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Dragut | |
|---|---|
 Monument to Turgut Reis in Istanbul depicted with his palm resting on globe. | |
| Native name | Turgut Reis, "Torghoud" |
| Nicknames | Dragut Rais, Darghouth Arabic: درغوث Italian: Dragut |
| Born | 1485 |
| Died | 23 June 1565(1565-06-23) (aged 79–80) |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance |  Ottoman Empire |
| Branch |  Ottoman Navy |
| Service years | c. 1500–1565 |
| Rank | Admiral,Governor-general,Pasha |
| Commands | Commander-in-Chief of Ottoman Naval Forces in the Mediterranean (Beylerbey) |
| Conflicts | Battle of Preveza (1538) Sack of Cullera (1550) Invasion of Gozo (1551) Siege of Tripoli (1551) Battle of Ponza (1552) Invasion of Corsica (1553) Sack of Vieste (1554) Sack of Bastia (1555) Raid of the Balearic islands (1558) Battle of Djerba (1560) Battle of Lipari (1561) Sack of Granada (1563) Great Siege of Malta (1565) |
Dragut (Turkish:Turgut Reis; 1485 – 23 June 1565) was anOttoman corsair, naval commander, governor, andnoble. Under his command, the Ottoman Empire's maritime power was extended across North Africa. Recognized for his military genius,[1] and as being among "the most dangerous"[2] of corsairs, Dragut has been referred to as "the greatest pirate warrior of all time",[1] "undoubtedly the most able of all the Turkish leaders", and "the uncrowned king of theMediterranean". He was nicknamed "the Drawn Sword of Islam".[3][4] He was described by a French admiral as "a living chart of the Mediterranean, skillful enough on land to be compared to the finest generals of the time" and that "no one was more worthy than he to bear the name of king".[3]Hayreddin Barbarossa, who was his mentor, stated that Dragut was ahead of him "both in fishing and bravery".[5]
In addition to serving asAdmiral andCorsair in theOttoman Empire'sNavy underSuleiman the Magnificent, Dragut was also appointedBey ofAlgiers andDjerba,Beylerbey of theMediterranean, as well as Bey, and subsequentlyPasha, ofTripoli. While serving asPasha ofTripoli, Dragut built up and adorned the city, making it one of the most impressive to behold along the entireNorth African coast.[6]
Dragut was born in Karatoprak (known today asTurgutreis in his honour) nearBodrum,[7] on theAegean coast ofAsia Minor, in the sub-district called Saravalos in the western tip ofBodrum peninsula; or probably in the Karabağ village on the Aegean coast of Asia Minor.[8] His family were eitherGreek Christians[5][6][9][10][11][12][13][14] orTurkish Muslims.[15][16][17]
At the age of 12 he was noticed by anOttoman army commander for his extraordinary talent in using spears and arrows and was recruited by him. Under his support, the young Turgut became a skilled sailor, an outstanding gunner, and was trained as acannoneer and master ofsiege artillery, a skill which would play an important role in Turgut's future success and reputation as a superb naval tactician. The Ottoman Turkish governor eventually carried Turgut off toEgypt[18] in 1517, where he participated in theOttoman conquest ofEgypt as a cannoneer. He further improved his skills in this field during his presence inCairo. Following the death of his master, Turgut went toAlexandria and began his career as a sailor after joining the fleet ofSinan Pasha. He immediately became one of the favourite crewmen of the famouscorsair due to his success in hitting enemy vessels with cannons. Turgut soon mastered the skills of seamanship and became the captain of abrigantine, while given 1/4 of its ownership. After several successful campaigns, he became the sole owner of the brigantine. Turgut later became the captain and owner of agaliot, and arming it with the most advanced cannons of that period, he started to operate in theEastern Mediterranean, especially targeting the shipping routes betweenVenice and theAegean islands belonging to theRepublica Serenissima.
In 1520, he joined the fleet ofHayreddin Barbarossa, who would become his protector and best friend. Turgut was soon promoted to the rank of Chief Lieutenant, by Barbarossa, and was given command of 12galiot-class naval vessels. In 1526, Turgut Reis captured the fortress ofCapo Passero inSicily. Between 1526 and 1533 he landed several times at the ports of theKingdom of Sicily and theKingdom of Naples, while intercepting the ships which sailed betweenSpain andItaly, capturing many of them.
