Hayreddin Barbarossa

Barbarossa retired in 1545 and appointed his son, Hasan Pasha, as his successor. He then dictated his memoirs to Muradi Sinan Reis. The hand-written memoirs, known as the ‘Conquests of Hayreddin Pasha,’ are displayed at the ‘Istanbul University Library’ to this day.

He died in 1546 at the palace of Büyükdere, close to Istanbul. His mausoleum is located at the ‘Barbaros Park’ in Istanbul, near the ‘Istanbul Naval Museum,’ where his statue stands.

Hayreddin Barbarossa was born Khizr, in 1478, on the island of Lesbos in the Ottoman Empire, which is now part of Greece. His father, Yakup Ağa, was a Turkish cavalry soldier of Albanian origin, and his mother was an Orthodox Christian named Katerina and the widow of a Greek Orthodox priest.

He had three brothers and two sisters. He and his brothers helped their father run a pottery business after he retired from the army. All four brothers grew up to become seamen on international trade routes. From trading, the brothers soon turned to privateering on the Mediterranean Sea in order to counter the ‘Knights Hospitaller.’

His brother Ilyas was killed by the ‘Knights of St. John,’ and another of his brothers, Oruç, was taken prisoner and held at the ‘Knight’s castle in Bodrum, till he was rescued by Khizr. Oruç later gained the support of the Ottoman prince and was given 18 galleys to fight against the ‘Knights of St. John,’ who were disrupting the Ottoman trade routes.

Khizr joined his brother Oruç and went to Egypt, following the exile of the Ottoman prince who had given them his support. They were given more ships and made responsible for operations against Italy and the islands in the Mediterranean Sea.

In 1503, the brothers made the island of Djerba their base and operated in the Western Mediterranean Sea. The following year, they made an agreement with the Sultan of Tunisia and gained the use of the strategic port of La Goulette.

They soon became famous for their exploits, which were eventually shared with the Sultan. These included a Sicilian warship with 380 Spanish soldiers and 60 Spanish knights on board, who were on their way from Spain to Naples. The third brother, Ishak, also joined forces at La Goulette.

They were joined by other Muslim corsairs, with whom they raided the coast of Liguria. From 1504 to 1510, they were instrumental in providing safe passage and transportation for Muslim Mudéjars, from Spain to North Africa. The role played by Oruç in providing assistance to Muslims earned him the title of “Baba,” which later got converted to “Barbarossa.”

Between 1510 and 1512, they raided Cape Passero in Sicily and Reggio Calabria in southern Italy. They were subsequently invited by the exiled ruler of Bougie to drive out the Spaniards. Simultaneously, they built more ships and established a gunpowder manufacturing establishment at La Goulette.

His memoirs remain displayed at the ‘Istanbul University Library.’