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KAMAL, AN INSTRUMENT OF CELESTIAL NAVIGATION IN THE INDIAN OCEAN, AS DECRIBED BY OTTOMAN MARINERS PIRI REIS AND SEYDI ALI REIS

Year 2017, Volume: 19 Issue: 1, 1 - 12, 01.12.2017
https://doi.org/10.30522/iuoba.356875

Abstract

Kamal (كمال
) is a kind of
portable astronomical instrument which was used by navigators to measure the
altitude of the Polaris and the circumpolar stars to determine latitudes in the
Indian Ocean. The
Kamal and its role
in the cultural exchange between
Indian, Chinese and Portuguese navigators have been already studied, yet no
consensus has been reached among researchers regarding its structure,
construction, origin or even its name. Studies on
kamal are mostly based on Arabic and European literary sources. The
aim of this paper is to bring into fore the

information given about the two different types of kamal in the 16 th century Ottoman sources, namely Piri
Reis’s
Kitab-ı Bahriye (The Book of
Seafaring) and Seydi Ali Reis’s
Kitabü’l-Muhit
(The Book of the Ocean). An analysis of the information they provided, will
reveal the physical characteristics of these instruments.

References

  • S. Q. Fatimi, “History of the development of the Kamal,” Tradition and Archaeology: Early Maritime Contacts in the Indian Ocean, Proceedings of the International Seminar Techno-Archaeological Perspectives of Seafaring in Indian Ocean 4th cent. B.C.–15th cent. A.D, New Delhi, February 28-March 4, 1994, pp.283-292
  • Gerald Randall Tibbetts, Arab Navigation in the Indian Ocean before the Coming of the Portuguese: Being a Translation of Kitāb al-fawāi̓d fī usūl al-bahr wa'l-qawā'id of Ahmad b. Mājid al-Najdī, Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, 1971, p.94-95; 215; 303; 317
  • E. G. Ravenstein, Martin Behaim: His Life and his Globe, London, 1908, pp. 16-17
  • Abdul Sheriff, “Navigational methods in the Indian Ocean,” Ships and the Development of Maritime Technology on the Indian Ocean, vol.II, eds. Ruth Barnes, David Parkin, USA, Routledge, 2002, p. 219.
  • D. A. King, “Astronomy for landlubbers and navigators: The case of Islamic middle ages,” Revista da Universidade de Coimbra, vol. XXXII, 1985, p.215.
  • K. M. Mathew, History of the Portuguese Navigation in India, New Delhi, Mittal Publications, 1988, p. 17
  • Richard A. Paselk, “Medieval Tools of Navigation: An Overview,” The Art, Science, and Technology of Medieval Travel, Ed. Robert Odell Bork, Andrea Kann, USA, Ashgate, 2008, p. 178
  • Bartolomeo Crescenzio, Nautica Mediterranea, Roma, Bonfadino, 1607, p. 455
  • Eva Germaine Rimington Taylor, The Haven-Finding Art: A History of Navigation from Odysseus to Captain Cook, London, Hollis & Carter, 1956, p. 129.
  • Piri Reis, Kitab-ı Bahriye, transliterated by Ahmet Demir, Ankara, T.C. Başbakanlık Denizcilik Müsteşarlığı, 2002, p. 42, 58.
  • Walther Hinz, Islamische Masse und Gewichte Umgerechnet ins metrische System, Leiden, E. J. Brill, 1955.
  • D. A. King, “Astronomy for landlubbers and navigators: The case of Islamic middle ages,” Revista da Universidade de Coimbra, Vol.XXXII, 1985, p.215.
  • Seydi Ali Reis, Kitabü’l-Muhit, Süleymaniye Library, Nuruosmaniye MS 2948, folios 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a
  • Ferit Devellioğlu, Osmanlıca-Türkçe Ansiklopedik Lûgat, ed. Aydın Sami Güneyçal, Ankara, Aydın Kitabevi, 2009, p. 549.
  • Fuat Sezgin, İslam’da Bilim ve Teknik III: Coğrafya, Denizcilik, Geometri, Saatler, Optik, Ankara, Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı, TÜBA, 2007, p.39.
  • Yavuz Unat, “Eski astronomi metinlerinde karşılaşılan astronomi terimlerine ilişkin bir sözlük denemesi,” AÜ Osmanlı Tarihi Araştırma ve Uygulama Merkezi Dergisi: OTAM, No. 11, Ankara, 2000, p. 644.
  • Mehmet Zeki Pakalın, Osmanlı Tarih Deyimleri ve Terimleri Sözlüğü, vol.1, İstanbul, Milli Eğitim Bakanlığı 1993, p. 664
  • M. Şinasi Acar, Osmanlı'da Günlük Yaşam Nesneleri, 2nd edition, Istanbul, Yapı Endüstri Merkezi, 2015, p.42.
  • H. Congreve, “A brief notice of some contrivances practised by the native mariners of the Coromandel Coast in navigating, sailing, and sepairing their Vessels,” The Madras Journal of Literature and Science, vol. XVI, 1850, pp.103-104.

