Matthew Patay's
Note of the Month

July 2002

Map images provided by Graphic Maps

This month's featured note is from Turkey.
The denomination is 10,000,000 Lira and the Standard Catalog of World Paper Money (SCWPM) Number is P-213.

(obverse)
The banknote is red and violet on multicolored underprint.  Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (1881 - 1938), the first President of Turkey, is at left center.

The following information was obtained from Ataturk.com:

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk

1881 - 1938

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Turkish Republic and its first President, stands as a towering figure of the 20th Century. Among the great leaders of history, few have achieved so much in so short period, transformed the life of a nation as decisively, and given such profound inspiration to the world at large.

Emerging as a military hero at the Dardanelles in 1915, he became the charismatic leader of the Turkish national liberation struggle in 1919. He blazed across the world scene in the early 1920s as a triumphant commander who crushed the invaders of his country. Following a series of impressive victories against all odds, he led his nation to full independence. He put an end to the antiquated Ottoman dynasty whose tale had lasted more than six centuries - and created the Republic of Turkey in 1923, establishing a new government truly representative of the nation's will.

As President for 15 years, until his death in 1938, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk introduced a broad range of swift and sweeping reforms - in the political, social, legal, economic, and cultural spheres - virtually unparalleled in any other country.

His achievements in Turkey are an enduring monument to Atatürk. Emerging nations admire him as a pioneer of national liberation. The world honors his memory as a foremost peacemaker who upheld the principles of humanism and the vision of a united humanity. Tributes have been offered to him through the decades by such world statesmen as Lloyd George, Churchill, Roosevelt, Nehru, de Gaulle, Adenauer, Bourguiba, Nasser, Kennedy, and countless others. A White House statement, issued on the occasion of "The Atatürk Centennial" in 1981, pays homage to him as "a great leader in times of war and peace". It is fitting that there should be high praise for Atatürk, an extraordinary leader of modern times, who said in 1933: "I look to the world with an open heart full of pure feelings and friendship".

The note carries an authorization date of L.1970 (Law of 1970) but was issued in (1999).

(reverse)
Piri Reis map is at left and Piri Reis' flagship is at bottom right.  Piri Reis (1465? - 1554), was a Turkish Admiral and cartographer.

The following information was obtained from the ExploreIstambul.com:

Piri Reis’s first world map (produced in 1513) was discovered at Topkapi Palace in 1929. The map was studied by the German orientalist, Prof. Paul Kalhe, who was doing research in Istanbul at the time, and he reported on the map to eighteent Congres of Oriental Studies in Leiden in 1931. Meanwhile, the map was taken to Ankara for study by historians, and Atatürk ordered a facsimile reproduction of the map to be printed. 

The map is drawn on camel skin, with illustrations in nine different colours. It’s 86 cm long, 61 cm wide at the upper edge and 41 cm wide at the lower edge. The right hand section of the map has been torn away, leaving a ragged edge. The discrepancy in width between upper and lower edges, however, is due to natural shape of the skin. The remaining half of the map shows the east and west coasts of Atlantic Ocean. The coastlines of North and South America, the Antilles, Northwest Africa, Spain and France corresponded closely to modern maps. 

The map is a typical nautical chart, with the lines of latitude and longtude shown by means of compass roses. It is attractively illustrated with mythical and realistic pictures, including a number of ships, most of which are Portuguese caravels, a number of parrots, which Piri Reis refers to as “tuti birds”, are depicted on the island of Antilles. As well as place names, the chart is annotated with accounts of exploration , mythical information , and explanations of how the map was compiled. The beautiful executed decoration confirms the map was specifically drawn as a gift for the Ottoman sultan.

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