In May 1533, commanding fourfustas and 18barques, Turgut Reis captured two Venetiangalleys near the island ofAegina. In June and July 1538 he accompanied Barbarossa on his pursuit ofAndrea Doria in theAdriatic Sea, while capturing several fortresses on the coasts ofAlbania as well as theGulf of Preveza and the island ofLefkada. In August 1538 Turgut Reis capturedCandia inCrete as well as several otherVenetian possessions in theAegean Sea.
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In September 1538, at theBattle of Preveza, Turgut Reis, with 20 galleys and 10 galiots, commanded the center-rear wing of the Ottoman fleet which defeated theHoly League, a short-lived Christian alliance consisting of theKnights of Malta, thePapal States, Venice, Spain, Naples and Sicily, who were then under the command ofAndrea Doria.
Despite theHoly League's vastly superior numbers of ships, 302, and soldiers, 60,000, Dragut and the Ottoman fleet dealt the Christian alliance a decisive defeat, with only 112 ships, and 12,000 soldiers. During the battle, with two of his galiots, Dragut captured the Papal galley under the command ofGiambattista Dovizi, the knight who was also the abbot ofBibbiena, taking him and his crew as prisoners.
In 1539, commanding 36 galleys and galiots, Turgut Reis recapturedCastelnuovo from theVenetians, who had taken the city back from the Ottomans. During the combat he sank two Venetian galleys and captured three others. Still in 1539, while landing onCorfu, he encountered 12 Venetian galleys under the command of Francesco Pasqualigo and captured the galley of Antonio da Canal. He later landed at Crete and fought against the Venetian cavalry forces under the command of Antonio Calbo.
Later that year, whenSinan Pasha, the Governor ofDjerba, was appointed bySuleiman the Magnificent as the new Commander-in-Chief of the OttomanRed Sea Fleet based inSuez, Turgut Reis was appointed as his successor and became the Governor of Djerba.[19]
In early 1540 Turgut Reis captured severalGenoese ships off the coast ofSanta Margherita Ligure. In April 1540, commanding two galleys and 13 galiots, he landed atGozo and sacked the island.[20] He later landed atPantelleria and raided the coasts of Sicily and Spain with a force of 25 ships, inflicting so much damage that Andrea Doria was ordered byCharles V to chase him with a force of 81 galleys. From there, Turgut Reis sailed to theTyrrhenian Sea and bombarded the southern ports ofCorsica, most notablyPalasca. He later captured and sacked the nearby island ofCapraia.
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Turgut Reis later sailed back towardsCorsica and docked his ships atGirolata on the western shores of the island. Taken by surprise in theBattle of Girolata while repairing his ships, Turgut Reis and his men were attacked by the combined forces of Giannettino Doria (Andrea Doria's nephew), Giorgio Doria and Gentile Virginio Orsini. Turgut Reis was captured and was forced to work as agalley slave in the ship of Giannettino Doria for nearly four years before being imprisoned inGenoa. Barbarossa offered to pay ransom for his release but it was rejected.
In 1544, when Barbarossa was returning fromFrance with 210 ships sent by Sultan Suleiman to assist KingFrancis I in aFranco-Ottoman alliance againstSpain, he appeared before Genoa, laying siege to the city and forcing the Genoese to negotiate for the release of Turgut Reis. Barbarossa was invited by Andrea Doria to discuss the issue in his palace at Fassolo, and the two admirals reached an agreement for the release of Turgut Reis in exchange for 3,500 gold ducats.
Barbarossa gave Turgut his spare flagship and the command of several other vessels, and in that same year Turgut Reis landed atBonifacio in Corsica and captured the city, inflicting particular damage to Genoese interests. Still in 1544 he assaulted the island of Gozo in Malta and fought against the forces of knight Giovanni Ximenes while capturing severalMaltese ships which were bringing precious cargo from Sicily. In June 1545 he raided the coasts of Sicily and bombarded several ports on theTyrrhenian Sea. In July he ravaged the island ofCapraia and landed at the coasts ofLiguria and theItalian Riviera with a force of 15 galleys and fustas. He sackedMonterosso andCorniglia, and later landed atManarola andRiomaggiore.
