Hayreddin Barbarossa

Who was Hayreddin Barbarossa?

Hayreddin Barbarossa, or Barbarossa Hayreddin Pasha, was an Ottoman admiral of the fleet who was born in the Ottoman island of Midilli and died in Constantinople, the Ottoman capital. Barbarossa's naval victories secured Ottoman dominance over the Mediterranean during the mid 16th century, from the Battle of Preveza in 1538 until the Battle of Lepanto in 1571.

Hayreddin was an honorary name given to him by Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. He became known as "Barbarossa" in Europe, a name he inherited from his elder brother Baba Oruç after Aruj was killed in a battle with the Spanish in Algeria. This name sounded like "Barbarossa" to the Europeans, and Aruj did have a red beard. The nickname then stuck also to Hayreddin's Turkish name, in the form Barbaros.