Although the date of birth is not known, it is estimated that he was born between 1465 and 1470. He started sailing with his uncle Kemal Reis. He learned a lot from his uncle about shipping. In 1486, when the Muslims who were persecuted in Gırnata asked for help from the Ottoman Empire, Kemal Reis was assigned because the Ottoman Empire did not have a fleet to travel long.

Kemal Reis went to Spain under the Ottoman flag and helped Muslims. Besides Kemal Reis, Piri Reis went to Spain. Muslims here have been taken from Spain to North Africa. Upon the invitation of the Ottoman Sultan 2.Beyazıd in 1494, he came before the Sultan with Kemal Reis. The chiefs, called by the sultan to prepare a campaign against Venice, entered the official service of the navy. Thus, they officially joined the Ottoman Navy.

Piri Reis succeeded to become a naval commander in the Ottoman Navy when the Ottoman Empire tried to gain naval superiority over the Venetians. Thus, he became the captain of the war for the first time in the Ottoman Empire. Thanks to Piri Reis' superior commanding ability and success, the Venetians offered a peace agreement. A peace agreement was signed between the two states.

Piri Reis has participated in numerous naval expeditions. He commanded many ships. This time he goes and sees the places “Kitab-ı Bahriye” in the book he describes in detail. Kitab-ı Navy book is the first guide in the history of maritime. After the death of his uncle Kemal Reis in 1511, Piri Reis went to Gallipoli. With the navy under the control of Barbaros and his brothers, he participated in some campaigns in the Mediterranean Sea.

He worked more on maps than on flights. In 1513, as a result of his long and careful work, he managed to draw the first world map based on his observations. The map, covering the Atlantic Ocean, western Africa, the Iberian Peninsula and the east of America, shows only one-third of an entire map. This part is the only piece we have today. It is known that there is information about the map of America in other parts that have not reached to date.

Piri Reis came to Istanbul in 1517 and joined the Ottoman Navy again. He was awarded the rank of Marine Colonel and was appointed as the commander of the maiden voyage. It has achieved significant successes in the conquest of Alexandria. As a result of this success has been praised by the sultan. During the Egyptian campaign in 1524, he was appreciated by Pargalı Ibrahim Pasha. He presented the Kitab-ı Bahriye which he wrote in 1525 to Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent.

In 1528, he managed to draw another more detailed world map. After Barbaros Hayrettin Pasha's death in 1546, he served as Egyptian captain. During the years when the Ottoman Empire was at war with Portugal, he defeated the Portuguese navy. It was rumored that Piri Reis returned to the central navy in order not to be under the blockade of the Portuguese. When the Basra governor's complaint reached the Egyptian governor, Piri Reis was arrested. Piri Reis was executed in Cairo in 1554 with the decree of Suleiman the Magnificent for the crimes of lifting the siege and leaving the navy under his command.