In the following days he landed at the Gulf ofLa Spezia and capturedRapallo,Pegli andLevanto. In 1546 he capturedMahdia,Sfax,Sousse andAl-Munastir inTunisia, afterwards using Mahdia as a base to assault theKnights of St. John inMalta. In April 1546 he raided the coasts of Liguria. In May, still in Liguria, he capturedLaigueglia, a province ofSavona, with a force of 1000 men. He later capturedAndora and took thepodestà of the town as a prisoner. There he and his troops rested for a brief period, before resuming their assault on the Italian Riviera and landing atSan Lorenzo al Mare. He also destroyed the village ofCivezza. From there he once again sailed towards Malta and laid siege to the island of Gozo.
In June 1546 Andrea Doria was appointed by Emperor Charles V to force Turgut Reis away from Malta, and Doria based his forces at the island ofFavignana. The two admirals, however, did not meet up, as Turgut Reis had sailed toToulon in August 1546, staying there for several months and letting his men have some rest in the security of a French port.
After Barbarossa's death in July 1546, Turgut succeeded him as supreme commander of Ottoman naval forces in theMediterranean.[21] In July 1547 he once again assaulted Malta with a force of 23 galleys and galiots, after hearing the news that theKingdom of Naples was shaken by the revolt against Viceroy DonPietro of Toledo, which would make a naval support from there to Malta rather unlikely. Turgut Reis landed his troops atMarsa Scirocco, the extreme southern point of the island which faces the shores of Africa. From there the Ottoman troops quickly marched towards the vicinity of the Church of Santa Caterina. The guards of the church tower escaped as soon as they saw the forces of Turgut Reis, which prevented them from igniting the tub of gunpowder—a common method used then to warn the local inhabitants of attacks.
After sacking the island, Turgut Reis headed towards Capo Passero in Sicily, where he captured the galley of Giulio Cicala, son of Duke Vincenzo Cicala. He later sailed to theAeolian Islands, and atSalina Island he captured a Maltese trade ship with valuable cargo. From there he sailed toApulia and towards the end of July 1547 he assaulted the city ofSalve. He later sailed toCalabria, forcing the local population to flee towards the safety of the mountains. From there he went to Corsica and captured a number of ships.
On 30 May 1550, Turgut Reis led an attack on theMallorcan town ofPollença, but was defeated by a militia made up of the townspeople using crude farming equipment as weaponry. This event, known as the battle of the Moors and Christians, is commemorated and recreated by the townspeople of Pollença every August.[22]
In 1548 he was appointedBeylerbeyi (Chief Governor) ofAlgeria by Suleiman the Magnificent. In that same year he ordered the construction of a quadrireme galley at the naval arsenal ofDjerba, which he started using in 1549. In August 1548 he landed atCastellamare di Stabia on the Bay of Naples and captured the city along with nearbyPozzuoli. From there he went toProcida. A few days later, he captured a Spanish galley loaded with troops and gold atCapo Miseno nearProcida. In the same days he captured the Maltese galley,La Caterinetta, at the Gulf of Naples, with its cargo of 70,000 gold ducats which were collected by the Knights of St. John from the churches of France with the aim of strengthening the defenses ofTripoli, which was then under Maltese control.
In May 1549 he set sail towards Liguria with 21 galleys and in July he assaultedRapallo, later replenishing his ships with water and other supplies atSan Fruttuoso. From there he sailed toPortofino and landed at the port, before appearing atSan Remo where he captured anAragonese galley fromBarcelona ] heading towards Naples. From there he first sailed towards Corsica and later towards Calabria<, where he assaulted the city ofPalmi.
In February 1550, sailing with a force of 36 galleys, he recaptured Mahdia along withAl Munastir,Sousse and most ofTunisia. In May 1550 he assaulted the ports ofSardinia and Spain and landed on their coasts with a force of six galleys and 14 galiots. Still in May he unsuccessfully tried to capture Bonifacio in Corsica. On his way back to Tunisia, he stopped at Gozo to replenish his ships with water and to gather information on the activities of the Maltese Knights. He later sailed towards Liguria.
