← Explore on the interactive map

Hayreddin Barbarossa

Type Figure Region Mediterranean Time c. 1478–1546 Also known as Khayr al-Din Barbarossa、Younger brother of Red Beard

A 16th-century Mediterranean pirate turned Ottoman naval commander, originally of the Khizir family, who with his brother Aruj 'Red Beard' built a No…

Timeline

  1. c. 1500–1518Algiers · MaghrebWith his brother Aruj he engaged in privateering along the North African coast, striking at Spanish and Christian shipping and gradually gaining control around Algiers, becoming a major force in Maghrebi maritime warfare.
  2. 1519–1530Algiers · MaghrebAfter his brother's death he inherited his followers, formally sought aid and submitted to Suleiman's court in the 1520s, captured Algiers in 1529, and was recognized as Ottoman ruler in North Africa, laying the foundation for imperial control of the western Mediterranean sea lanes.
  3. 1533–1546Istanbul · Ottoman EmpireSummoned to Istanbul in 1533 as supreme commander of the imperial navy, he integrated North African privateering forces with the imperial fleet, defeating the Christian alliance at Preveza and other battles and establishing Ottoman dominance over the Mediterranean.

Sources