Barbary pirates

Though at least a proportion of them are better described as privateers, the Barbary pirates operated out of Tunis, Tripoli, Algiers, Salè and ports in Morocco, preying on shipping in the western Mediterranean Sea from the time of the Crusades as well as on ships on their way to Asia around Africa until the early 19th century. Their stronghold was along the stretch of northern Africa known as the Barbary Coast (a medieval term for the Maghreb after its Berber inhabitants), although their predation was said to extend as far north as Iceland, and south along West Africa's Atlantic seaboard.

Related Topics:
Privateers - Tunis - Tripoli - Algiers - Salè - Morocco - Mediterranean Sea - Crusades - Northern Africa - Barbary Coast - Maghreb - Berber - Iceland - West Africa - Atlantic

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Perhaps the best-known was Barbarossa (meaning red beard) the nickname of Khair ad Din, who after having been invited to defend the city of Algiers from the Spaniards killed its ruler and seized it in 1510, making it into a major base for privateering, as well as a regent for the sultan of the Ottoman Empire.

Related Topics:
Khair ad Din - Algiers - Spaniards - Ottoman Empire

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Some of them were renegades or Moriscos. Their usual ship was the galley with slaves or prisoners at the oars. Two examples of these renegades are Süleyman Reis "De Veenboer" who became admiral of the Algerian corsair fleet in 1617, and his quartermaster Murad Reis, born Jan Janszoon van Haarlem. Both worked for the notorious corsair (privateer) Simon the Dancer, who owned a palace. These pirates were all originally Dutch. The Dutch admiral Michiel de Ruyter unsuccessfully tried to end their piracy.

Related Topics:
Renegade - Morisco - Galley - Dutch - Michiel de Ruyter

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~