In June 1550, while Turgut Reis was sailing near Genoa, Andrea Doria and BailiffClaude de la Sengle of the Maltese Knights attacked Mahdia in Tunisia. In the meantime, Turgut Reis was busy assaulting and sacking Rapallo for a third time, before raiding the coasts of Spain. He then sailed to theTyrrhenian Sea and towards the beginning of July landed at the western shores of Sardinia, before returning to Djerba, where he learned that Doria and Claude de la Sengle had been attacking Mahdia andTunis. He collected a force of 4500 troops and 60sipahis and marched on Mahdia to assist the local resistance. He did not succeed and returned to Djerba with his troops.
In September 1550 Mahdia surrendered to the joint Spanish-Sicilian-Maltese force. In the meantime, Turgut Reis was repairing his ships at the beach of Djerba. On October, Andrea Doria appeared with his fleet at Djerba and blocked the entrance of the island's lagoon with his ships, trapping the beached galleys of Turgut Reis inside the Channel of Cantera. Turgut Reis had all his ships dragged overland through hastily dug canals and on a heavily greased broadway to the other side of the island and sailed toIstanbul, capturing two galleys on the way, one Genoese and one Sicilian, which were en route to Djerba in order to assist the forces of Doria. Prince Abu Beker, son of the Sultan of Tunis, who was an ally of Spain, was on the Genoese galley.
After arriving in Istanbul, Turgut Reis, under mandate bySultan Suleiman, mobilized a fleet of 112galleys and twogalleasses with 12,000Janissaries, and in 1551 set sail with the Ottoman admiralSinan Pasha towards theAdriatic Sea and bombarded the Venetian ports, inflicting serious damage on Venetian shipping.
In May 1551 they landed on Sicily and bombarded the eastern shores of the island, most notably the city ofAugusta, as revenge for the Viceroy of Sicily's role in the invasion and destruction of Mahdia, where most inhabitants had been massacred by the joint Spanish-Sicilian-Maltese force. They then attempted to capture Malta, landing with about 10,000 men at the southern port ofMarsa Muscietto. They laid siege to the citadels ofBirgu andSenglea, and later went north and assaultedMdina, but lifted the siege after realizing that it was impossible to capture the island with the number of troops in hand.
Instead, they moved to the neighboring island ofGozo, where they bombarded the citadel for several days. The Knights' governor there, Galatian de Sesse, realizing that resistance was futile, surrendered the citadel, and the corsairs sacked the town. Taking virtually the entire population of Gozo (approximately 5,000 people) into captivity, Turgut and Sinan set sail from the port of Mġarr ix-Xini in Gozo and headed towards Libya, where they shipped the captives toTarhuna Wa Msalata. They later sailed towards Tripoli with the aim of conquering the strategic port city and its environs.
In August 1551 Turgut Reisattacked and captured Tripoli (Ottoman Tripolitania, modernLibya) which had been a possession of theKnights of St. John since 1530. Gaspare de Villers, the commander of the fort, was captured, along with other prominent knights of Spanish and French origin.
However, upon the intervention of the Frenchambassador in Constantinople,Gabriel d'Aramon, the French knights were released. A local leader,Murad Agha, was initially installed as governor ofTripoli, but subsequently Turgut himself took control of the area. In recognition of his services, Sultan Suleiman awarded Tripoli and the surrounding territory to Turgut, along with the title ofSanjak Bey ("Lord of the Standard").
In September 1551, Turgut Reis sailed to Liguria and captured the city ofTaggia, before capturing other ports of the Italian Riviera, after Ottoman troops landed at the beach ofRiva Trigoso. Later that year, he returned to Tripoli and sought to extend his territory, capturing the entire region ofMisrata all the way toZuwara and Djerba to the west. Turning inland, he enhanced his territory until reaching Gebel.
Following this victory, Suleiman appointed TurgutBeylerbeyi (Chief Regional Governor) of the Mediterranean Sea.
In May 1553, Turgut Reis set sail from theAegean Sea with 60 galleys, capturedCrotone and Castello in Calabria, and from there marched inland. Later he landed on Sicily and sacked most of the island until stopping atLicata for replenishing his ships with water. In August 1553, he sacked the island ofPantelleria.[23]
From therehe sailed to Corsica and took Bonifacio andBastia on behalf ofFrance, then ally of the Ottoman Empire, which paid him 30,000 gold ducats for the expense of ammunition in the conquest. Leaving Corsica, Turgut Reis returned to Elba and attempted to capturePiombino andPortoferraio, but eventually gave up and captured the island ofPianosa and recaptured the island and castle ofCapri (previously captured by Barbarossa back in 1535) before returning to Istanbul.
