The
Kapudan Pasha (, modern:
Kaptan Paşa), was the
commander-in-chief of the
navy of the
Ottoman Empire. He was also known as the
Kapudan-ı Derya (Ottoman: قپودان دریا, modern:
Kaptan-ı Derya, "Captain of the Sea"). Typically, he was based at
Galata and
Gallipoli during the winter and charged with annual sailings during the summer months. The title of
Kapudan Pasha itself is only attested from 1567 onwards; earlier designations for the supreme commander of the fleet include
Derya Bey ("
bey of the sea") and
Re'is Kapudan ("head captain").