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Baltaoglu

بالطة أوغلي

Baltaoglu, the Ottoman fleet commander at the siege of Constantinople in 857/1453; al-Salabi records Mehmed's message to him when European ships tried to reach the gulf — 'take those ships or sink them, and if you fail do not return to me alive' — and, when the ships got through, his dismissal on a charge of cowardice. The admiral uncovered his wounded eye: 'I face death steadfastly, but it grieves me to die under this accusation.' The sultan accepted his excuse, dismissed him, and appointed Hamza Pasha in his place 1.

Depth

At a glance

Roles
military-leader
Era
The Mongol and Post-Mongol Era
Region
Anatolia
Identifiers
Wikidata
Review
Draft Completeness 2/5 · Help complete it

Overview

Baltaoglu, the Ottoman fleet commander at the siege of Constantinople in 857/1453.

The sea fight

When European ships tried to reach the gulf, Mehmed sent him word: 'Take those ships or sink them — and if you fail, do not return to me alive.' His fleet could not stop them despite great efforts 1.

The dismissal

The angry sultan dismissed and berated him as a coward; Baltaoglu lifted his turban's edge from his wounded eye: 'I face death steadfastly — but it grieves me to die under such an accusation.' Mehmed saw the man had excuse enough, contented himself with the dismissal, and put Hamza Pasha in his place 1.

Connections

Explore the connections

Participated in
Conquest of Constantinople in 857 AH

People and things also explored

Ahmad ibn Ismail al-Kurani· آق شمس الدين· Candarli Halil Pasha the Younger· Constantine XI Palaiologos· Gennadios II (Scholarios)· Giovanni Giustiniani· السلطان محمد الفاتح· Orban the Hungarian cannon-founder

Sources

  1. al-Dawla al-Uthmaniyya — Ali Muhammad al-Salabi (2001) , p. 97
Cite this page

islam.museum contributors. “Baltaoglu”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/person/baltaoghlu/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-10-22.

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Wing

People

Prophets, companions, scholars, rulers, scientists, poets, travelers: women and men who shaped the story. Related

Ahmad ibn Ismail al-Kurani

Ahmad ibn Ismail al-Kurani, 'the godly scholar' whom Murad II appointed to teach his son Mehmed when the prince was governor of Manisa; earlier tutors had failed — the boy had not even finished a Qur'an recitation — so the sultan gave al-Kurani a rod to beat him if he disobeyed. The scholar entered, rod in hand: 'Your father sent me to teach you and to beat you if you disobey'; the prince laughed, and was beaten so soundly he feared him and completed the Qur'an soon after. Al-Salabi describes him as one who would tear up a sultanic order that contravened the shari'a, address the sultan by name and never kiss his hand, and he backed Zaganos at the final war council.