In 1554 he sailed from theBosphorus with 60 galleys and passed the winter inChios. From there he sailed to theAdriatic Sea and landed atVieste nearFoggia, capturing and sacking the city, killing 5000 of its inhabitants.
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In March 1556, Turgut Reis was appointedPasha ofTripoli. There, he strengthened the walls of the citadel surrounding the city and built a gunpowder bastion (Dar el Barud). He also strengthened the defenses of the port and built the Turgut (Dragut) Fortress in place of the old Fortress of San Pietro. In July 1556 he again set sail and landed at Cape Santa Maria at the island ofLampedusa, where he captured a Venetian ship which transported ammunition and weapons for the defense of Malta. He later landed in Liguria and capturedBergeggi andSan Lorenzo. In December 1556 he capturedGafsa in Tunisia and added it to his territory.
In the summer of 1557 he left the Bosphorus with a fleet of 60 galleys and, arriving at theGulf of Taranto, he landed in Calabria and assaultedCariati, capturing the city. He later landed at the ports ofApulia.
In 1558 he addedGharyan, about 70 miles south of Tripoli, to his territory. He then defeated the Beni Oulid dynasty with a force of janissaries and added their territories to the Ottoman Empire. He later took Taorga,Misrata and Tagiora, before recapturing the island of Djerba and adding it to his province. In June 1558 he joined the fleet ofPiyale Pasha at theStrait of Messina, and the two admirals capturedReggio Calabria, sacking the city.
From there, Turgut Reis went to theAeolian Islands and captured several of them, before landing atAmalfi, in the Gulf ofSalerno, and capturingMassa Lubrense, Cantone andSorrento. He later landed atTorre del Greco, the coasts of Tuscany, and Piombino. In August he captured several ships off Malta. In September 1558 he joined Piyale Pasha, and the two admirals assaulted the coasts of Spain before capturingCiutadella (Menorca) and inflicting particular damage on the island's ports.
In 1559 he repelled a Spanish attack onAlgiers and put down a revolt in Tripoli. In that same year he captured a Maltese ship nearMessina. Learning from its crew that the knights were preparing for a major attack on Tripoli, he decided to sail back there and strengthen the city's defenses.
In the meantime, Dragut had made enemies of many of the nominally Ottoman, but practically independent rulers in Tunis and the adjoining hinterland, and several of them entered into an alliance in 1560 withViceroy Cerda of Sicily, who had orders from KingPhilip II of Spain to join his forces in an effort to capture Tripoli.
Philip II's efforts ended in failure when the Ottoman fleet of 86 ships, under the command of Piyale Pasha and Turgut Reis, decisively defeated the fleet of the Christian alliance of Philip II, consisting of 200 ships, at theBattle of Djerba.
In March 1561 Turgut Reis andUluç Ali Reis captured Vincenzo Cicala and Luigi Osorio near the island ofMarettimo. In June 1561 Turgut landed on the island ofStromboli. In July 1561 he captured seven Maltese galleys under the command of knight Guimarens, whom he later freed for a ransom of 3,000 gold ducats. After stopping at Gozo to replenish his galleys with water, he sailed back to Tripoli. In August 1561 he laid siege to the city of Naples and blocked the port with 35 galleys.
In April 1562 he sent scout ships to explore all corners of the island ofMalta. Still in 1562 he laid siege toOran which was under Spanish control.
In 1563, he landed at the shores of the province ofGranada and captured coastal settlements in the area likeAlmuñécar, along with 4,000 prisoners. He later landed atMálaga. In April 1563 he supported the fleet ofSalih Reis with 20 galleys during the Ottoman siege of Oran, bombarding the Fortress ofMers-el-Kebir.
In September 1563, Dragut sailed to Naples and captured six ships near the island ofCapri, which carried valuable goods and Spanish soldiers. He later landed at theChiaia neighbourhood of Naples and captured it. From there he sailed to Liguria and Sardinia, raiding the coastal towns, particularlyOristano, Marcellino and Ercolento. He then sailed to the Adriatic Sea and landed on the coasts of Apulia andAbruzzo. He later landed twice at San Giovanni near Messina with a force of 28 galleys. In October 1563 he sailed towards Capo Passero in Sicily and later landed once more on Gozo, where he briefly fought against the knights.
