Turgut Reis

Dragut
Portrait of Turgut (Dragut) Reis
Native name	Turgut Reis
Nickname(s)	Dragut Rais, Darghouth (Arabic: درغوث)
Born	October 24th, 1485 near Bodrum, Ottoman Empire
Died	June 23, 1565 Malta
Allegiance	Ottoman Empire
Years of service	c. 1500–1565
Rank	Admiral, Governor-general, Pasha
Commands held	Commander-in-Chief of Ottoman Naval Forces in the Mediterranean (Beylerbey)
Battles/wars	Battle of Preveza Invasion of Gozo (1551) Siege of Tripoli (1551) Battle of Ponza (1552) Battle of Djerba Great Siege of Malta

Dragut (Turkish: Turgut Reis) (1485 – 23 June 1565), known as "The Drawn Sword of Islam", was a famed, respected, and feared MuslimOttoman Naval Commander of Greek descent. Recognized for his military genius, Dragut is referred to as "the greatest pirate warrior of all time". In addition to serving as admiral and corsair in the Ottoman Empire's Navy under Suleiman the Magnificent, Dragut was also appointed Bey of Algiers; Beylerbey of the Mediterranean; as well as Bey, and subsequently Pasha, of Tripoli. Under his skillful command, the Ottoman Empire's maritime power was extended across North Africa. While serving as Pasha of Tripoli, Dragut adorned and built the city up, making it one of the most impressive to behold along all the North African Coast.

Dragut was born in a village near Bodrum, on the Aegean coast of Asia Minor, in the sub-district called Saravalos in the western tip of Bodrum peninsula (which is called Turgutreis in his honour today) and most probably in the Karabağ village on the Aegean coast of Asia Minor. The religion of Dragut's parents and his religion at birth are currently disputed, though there is consensus that he was a Muslim throughout his entire adult life. At the age of 12 he was noticed by an Ottoman army commander for his extraordinary talent in using spears and arrows and was recruited by him. Under his support the young Turgut became a skilled sailor, an outstanding gunner, and was trained as a cannoneer and master of siege artillery, a skill which would play an important role in Turgut's future success and reputation as a superb naval tactician. The Ottoman Turkish governor eventually carried Turgut off to Egypt in 1517, where he participated in the Ottoman conquest of Egypt as a cannoneer. He further improved his skills in this field during his presence in Cairo. Following the death of his master, Turgut went to Alexandria and began his career as a sailor after joining the fleet of Sinan Reis. He immediately became one of the favourite crewmen of the famous corsair due to his success in hitting enemy vessels with cannons. Turgut soon mastered the skills of seamanship and became the captain of a brigantine, while given 1/4 of its ownership. After several successful campaigns, he became the sole owner of the brigantine. Turgut later became the captain and owner of a galliot, and arming it with the most advanced cannons of that period, he started to operate in the Eastern Mediterranean, especially targeting the shipping routes between Venice and the Aegean islands belonging to the Repubblica Serenissima.