1480s in the Palaiokipos village of Lesbos under Ottoman rule His father Yokup was a converted Muslim sipahi (contracted soldier possibly of Albanian origin, who took part in the conquest of Lesbos by the Ottoman navy Fomously known by his last name “Barbarossa”, he is considered as one of the most successful navy commander of the Muslim history. He successfully defeated the Spanish forces in 1556 to capture Algiers and then established and strengthened his power in North Africa, The Mediterranean and around eastern Atlantic. After the “Reconquista”, the Spanish and the Portuguese had started attacking the coastal Muslim cities of North Africa. The Muslims were determined to get payback and Barbarossa did that by strengthening Muslim positions and lounching attacks as far as the coast of southern Europe. Due to the hammering at the hands of Barbaros so’, European’s labelled him as a pirate. Pope Paul Ill organized a sea crusade against Barborosso in 1538. The pope’s “Holy League” combined the sea powers of Papal Stotes, Spain, the Knights of Malto, and Principalities of Genoo and Venice to confront the Ottoman Navy under Barborossa’s command in Preveza now in Greece). The Holy League’s fleet assembled with 157 gallays under Adm. Andre Doria’s command, while Barbarossa’s navy hod only 122 golleys. Hayreddin Barbarossa smashed the Holy League’s navy on Sept. 28, 1528, in Preveza. The Ottomans sonk 10 of the Holy League’s ships, captured 36 more and burned three, without losing a single ship themselves. They also captured about 3,000 Christian sailors, at a cost of 400 Turkish dead and 800 wounded. The following day, despite unging from the other captains to stay and fight, Doria ordered the survivors of the Holy league’s feet to withdraw. Barbarossa continued on to Istanbul, where Suleiman received him at Topkapi Palace and promoted him to Kapton Derya (Chief Admiral) of the Ottoman Navy, and beylerbey, (Governor of governors) of Ottomon North Africa. Suleiman olso gave Barbarossa the governorship of Rhodes. In the following years, Barbarossa captured Tunis and Tripoli, too