An Ottoman Anabasis: Reflections on Mir’at ul Memalik by Seydî Ali Reis

Year 2022, Volume: 1 Issue: 2, 58 - 74, 30.12.2022

Şebnem Akçapar Ömer Faruk İskenderli

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to provide a historiography for the first travelogue in Ottoman Turkish entitled Mir’at ul Memalik (Mirror of Countries) written by Seydî Ali Reis. Depicting his adventurous travels starting from India and back to Constantinople through Turkestan, Kipchak Steppe, Khorasan and Iran between December 1553 and May 1557, the book is an important contribution documenting the cultures, peoples and his vivid observations along the route. This paper will first present a brief background regarding the importance of the Indian Ocean in the high politics of the 16th century at the time when three Turkic Empires ruled – Timurid, Ottoman and Safavid dynasties. In a fierce competition with the Portuguese to regain control of the silk and spice routes, Seydî Ali Reis was sent on a mission to South Asia yet failed due to adverse weather conditions and had to spend years before his return in India. One of the most intriguing themes in the travelogue is the self-identification of Seydî Ali Reis as being Rûmî (Roman) that indicates the common denomination for the citizens of Ottoman Empire during pre-modern classical age. Moreover, the book is a fascinating showcase indicating how an Ottoman intellectual of the time could easily harmonise the wisdom of various sources including mathematics, astronomy, poetry and even bibliomancy.

Keywords

Seydî Ali Reis, Mughals, Ottomans, Indian Ocean, South Asia, West Asia, Travelogue

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