Ottoman Period
Khayr ad-Din Barbarossa
Ottoman period
Warriors & Resistance16th century (c. 1478–1546)Algiers
He became Grand Admiral of the Ottoman fleet under Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent.
Curator's note
The Barbarossa brothers turned Algiers into a Mediterranean power. Their legacy is double-edged: feared corsairs to some, founders of an enduring Algerian state to others — a reminder that history rarely fits a single frame.
, Museum curator
Historical significance
He founded the Regency of Algiers, a state that would last about three centuries before the French invasion.
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.
Did you know?
He became Grand Admiral of the Ottoman fleet under Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent.