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the castle but the sea around the islets is rocky and for that reason there is
no shelter. The place is foul. 34
Piri Reis provides interesting details concerning the shoals of Capo Bianco, where
two different shipwrecks are located: the marble carrier that takes its name from
the cape, and a 17 th - or 18 th -century shipwreck, from which an iron cannon is still
visible along with some more heavily-concreted artifacts. In his description, Piri
Reis writes:
The aforementioned Kavu Biyanko is a low, white promontory. Out from
the cape, a shoal that they call Şaykadi Kavu Biyanko extends for three
miles or so into the sea. A galley may pass between these shallows and the
Rumelian shore. 35
It is noteworthy that the Turkish toponyms are taken literally from Italian: Kastalu
and Kavu Biyanko do not need any explanation, the word “Şaykadi” is simply
translated from the Italian “Secca di”, meaning “Shoal of.” The Ottoman seafarer
must have visited these places, spoken with local guides, and taken detailed notes
of what they told him. At his time, two of Pliny’s five islands were still visible,
and the shoals of Capo Bianco probably represented the remains of the other islets.
Indeed, they are located at a distance of 15 km from Capo Colonna, corresponding
to the 10 Roman miles Pliny cites.
34 Ökte 1988, 1033.
35 Ökte 1988, 1033.
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