Osmanlı denizcileri Piri Reis ve Seydi Ali Reis’in eserlerinde Hint Okyanusunda göksel seyirde kullanılan kemal aleti

Year 2017, Volume: 19 Issue: 1, 1 - 12, 01.12.2017
https://doi.org/10.30522/iuoba.356875

Abstract

Kemal (كمال ) aleti, Hint Okyanusu’nda enlem
tayini için denizcilerin kutup yıldızı ve sirkumpolar yıldızların ufuktan
yüksekliğini ölçmek için kullanıldıkları bir çeşit taşınabilir astronomi aletidir.
Aletin yapısı, tarihi ve Hint, Çin ve Portekiz denizcileri arasındaki kültürel
alışveriş çerçevesindeki yeri hakkında birçok çalışma bulunmaktadır. Buna
rağmen, araştırmacılar arasında aletin ismi, yapısı, üretimi ve kökeni hakkında
kesin bir fikir birliği yoktur. Ayrıca yapılan araştırmaların çoğu Arap ve
Avrupa kaynaklarına dayanmaktadır. Buna karşılık, 16. yüzyıl Osmanlı
kaynaklarından Piri Reis’in
Kitab-ı
Bahriye
’sinde ve Seydi Ali Reis’in Kitabü’l-Muhit’in
de
kemal aletine yer verilmiştir. Bu
çalışmanın amacı, bahsi geçen eserlerde yer alan
kemal aleti ile ilgili bilgileri sunmaktır. Bu bilgiler, âletin
fiziksel özelliklerini belirlememiz bakımından önemlidir.

References

  • S. Q. Fatimi, “History of the development of the Kamal,” Tradition and Archaeology: Early Maritime Contacts in the Indian Ocean, Proceedings of the International Seminar Techno-Archaeological Perspectives of Seafaring in Indian Ocean 4th cent. B.C.–15th cent. A.D, New Delhi, February 28-March 4, 1994, pp.283-292
  • Gerald Randall Tibbetts, Arab Navigation in the Indian Ocean before the Coming of the Portuguese: Being a Translation of Kitāb al-fawāi̓d fī usūl al-bahr wa'l-qawā'id of Ahmad b. Mājid al-Najdī, Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, 1971, p.94-95; 215; 303; 317
  • E. G. Ravenstein, Martin Behaim: His Life and his Globe, London, 1908, pp. 16-17
  • Abdul Sheriff, “Navigational methods in the Indian Ocean,” Ships and the Development of Maritime Technology on the Indian Ocean, vol.II, eds. Ruth Barnes, David Parkin, USA, Routledge, 2002, p. 219.
  • D. A. King, “Astronomy for landlubbers and navigators: The case of Islamic middle ages,” Revista da Universidade de Coimbra, vol. XXXII, 1985, p.215.
  • K. M. Mathew, History of the Portuguese Navigation in India, New Delhi, Mittal Publications, 1988, p. 17
  • Richard A. Paselk, “Medieval Tools of Navigation: An Overview,” The Art, Science, and Technology of Medieval Travel, Ed. Robert Odell Bork, Andrea Kann, USA, Ashgate, 2008, p. 178
  • Bartolomeo Crescenzio, Nautica Mediterranea, Roma, Bonfadino, 1607, p. 455
  • Eva Germaine Rimington Taylor, The Haven-Finding Art: A History of Navigation from Odysseus to Captain Cook, London, Hollis & Carter, 1956, p. 129.
  • Piri Reis, Kitab-ı Bahriye, transliterated by Ahmet Demir, Ankara, T.C. Başbakanlık Denizcilik Müsteşarlığı, 2002, p. 42, 58.
  • Walther Hinz, Islamische Masse und Gewichte Umgerechnet ins metrische System, Leiden, E. J. Brill, 1955.
  • D. A. King, “Astronomy for landlubbers and navigators: The case of Islamic middle ages,” Revista da Universidade de Coimbra, Vol.XXXII, 1985, p.215.
  • Seydi Ali Reis, Kitabü’l-Muhit, Süleymaniye Library, Nuruosmaniye MS 2948, folios 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a
  • Ferit Devellioğlu, Osmanlıca-Türkçe Ansiklopedik Lûgat, ed. Aydın Sami Güneyçal, Ankara, Aydın Kitabevi, 2009, p. 549.
  • Fuat Sezgin, İslam’da Bilim ve Teknik III: Coğrafya, Denizcilik, Geometri, Saatler, Optik, Ankara, Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı, TÜBA, 2007, p.39.
  • Yavuz Unat, “Eski astronomi metinlerinde karşılaşılan astronomi terimlerine ilişkin bir sözlük denemesi,” AÜ Osmanlı Tarihi Araştırma ve Uygulama Merkezi Dergisi: OTAM, No. 11, Ankara, 2000, p. 644.
  • Mehmet Zeki Pakalın, Osmanlı Tarih Deyimleri ve Terimleri Sözlüğü, vol.1, İstanbul, Milli Eğitim Bakanlığı 1993, p. 664
  • M. Şinasi Acar, Osmanlı'da Günlük Yaşam Nesneleri, 2nd edition, Istanbul, Yapı Endüstri Merkezi, 2015, p.42.
  • H. Congreve, “A brief notice of some contrivances practised by the native mariners of the Coromandel Coast in navigating, sailing, and sepairing their Vessels,” The Madras Journal of Literature and Science, vol. XVI, 1850, pp.103-104.
There are 19 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Journal Section Research Articles
Authors

Gaye Danışan Polat 0000-0002-8888-6533

Publication Date December 1, 2017
Published in Issue Year 2017 Volume: 19 Issue: 1

Cite

Chicago Danışan Polat, Gaye. “KAMAL, AN INSTRUMENT OF CELESTIAL NAVIGATION IN THE INDIAN OCEAN, AS DECRIBED BY OTTOMAN MARINERS PIRI REIS AND SEYDI ALI REIS”. Osmanlı Bilimi Araştırmaları 19, no. 1 (December 2017): 1-12. https://doi.org/10.30522/iuoba.356875.