A Tale of an Urban Phenomenon

All knowledge is power.  And in the early modern period, geographical knowledge was a direct instrument of power.  The preoccupation of premodern empires was territorial expansion. Maps indicated what territories had been conquered and offered invitations for conquest.  In this episode, the podcasters will show us how the representations of Venice and Cairo differed significantly from that of Marseille with respect to the geopolitical situation of the time.   Thus Piri Reis’s maps were  crucial not only for their  practical seafaring expertise, but also important as they presented the Sultan with a comprehensive view of his potential adversaries in the Mediterranean. The Book of Navigation can be seen, from one perspective, as an atlas of military intelligence, not just aesthetically pleasing informational maps. 

Researchers and Hosts

Griffin Bassett, Jennifer Guo, Selim Kolat, and Suhana Singh

Image

A View Cairo, The Book of Navigation, The Walters Art Museum, ms W658. f. 347a.