Pakistan, Feb. 14 -- A son was born to Yakup, a converted Muslim Sipahi, and his Greek wife in the late 15th century in the village of Palaiokipos on Lesbos. This bicultural child, named Khizr, grew up with three brothers in a modest household. Yakup, once part of the Ottoman conquest of Lesbos, later sustained his family as a potter and boatman. His trade introduced his sons to sailing, a skill that would define their future. The brothers' camaraderie and maritime expertise eventually led them to become corsairs, driven by a vision to rise above obscurity.

Yakup's sons would go on to become renowned corsairs of the Mediterranean, earning the title "Barbarossa," meaning "red beard." While it is unclear if they were ginger-haired, their r...