Abstract

The present research deals with the life of one of the prominent high-ranked navy Ottoman leaders who had a great role in the rising of the Ottoman fleet and in boosting the naval control in the east and west of the Mediterranean. He had a great naval experience that added much to the Ottoman navy. He began his naval activity independent of any authority. He was born in Galiboli and was brought up there, which means that he was born to be a sailor. He gained much fame through his naval fights against the Spanish in the west of the Mediterranean. He dedicated himself to rescue the Muslims of Andalusia when they left it and headed towards the coasts of Morocco. He dedicated himself to protect them, transferred them by his ships and secured the way for them through the attacks against the Spanish ships. Through that he worked to establish bases and locations for his naval forces in the west of the Mediterranean, i.e. places that were the base which the two brothers Arooj and Khayr Al-Deen Barbarossa began from later. His role was prominent in the Ottoman naval activity during the era of Sultan Bayzeed II (1481 – 1512). By virtue of his efforts, the fleet dominated the Mediterranean.