Sack of Cullera facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sack of Cullera
Location of the sack of Cullera
Date May 1550 Location Cullera, Spain Result Ottoman victory. • Sack of the city • Almost all of the inhabitants are enslaved
Belligerents
Ottoman Empire	Spain
Commanders and leaders
Dragut
Strength
300 privateer
Casualties and losses
Unknown	Unknown

The Sack of Cullera was a major attack that happened in May 1550. A famous leader from the Ottoman Empire named Dragut led his ships to the city of Cullera in Spain. They attacked the city, took many valuable things, and sadly, took almost everyone who lived there as slaves.

Who Was Dragut?

Before attacking Cullera, Dragut was a well-known leader of ships called "privateers." These were like sea adventurers who sometimes attacked cities along the coast. He had already attacked other towns in Spain, like Benalmádena, Benissa, and Sant Joan d'Alacant. He used 27 large ships called galleys for these attacks. After these raids, he sailed to Valencia and attacked it before heading to Cullera.

The Attack on Cullera

Dragut and about 300 of his men attacked Cullera during the night. They quickly took control of the city. They took many valuable items from the people. The most tragic part was that almost everyone living in Cullera was captured and taken away as slaves.

These captured people were held in a cave nearby. Later, they were taken to a place called Algiers, where they were sold in a slave market. Today, that same cave in Cullera has a statue of Dragut and a museum to remember what happened during this attack.

After Cullera

After his attack on Cullera, Dragut continued his journey. He sailed to Majorca, another island in Spain. There, he attacked a town called Pollença, where he killed or captured about 130 people. He then attacked Barenys in Sardinia, where he destroyed a castle, burned crops, and took many more captives.