Aruj Barbarossa
Aruj Barbarossa | |
|---|---|
| Born | c. 1474 |
| Died | May 1518 (aged 43–44) |
| Piratical career | |
| Nickname | Barbarossa Red Beard Baba Aruj |
| Years active | c. 1495 – 1518 |
| Rank | Sultan of Algiers |
| Base of operations | Mediterranean |
| Battles/wars | |
Aruj Barbarossa (Arabic: عروج بربروس), known as Oruç Reis to the Turks, was an Ottoman corsair who became Sultan of Algiers. The elder brother of the famous Ottoman admiral Hayreddin Barbarossa, he was born on the Ottoman island of Midilli (Lesbos in present-day Greece) and died in battle against the Spanish at Tlemcen.
He became known as Baba Aruj (Father Aruj) when he transported large numbers of Morisco, Muslim and Jewish refugees from Spain to North Africa; in Europe he was known as Barbarossa.