiyyetü’l Haniyye”, Sabuncuoglu mentions “Mâl-i Hülya (Tendency to Fancy)”, a psychiatric presentation which means “fears, obsessions, and depression” in today’s psychiatry. He also explains with pictures how to treat this condition by holding a warmed iron rod close to the head of patient.

In addition Şerefeddin Sabuncuoğlu’s approach to patients were based on completely humanistic and avoiding harm principles even at that time. Today these patients are first prescribed medications and ECT was used in treatment resistant cases, as he recommended in his book.

Another significant point is that during a period, when Arabic and Persian languages were dominant, “Cerrahiyyetü’l Haniyye,” has a special importance as a Turkish book in medical history. Despite he knew Greek, Arabic, and Persian, he mentioned “I preferred to write this book in Turkish perposefully, as all physicians in Anatolia know Turkish.”

In conclusion, we think this valuable physician made significant contributions to psychiatry beside surgical sciences as mentioned in his Cerrahiyyetü’l Haniyye book, a handwritten copy of which is at Istanbul Beyazit State Library. His contributions should be accepted as “one of the periods that stars shined” in the history of psychiatry.

Reference:

http://www.osmansabuncuoglu.com/SerefeddinSabuncuoglu/Serefeddin%20Sabuncuoglu.htm
 

Volume : 19 Issue: 4

İrfan Okan

About The Artist
1960 – He was born in İzmir.
1982 – Graduated from Trakya University, Faculty of Fine Arts, Ceramics Department.
1987 – Graduated from Mimar Sinan University, Faculty of Fine Arts, Painting Department.
1990 – Completed his M.A. at Mimar Sinan University Faculty of Fine Arts Painting Department.
1992 – Entered to Mimar Sinan University Litography Department as a research assistant.
1995 – Took Masters Degree in art.
1997 – Became an assistant proffessor in Mimar Sinan University, Faculty of Fine Arts, Painting Department. He has been still working in the same university.

Awards
1996 İ.M.K.B 10th Year, Honarable Mention
1992 Moscow East Nations Museum Encouragement Award
1990 Contemporary Turkish Painting, First Award
1986 Seref Akdik Student`s Competition, First Award

Online Exhibitions
12.11.2009 İrfan Okan "Those Forgotten At Purgatory" Exhibition - Evin Art Gallery
13.03.2008 "Scenes of Memory" - İrfan Okan - Evin Art Gallery
30.11.2006 "Lives in Quadrangle" - Irfan Okan - Evin Art Gallery
29.03.2005 "Journeys to the Earth" - İrfan Okan - Evin Art Gallery
29.09.2004 İrfan Okan - "Expeditions" - Nurol Art Gallery
02.10.2003 "Local Phenomennonna" - Irfan Okan - Evin Art Gallery
10.12.2002 Irfan Okan Paintings - Evin Art Gallery
18.10.2001 Irfan Okan Solo Exhibition - Evin Art Gallery
09.11.2000 Irfan Okan Paintings - Evin Art Gallery
30.09.1999 Irfan Okan Paintings - Evin Art Gallery

Solo Exhibitions
2008 "Bellek Manzaraları", Evin Art Gallery, Istanbul
2006 "Karelenmiş Yaşamlar", Evin Art Gallery, Istanbul
2005 Saint Benoit High School, Istanbul
2005 "Arza Yolculuklar", Evin Art Gallery, Istanbul
2004 Evin Art Gallery, Nurol Sanat Galerisi, Ankara
2003 Evin Art Gallery, İstanbul
2002 Evin Art Gallery, İstanbul
2001 Evin Art Gallery, İstanbul
2000 Evin Art Gallery, İstanbul
1999 Evin Art Gallery, İstanbul
1998 Evin Art Gallery, İstanbul
1997 Evin Art Gallery, İstanbul
1995 Ekol Art Gallery, İstanbul
1994 Emlak Art Gallery, İstanbul
1992 Baldem Art Gallery, İstanbul
1991 Ramko Sanat Merkezi, İstanbul
1989 Gallery Zebra, İstanbul

