Hayreddin Barbarossa: Causing a Ruckus as the Notorious Pirate Redbeard

Hayreddin Barbarossa was one of the most notorious pirates of his day. Together with his older brothers, Ishak and Aruj, they conquered the North African city of Algiers, and submitted it to the Ottomans, as a means of protecting themselves from the Spanish.

Nevertheless, this did not stop the Spanish, who made an assault on Tlemcen in 1518. This is a city located near Algiers which was under the rule of Hayreddin and his brother. During this siege, Ishak and Aruj lost their lives. Hayreddin inherited his brother Aruj’s position as the ruler of Algiers, and continued to serve the Ottoman Empire. It was during this ‘post-Aruj’ period that Hayreddin continued his privateering / pirating activities, and created a name for himself, thus ensuring a place for himself in the history books.

The Life of Hayreddin Barbarossa

Hayreddin Barbarossa was originally known as Khizr or Khidr, and was born on the Greek island of Lesbos around 1478. Hayreddin had three brothers, though by 1518, he was the only one left, as the all his brothers had been killed during combat.