Hayreddin Barbarossa

Hayreddin Barbarossa, or Barbarossa Hayreddin Pasha Paa or Hzr Hayreddin Paa also Hzr Reis before being promoted to the rank of Pasha and becoming the Kapudan Pasha, born Khizr or Khidr , was an Ottoman admiral of the fleet who was born in the island of Midilli and died in Constantinople , the Ottoman capital. Barbarossas 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.

Khizr was born in 1466 or around 1478 in the village Palaiokipos on the Ottoman island of Midilli , the son of Yakup Aa, a Turk sipahi from Giannitsa , and a Christian, Greek woman from Mytilene . His fathers family was probably recently converted. According to some historians, his father was of Albanian origin. His mother was a widow of an Orthodox priest. His parents were married and had two daughters and four sons Ishak, Oru, Khizr and Ilyas. Yakup took part in the Ottoman conquest of Lesbos in 1462 from the Genoese Gattilusio dynasty and as a reward, was granted the fief of the Bonova village in the island. He became an established potter and purchased a boat to trade his products. The four sons helped their father with his business, but not much is known about the daughters. At first Oru helped with the boat, while Khizr helped with pottery.

Source: Wikipedia