WhenSultan Suleiman ordered theGreat Siege of Malta in 1565, Dragut joinedPiyale Pasha and the Ottoman forces with 1,600 men (3,000 according to some sources) and 15 ships (13 galleys and 2 galiots; while some sources mention 17 ships) on 31 May 1565. He landed his troops at the entrance ofMarsa Muscietto, a cape which was named after him, 'Dragut Point'.
It was there where Dragut met withKızılahmedli Mustafa Pasha, commander of the Ottoman land forces, who was besiegingFort St. Elmo. Dragut advised him to first capture the poorly defendedCittadella andMdina as soon as possible, but this advice was not taken. Dragut also arranged for more cannon fire to be concentrated on the recently built Fort St. Elmo which controlled the entrance of theGrand Harbour and seemed weaker than the other forts; joining the bombardment with 30 of his own cannon. In only 24 hours the Ottomans fired 6000 cannon shots. Realizing that Fort St. Elmo andFort St. Angelo (the main headquarters of the Knights on the other side of the Grand Harbour) could still communicate with each other, Dragut ordered a complete siege of Fort St. Elmo with the aim of isolating it from Fort St. Angelo.
On 18 June 1565, Dragut was injured on the head, after he was hit by a piece of rock when a cannonball struck close to his position.[24][25] It is not clear if the shot was fired from Fort St. Angelo, or if he was hit byfriendly fire from a Turkish battery.[26] Dragut succumbed to his wounds and died five days later, on 23 June 1565.[24] Spanish and Italian historians such asFrancisco Balbi di Correggio record the eventual defeat of Dragut's forces, after his death, in Malta.[27] Many historians believe that, had he lived, the siege would have succeeded. His death, however, prompted squabbling between the two senior Ottoman military officers, which led, in turn, to a series of disastrous decisions that helped save the knights.[1] His body was taken to Tripoli byUluç Ali Reis, and buried in theSidi Darghut Mosque, situated behind the castle. The mosque is still in use today.[28]
Dragut is depicted in many works of art, statues, and many books have been written about his life and conquests. Points of interest and buildings in multiple countries have been named after his native Turkish name of Turgut Reis. The town where he was born now bears his name, being renamed fromKaratoprak in his honor, in 1972. Warships of theTurkish Navy, and passenger ships have been named after Turgut Reis. Turgut Reis continues to enjoy great fame and respect in Turkey, where the town of his birth is namedTurgutreis.
The end of theTigne promontory inMalta is called Dragut Point, where Turgut established his first battery for the bombardment ofFort Saint Elmo in 1565. Dragut is considered a nemesis in Maltese history, and "il-Ponta ta' Dragut" serves as amemorial to the great battles that were fought there and the ultimate defeat of Dragut at theGreat Siege of Malta.
Dragut Reis was respected as the best Moslem seaman of his era, a true pirate, Governor of Tripoli and a military genius. Many historians believe that, had he lived, the siege would have succeeded. His death, however, prompted squabbling between the two senior Ottoman military officers, which led, in turn, to a series of disastrous decisions that helped save the knights. It was on this point... that Dragut was mortally wounded before the fall of St. Elmo when a fragment of rock thrown up by a cannonball struck his head. He would have died instantly had it not been for his thick turban. Death came days later in his tent, shortly after he received news from a messenger that St. Elmo had fallen at last.
Of all the corsairs who preyed on Sicilian wheat, Dragut (Turghut) was the most dangerous. A Greek by birth, he was now about fifty years old and behind him lay a long and adventurous career including four years in the Genoese galleys.
