The Battle of Karpathos was a battle in 1498 in which the Ottoman fleet under the command of Kemal Reis defeated the Knights Hospitaller fleet under the command of Nicolas Centurione, which blocked its way between Karpathos and Crete on its return from Egypt in July 1498.
| Battle of Karpathos (1498) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Ottoman Empire |
 Knights Hospitaller | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Kemal Reis | Nicolas Centurione (POW) | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 5 galleys | 10 galleys | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Light |
1 ship sank 5 ships captured | ||||||
Background
editThe Ottoman Sultan Bayezid II, who implemented an active maritime policy, accelerated these efforts after the death of Cem Sultan. Bayezid II, who especially aimed to make substantial preparations against Venice, invited Kemal Reis to Istanbul in 1495 and allocated a significant budget to create a large fleet. In the same year, Kemal Reis made a show of strength in the Mediterranean with the navy he had expanded.[1]
In 1498, Kemal Reis was assigned to transport the incomes of the foundations of the Haremeyn (Mecca and Medina) in Anatolia to Alexandria by sea, since the land route was not safe. This intended 13-piece (5 galleys, and 6 fusta Ottoman fleet reached Egypt at the beginning of June 1498 via the Aegean Sea-Eastern Mediterranean. If the Ottoman trade was harassed by the Knights Hospitaller off the coast of Crete, Kemal Reis warded off the harassment in order to risk the loss and avoid getting into trouble.[2]
Battle
editThe Ottoman fleet under the command of Kemal Reis was harassed again by the Knights Hospitaller on its way back in July. This time, the Ottoman navy, which had taken up battle formation to carry valuable cargo, attacked the Rhodian navy under the command of Nicolas Centurione (called "Sunturluoğlu" by the Ottomans). The Turkish navy, which sank the flagship and captured Centurione, also captured five Rhodian ships.[3]
Kemal Reis made a triumphant entrance into Istanbul with the 5 Rhodian ships he captured and a large number of prisoners, and delivered the prisoners to the Sultan Bayezid II.[4]
References
edit- ^ "Tevârîh-i Âl-i Osman", İbn Kemal, v.VIII, p.146-147
- ^ "Kemal Reis's Life and Services to Turkish Maritime", Emine Kutlu, 2017, p.24
- ^ "Tarih", Âşıkpaşazâde, p.150-151
- ^ "Islam Encyclopedia, "Kemal Reis" article, Turkish Religious Foundation, v.25, Ankara (2022), p.227". Archived from the original on 8 May 2023. Retrieved 8 May 2023.