# Oruç Reis

> Ottoman corsair, later Sultan of Algiers (c. 1474–1518)

**Wikidata**: [Q470634](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q470634)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aruj_Barbarossa)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/oruc-reis

## Summary
Oruç Reis was an Ottoman corsair who later became the Sultan of Algiers, active circa 1474–1518. He is best known for his naval raids in the western Mediterranean and his leadership of Algiers, and is remembered by numerous aliases such as Aruj Barbarossa.

## Biography
- Born: c. 1474 (place unknown)  
- Nationality: Ottoman  
- Education: *not specified in source*  
- Known for: Ottoman corsair and Sultan of Algiers  
- Employer(s): Ottoman Empire (corsair service); Algiers (rulership)  
- Field(s): corsairing/privateering, naval warfare  

## Contributions
No specific works, publications, inventions, or patents are recorded in the provided source material for Oruç Reis.

## FAQs
**Who was Oruç Reis?**  
Oruç Reis was an Ottoman corsair who later ruled as the Sultan of Algiers, living approximately from 1474 to 1518.

**What aliases are associated with Oruç Reis?**  
His aliases include Aruj Barbarossa, Aruj Reis, Baba Aruj, Baba Oruç, Horuc Barbarossa, and Horuk Barbarossa.

**When did Oruç Reis live?**  
He is dated to circa 1474–1518, based on the source’s chronological note.

**What position did Oruç Reis hold in Algiers?**  
He served as the Sultan of Algiers after his career as an Ottoman corsair.

**What is the Oruç Reis‑class submarine?**  
It is a 1942 class of British/Turkish submarines named after him.

**How is Oruç Reis linked to the Ottoman Empire?**  
He is described as an Ottoman corsair, indicating his service and allegiance to the Ottoman Empire.

**What related concepts appear alongside Oruç Reis in the knowledge base?**  
He is connected to the entities: human, beylerbey, privateer, naval officer, writer, Ottoman Empire, and the Oruç Reis‑class submarine, each with its own description and sitelink count as provided.

## Why They Matter
Oruç Reis’s career as an Ottoman corsair helped project Ottoman naval power into the western Mediterranean, while his rule as Sultan of Algiers established a lasting base of operations that influenced subsequent Barbary corsair activity. His leadership illustrates the fluid boundary between state‑sanctioned privateering and independent piracy in the early modern Mediterranean, a dynamic that shaped maritime trade and conflict for generations.

## Notable For
- Multiple historical aliases (Aruj Barbarossa, Aruj Reis, Baba Aruj, Baba Oruç, Horuc Barbarossa, Horuk Barbarossa)  
- Service as an Ottoman corsair  
- Rule as Sultan of Algiers (c. 1474–1518)  
- Namesake of the Oruç Reis‑class submarine (1942)  
- Inclusion in the knowledge base as a human figure with a wikidata description matching his role  
- Association with the concepts of beylerbey, privateer, naval officer, writer, Ottoman Empire, and the Oruç Reis‑class submarine  

## Body
### Early Life
Oruç Reis is recorded as having been born around 1474. No specific place of birth is provided in the source material.

### Career as Corsair
He is identified as an Ottoman corsair, indicating that he conducted naval raids under the auspices or tolerance of the Ottoman Empire. This role placed him within the broader category of privateers—individuals or vessels authorized by a government to attack foreign shipping.

### Rule as Sultan of Algiers
After his corsair activities, Oruç Reis became the Sultan of Algiers. This title signifies his sovereign authority over the Algiers region during the early 16th century.

### Aliases and Names
The source lists several aliases for Oruç Reis: Aruj Barbarossa, Aruj Reis, Baba Aruj, Baba Oruç, Horuc Barbarossa, and Horuk Barbarossa. The Wikipedia article bearing his name is titled *Aruj Barbarossa*, and his Wikidata description reads: “Ottoman corsair, later Sultan of Algiers (c. 1474–1518).” His sitelink count in the knowledge base is 33.

### Related Entities
The knowledge base connects Oruç Reis to the following entities, each with its own description and sitelink count (and additional properties where given):

- **human** – defined as any single member of *Homo sapiens*, the unique extant species of the genus *Homo*; sitelink_count: 273.  
- **beylerbey** – during the Safavid and Ottoman Empires, the head of the sanjak beys who ruled a province; also a high‑ranking official in the Mongol hordes after their Islamization; country: , , ; sitelink_count: 45.  
- **privateer** – a private person or ship authorized by a government to attack foreign shipping; sitelink_count: 53.  
- **naval officer** – a commissioned officer serving in a navy; sitelink_count: 11.  
- **writer** – a person who uses written words to communicate ideas and to produce literary works; sitelink_count: 176.  
- **Ottoman Empire** – a multiethnic empire ruled by the Ottoman dynasty from 1299 to 1922; inception: +1299-07-29T00:00:00Z (alternative +1300-00-00T00:00:00Z); country: ; sitelink_count: 209.  
- **Oruç Reis‑class submarine** – a 1942 class of British/Turkish submarines; inception: +1942-00-00T00:00:00Z; sitelink_count: 7.

These connections are presented exactly as they appear in the source; no additional assertions about Oruç Reis holding any of these roles are made beyond the explicit statements provided.

### Legacy
The Oruç Reis‑class submarine, named in his honor, reflects the enduring recognition of his name in naval history. His historical persona as an Ottoman corsair and ruler of Algiers continues to be referenced in discussions of Mediterranean piracy, Ottoman maritime expansion, and the Barbary corsair legacy.

## References

1. Integrated Authority File
2. Dictionary of African Biography
3. [Source](https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/oruc-reis)
4. International Standard Name Identifier
5. Virtual International Authority File
6. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013