Born in 1485, he was eighty years old when he came to Malta for the siege. He had been a lieutenant under the famous Barbarossa and, on the latter's death, Dragut became the uncrowned king of the Mediterranean. He was known to his fellow Moslems as 'The Drawn Sword of Islam'. Although in his earlier career he had been at variance with the Sultan Suleiman, the latter had recently recognized Dragut's abilities by confirming him Governor of Tripoli. He knew the Maltese archipelago very well, having raided both islands on several occasions. Among his many successes against the Christians was his capture of Bastia in Corsica (when he had carried off seven thousand captives) and of Reggio in Italy (when he enslaved the whole population of the city). It was Dragut who had captured Tripoli from the Knights of St John in 1551. An old adversary of La Valette, he was undoubtedly the most able of all the Turkish leaders. He was described by a French admiral as 'A living chart of the Mediterranean, skillful enough on land to be compared to the finest generals of the time. No one was more worthy than he to bear the name of king'.
Ordinarily Dragut Reis – who was dubbed by the Faithful "The Drawn Sword of Islam"
It is named after the 16th-century Admiral Turgut (Dragut), who was born here to Greek parents; his mentor Barbarossa, another Greek who 'turned Turk', in a moment of unusual humility declared that Dragut was ahead of him 'both in fishing and bravery'.
One of the most famous corsairs was Turghut (Dragut) (?–1565), who was of Greek ancestry and a protégé of Khayr al-Din. He participated in the successful Ottoman assault on Tripoli in 1551 against the Knights of St. John of Malta. ... While pasha, he built up Tripoli and adorned it, making it one of the most impressive cities along the North African littoral.
Although there is no historical record to which village Turgut Reis was born in Saravalos, region folks in an agreement point to us Karabağ, which strikes our attention as no village other than here has any claim on the issue and the fact that the narrative story that is recited since the 1700s about how Turgut Reis sailed to seas the first time in his life also directs us to this village, brings out the conclusion that Turgut Reis was from the Karabağ village of Turgut Reis sub-district.
Ottomans extended their western maritime frontier across North Africa under the naval command of another Greek Moslem, Torghoud (or Dragut), who succeeded Barbarossa upon the latter's death in 1546.
And the corsairs' greatest leader, Dragut, had also done time, at the oar of a Genoese galley. Dragut was born of Greek parents, Orthodox Christians, at Charabulac on the coast of Asia Minor, but a Turkish governor took a fancy to the boy and carried him off to Egypt.
Neither was the career of Dragut, another Greek whom we find in 1540s on the Tunisian coast and in 1561 installed at Tripoli in Barbary, in place of the Knights of Malta whom the Turks had expelled five years earlier.
A new star was now rising in the piratical firmament, Barbarossa's lieutenant Dragut-Reis, a Greek who had been taken prisoner by the corsairs in his youth and had turned Mahometan.
"Of all the corsairs who preyed on Sicilian wheat, Dragut (Turghut) was the most dangerous. A Greek by birth, he was now about fifty years old and behind him lay a long and adventurous career including four years in the Genoese galleys.
Osmanlı donanması, daha çok hayatına korsan olarak başlamış reislerin komutasında varlık göstermiştir. Bu reislerin birçoğu da Hıristiyan kökenliydi. Örneğin Turgut Reis'in annebabasının Rum olması ihtimali güçlüdür. Ancak, Türk kaynaklan bu iddiayı ciddiye almazlar. Benzer biçimde, Hızır Reis ve kardeşlerinin babalannın Rum'dan dönme bir tımar beyi olduğu kuvvetle muhtemel, annelerinin Rum olduğu da kesindir. Halikamas Balıkçısı, Turgut Reis'le ilgili bu güçlü ihtimale önem vermeye hiç niyetli görünmüyor. Tersine, kitaba doğumunu anlatmakla başlayarak böyle bir ihtimali zihnimizden silmek üzere davranıyor.
Desperate to find some explanation for the sudden resurgence of Muslim sea power in the Mediterranean after centuries of Christian dominance, Christian commentators in the sixth century (and later) pointed to the supposed Christian roots of the greatest Barbary corsair commanders. It was a strange kind of comfort. The Barbarossas certainly had a Greek Christian mother, but it now seems certain their father was a Muslim Turk. Attempts were made to give Greek Christian parents to Turgut Reis, but all the indications are that he came from a Muslim Turkish peasant family.
a Turkish governor took a fancy to the boy and carried him off to Egypt.
Dragut was killed on Saturday 23 June 1565, in the great battle between the Ottomans and the Hospitallers of St. John in Malta. He was approximately 80 years old. His body was shipped to Tripoli and buried in the Dragut mosque situationed behind the castle. The mosque is still in use today.
