Person

Oruç Reis

c. 1474–1518 · 16th century · Also known as Aruj Barbarossa, Oruç Barbarossa

Oruç Reis, called Barbarossa, was an Ottoman corsair from Lesbos who, with his brother Hayreddin, raided Spanish shipping and coasts from bases in North Africa. He lost an arm attacking Spanish-held Bejaia in 1512, seized Algiers in 1516 and made himself its ruler. He was killed by Spanish forces near Tlemcen in 1518, and Hayreddin then placed Algiers under the Ottoman sultan.

Oruç Reis
Image: Johann Theodor de Bry · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 profile

Regency of AlgiersFoundation, Summary

Mentioned in 2 state histories

Spanish BougieRegency of Algiers

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Oruç Reis. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/oruc-reis
MLA
“Oruç Reis.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/oruc-reis. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Oruç Reis.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/oruc-reis.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Oruç Reis’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/oruc-reis (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