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Umur Beg

1309 – 1348

Emir of Aydin, corsair

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About Umur Beg

Lived 1309 – 1348 (aged 38–39). Umur Beg was a sailor.

Umur Ghazi, Ghazi Umur, or Umur the Lion (Modern Turkish: Aydınoğlu Umur Bey, c. 1309–1348), also known as Umur Pasha He apparently sent 380 ships and 28,000 men to aid him in the conflict and besieged the city of Demotika in Thrace, Greece. The emperor John reportedly mourned his death. At the height of its power, the Beylik of Aydin possessed 350 ships and 15,000 men.

Umur's preying on Christian shipping led to the declaration of the Smyrniote crusades against him by Pope Clement VI in 1343. In 1348, his fleet was destroyed by an allied fleet from Venice, the Knights of Rhodes and Cyprus. Umur was killed by a barrage of arrows, climbing the walls of Smyrna Castle during a recapture attempt. His older brother Hızır Bey was appointed in his place.

Modern İzmir's district Gaziemir (Ghazi Emir) is named after him.

Personality and appearance Umur was described in an epic chronicle Düstürnâme-i Enverî, written by poet and historian Enveri during the reign of Sultan Mehmed II, as "the 'Lion of God' leading a just and holy war of conquest against the 'miscreants' and infidel Christians". As a writer, poet and patron of the arts and sciences, Kalila wa-Dimna was first translated to Persian during his reign.

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Important facts

Born
1309, Aydın
Birth century
Died
1348, İzmir
Occupation
Nationality
Beylik of Aydın
Positions held
Bey of Aydin
Also known as
Umur The Lion

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Umur Beg's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Umur Beg?

Emir of Aydin, corsair

When was Umur Beg born?

Umur Beg was born in 1309 in Aydın.

When did Umur Beg die?

Umur Beg died in 1348 in İzmir.

What was Umur Beg's occupation?

Umur Beg was a sailor.

What nationality was Umur Beg?

Umur Beg's recorded nationality: Beylik of Aydın.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Umur Beg

· Wikidata: Q717084

· DBpedia: Umur

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Umur Beg. https://biography.guide/umur-beg/

MLA: "Umur Beg." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/umur-beg/.

Chicago: "Umur Beg." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/umur-beg/.

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