Barbarossa: Buried Near Bahçeşehir

           We have all heard his name, but he was always more a myth than a man to me.  There’s a character in the Disney series Pirates of the Caribbean portrayed by Geoffrey Rush based off him and with a name of close resemblance, but the real pirate doesn’t show up.  However, his effect on history, much to my surprise, was pretty important, at least in the part of the world I am in right now.  I’m referring to the great Red Beard himself, the privateer and admiral who wreaked havoc over the seas in service to the Ottoman Empire: the great Hayreddin Barbarossa.

            I chose to mention Barbarossa (1478-1546) today because of a cool structure located right down the street from my school for the semester, Bahçesehir University.  In sight of the water, in the district of Beşiktaş, you can see a small but beautiful mausoleum behind a black fence.  We found out that this space is the resting place of the great Barbarossa.

            The tomb lies right next to the Naval Museum of Istanbul.  He’s certainly a major contributor to the naval history of this land.  The tomb simultaneously lies on the Bosporus, where Barbarossa assembled his fleet and left for missions.  This was his turf, so how fitting to place it right here.  

              
                Knowing his tomb was so close to class, I decided to do some research on this naval legend.

                From folklore and films, I had always assumed Mr. Barbarossa was your typical pirate:  eye patch, parrot on his shoulder, peg leg, rum addiction, the works.  Turns out the real man wasn’t quite what I thought.  While he did pillage and plunder across the Mediterranean, he wasn’t exactly searching for buried treasure with an X-marks-the-spot kind of map.  Furthermore, instead of wearing a bandana or a skull-and-cross-bones hat....










           Barbarossa rocked the Turban, as well as some stylish robes and armor.






                Sailing since childhood, Barbarossa came from the Greek islands and lived a life of privateering with his brothers.  They raised quite a fleet and took land across North Africa, damaging and plundering the booty of many ships along the way.  After making enemies with the Spanish, they joined forces with the Ottoman Empire.  The brothers relinquished their land holdings, but in exchange were given soldiers, equipment, and ships.  

Barbarossa ended up spending almost three decades invading, sacking, pillaging, and capturing lands for the Ottoman Sultan, certainly sending a few unlucky souls to Davy Jones’ locker along the way.  Much of his time in service to the Empire was during the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent, one of the most decorated sultans in Ottoman history.  Barbarossa led what became a powerful Ottoman navy, enjoying victories left and right throughout the Mediterranean.  Now, the Empire was strong over both land and sea.  

Battle of Preveza, 1538

Without him and his successful naval campaigns, the Ottomans would have been incomplete and possibly weak at sea, making them more susceptible to defeat from the European powers like Spain and Portugal at this time.  He fortified them over water.  He also orchestrated a French/Ottoman alliance; the two had a common enemy in the Spanish (#theenemyofmyenemyismyfriend).  He even at one point refused a bribe from Emperor Charles V (not the first person from around Constantinople to resist a bribe from an Emperor...that'll come in a future blogpost). 

 Barbarossa filled an important gap in the Ottoman military that paid dividends, and thanks to his service, Suleiman bestowed high honors upon him, the position of Grand Admiral.  

Suleiman and Barbarossa

After a life defeating adversaries and defending the Ottoman Empire (and with that Islam), he retired to Constantinople and died there.

Barbarossa’s name means “Red Beard.”  The nickname was actually given to his older brother, who had a red beard but died.  Hayreddin inherited the name after his brother’s death, and also took it because it sounded similar to his Turkish name, Barbarous.

          Barbarossa’s tomb is beautifully maintained.  It’s only open on Fridays for a few hours, but last Friday I was lucky enough to spend some time there.  Right outside the structure, you can see a graveyard containing many tombstones.  The building’s entrance is decorated with gorgeous Arabic calligraphy, while the roof is as blue as the water he sailed on.  The architecture, designs, and schemes together remind me almost of a mini mosque. 

Like at a mosque, you are required to remove your shoes when you enter.  You walk on these comfortable, elegant textile rugs along the floor.  The inside holds Barbarossa’s casket, covered with a green banner; that green banner happens to be his flag.  Next to him you can find his son, his wife, and one of his admirals.  In front of his casket, you find an inscription, which reads:  “Prayer to the sacred soul of fleet Barbarossa Hayreddin Pasha”.

            I felt I had a moment with the great Barbarossa in there.  Anyone would.  They preserve it so well, and his energy and spirit floats among you in this sacred space.  As I left, I saw a massive monument in the distance.  As I approached, I noticed it was him standing heroically and victoriously:

People definitely know of his existence here.  All over Beşiktaş, you can find tributes to him: streets, restaurants, cafes, and of course his statue.  

One of many things named after him

Nothing compares, however, to the marvelous mausoleum standing right near where he set sail, where he embarked on his journeys into history.  This man was one of the greatest sailors of his day, and I’m happy to understand more about his life now, as well as glad to see him commemorated so dearly and affectionately here.

Peace unto you, Great Barbarossa.

                



*I took many of these photos, but the ones I did not are courtesy of Google Images.  Information referenced taken from class lectures and this website article, which contains much more information (excellent information) about the man:   https://sites.google.com/a/georgiasouthern.edu/history3030wiki5/hayreddin-barbarossa