Seydi Ali Reis (1498 – 1563) was an Ottoman admiral.
He commanded the left wing of the Ottoman fleet at the naval Battle of Preveza in 1538.
He was later promoted to the rank of Commander of the Ottoman Indian Ocean Fleet, and as such, encountered the Portuguese forces based in Goa, India, in several occasions in 1554.
He is famous today for his books of travel such as the Mir'ât ül Memâlik (Mirror of Countries, 1557) which describes the lands he has seen on his way back from India to Constantinople, and his books of navigation and astronomy, such as the Mir’ât-ı Kâinât (Mirror of the Universe) and the Kitâb ül Muhit: El Muhit fî İlmi'l Eflâk ve'l Buhûr (Book of the Regional Seas and the Science of Astronomy and Navigation) which contain information on navigation techniques, methods of determining direction, calculating time, using the compass, information on stars, sun and moon calendars, wind and sea currents, as well as portolan information regarding the ports, harbours, coastal settlements and islands in the various regions of the Ottoman Empire. His books are translated into numerous languages including English, French, Italian, German, Greek, Arabic, Persian, Urdu and Russian, and are considered among the finest literary works dating from the Ottoman period.
He is alternatively known as Sidi Ali Reis in the West.
Read more about Seydi Ali Reis: Background, Early Career in The Ottoman Navy, Commander of The Ottoman Indian Ocean Fleet, Dragged To Gujarat: Elephant Typhoon in The Indian Ocean, Days in Gujarat, Overland Journey Back To The Ottoman Empire, Back in Constantinople, See Also
Famous quotes containing the word ali:
“That was always the difference between Muhammad Ali and the rest of us. He came, he saw, and if he didn’t entirely conquer—he came as close as anybody we are likely to see in the lifetime of this doomed generation.”
—Hunter S. Thompson (b. 1939)