Mürted Bir Denizcinin Sergüzeşti: Mir Ali Bey’in Doğu Afrika Seferleri ve Portekiz’deki Esareti
The Adventure of an Apostate Sailor: Mir Ali Bey’s East African Expeditions and Captivity in Portugal

Summary/Abstract: As part of the Ottoman Empire’s strategy to expand its regional influence against Portuguese presence in the Indian Ocean, Mir Ali Bey was dispatched to Mogadishu in 1585. In 1589 he was captured by the Portuguese in Mombasa and subsequently transferred first to India and then to Portugal. According to Portuguese sources, during his captivity in the São Julião da Barra Fortress in Lisbon he converted to Christianity and adopted the name Francisco Julião. This incident reflects not only a personal transformation but also sheds light on the religious and political dimensions of the Ottoman-Portuguese rivalry. This study aims to examine the activities and captivity of Mir Ali Bey, who was appointed as an Ottoman representative along the East African coast during the final quarter of the 16th century within the context of the Ottoman-Portuguese rivalry. Drawing on Portuguese archival documents and contemporary primary sources the research seeks to explore the journey of an Ottoman seafarer from Africa to Portugal and to analyze the limited records concerning his life in captivity in Lisbon.

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