Group Exhibitions
2007 Artist 2007, 17th Istanbul Art Fair, Evin Art Gallery
2007 Evin Sanat Galerisi-Hotel Casa Dell’Arte, Torba, Bodrum
2007 Evin Sanat Galerisi-Hotel Casa Dell’Arte, Torba, Bodrum
2006 Artist 2006 16th Istanbul Art Fair, Evin Art Gallery
2005 Artist 2005 !5th Istanbul Art Fair, Evin Art Gallery
2005 Evin Art Gallery, Istanbul
2004 Artist 2004, 14. İstanbul Art Fair, Evin Art Gallery
2004 "Spring 2004", Nurol & Evin Art Galleries
2003 BJK 100th Anniversary "Black & White" Exh., İst.
2003 13th Istanbul Art Fair, Evin Art Gallery, Tüyap
2003 Evin Art Gallery, Istanbul
2002 12th Istanbul Art Fair, Evin Art Gallery, Tüyap
2002 "Figure 4", Nurol & Evin Art Galleries
2001 Evin Art Gallery, Adahan, Yalıkavak, Bodrum
2001 11th Istanbul Art Fair, Evin Art Gallery, Tüyap İst
2000 10th Istanbul Art Fair, Evin Art Gallery, Tüyap İst
2000 Evin Art Gallery, Izmir, Ankara, Cyprus.
1999 9th Istanbul Art Fair, Evin Art Gallery, Tüyap İst
1998 8th Istanbul Art Fair, Evin Art Gallery, Tüyap İst
1997 Evin Art Gallery, Istanbul
1997 "Introspection", Atatürk Culture Center, Istanbul
1997 Kemer Country, İstanbul
1997 Devrim Erbil Studio Exhibition, Trakya University
1997 Evin Art Gallery, Istanbul
1997 7th Istanbul Art Fair, Evin Art Gallery, Istanbul
1997 Kare Sanat Galerisi, Istanbul
1996 Esenkent Culture Center Opening Exhibition, Ist.
1996 Master of Masters & One Fourth Century in Art
1996 Bilim Art Gallery, KKTC, Ankara, Istanbul
1996 MSU Fine Arts Faculty Members Exhibition
1996 MSU Young Faculty Members Exh., Passion Art Gal
1996 6th Istanbul Art Fair, Evin Art Gallery, İstanbul .
1995 Ekol Art Gallery, Istanbul
1995 5th Istanbul Art Fair, Evin Art Gallery, İstanbul
1994 Culture Ministry Painting and Sculpture Exhibition
1994 Ekol Art Gallery, Istanbul
1993 Nazım Hikmet Culture & Art Foundation, Ankara
1993 Print Exhibition, Capitol Art Gallery, Istanbul
1993 Young Artists in Turkish Rep.70th Anniversary, MSU
1993 3rd Istanbul Art Fair, Gallery Baldem, Tüyap, Ist.
1993 Tarık Zafer Tunaya Art Center
1993 Young Turkish Artists, Tabak Mus.,Vienna, Austuria
1993 YPM Art Gallery Opening Exhibition, Istanbul
1993 Young Artists Exh., Etibank Art Gallery, İst.
1992 "Four Turkish Artists", Moscow East Nations Museum
1991 1st Istanbul Art Fair, Ramko Art Center, Tüyap
1991 Ramko Art Center, Istanbul
1990 Contemporary Turkish Painting Comp. Exh., İstanbul
1990 Gallery Zebra, Istanbul
1989 ISE Erenköy Art House Opening Exhibition, Istanbul
1989 Kadıköy Culture and Art Center Opening Exh., İst.
1987 New Tendencies Exhibition, Istanbul
1986 Viking Print Competition Exhibition, Istanbul
1986 Devrim Erbil Studio Exhibition
1986 Gayrettepe Leo Club Young Artists Exhibition, İst. .
1986 Şeref Akdik Painting Comp. Exh., M.S.U., İstanbul