The Atlas is accompanied by a text "Piri Reis and Turkish Mapmaking after Columbus". Piri Reis was the Ottoman naval commander and cartographer who played a leading role in transmitting Columbus's discoveries. The charts are largely based on his Kitab-i-Bahriye (Book of Seamanship) whilst also including a number of important additions such as the views of Istanbul, Cairo and Venice. The accompanying study outlines Piri Reis's career and his contribution to the history of mapmaking.