Sinan Pasha (Admiral)

Sinan Pascha (Turkish: Kaptan-ı Derya Sinan Paşa ; full name Sinanüddin Yusuf Paşa ; † December 21, 1553 in Constantinople ) was, as the predecessor of Piyale Pasha , Grand Admiral (Kaptan-ı Derya) of the Ottoman Navy from 1550 to the end of 1553 , during the reign of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent . He was a brother of Grand Vizier Rustem Pascha , who in turn was married to a daughter of Suleyman, Mihrimah Sultan .

Sinan Pasha repeatedly collaborated with the famous corsair and Admiral Turgut Reis in Ottoman attacks on the Italian and North African coasts of the Mediterranean . Since he, unlike Turgut Reis, was not a real naval expert, he was far less popular with the admirals and captains of the fleet than Turgut, and this led to conflicts between the two on several occasions. After the Ottoman conquest of Tripoli in 1551, for example, the entire Ottoman fleet left Sinan Pasha on land, followed Turgut Reis into the Tyrrhenian Sea , declaring that they only accept Turgut as commander. She only returned after Turgut Reis, who rightly saw it as mutiny and treason, ordered it. Sultan Suleyman, who was very angry about this incident but valued Turgut's abilities and loyalty very much, ordered Sinan Pasha “to do whatever Turgut Reis recommends”.

There are contradicting contemporary statements about Sinan Pasha's character. The Ottoman historian Ibrâhîm Peçevî wrote that Sinan Pasha was a haughty megalomaniac who did not listen to the opinions and advice of others and that he had a cold look. On the other hand, a Spanish chronicler wrote that Sinan Pasha was a man with a brave heart and a kind disposition.

Sinan Pasha died on December 21, 1553 in his palace in Constantinople and was buried in the garden of the Mihrimah Sultan Mosque in Üsküdar, built by Mimar Sinan .

Web links

• Sinan Pasha's grave in Üsküdar
• Turgut Reis and Sinan Pasha (Turkish)
• Illustration by Mathias van Somer from 1665: Sinan Bassa Tyrckischer Veccier or War Brother ( digitized )