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Khayr ad-Din Barbarossa
16th century (c. 1478–1546)Algiers
📖Their story
A skilled naval commander, Khayr ad-Din placed Algiers under Ottoman protection and turned it into a Mediterranean power. He fortified the city, built a fleet, and challenged the great European empires at sea.
⭐Why they matter
He founded the Regency of Algiers, a state that would last about three centuries before the French invasion.
💡Did you know?
He became Grand Admiral of the Ottoman fleet under Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent.