27. Sayyida al-Hurra

Continuing with our theme of pirate queens, we take you back to the early 16th century in Northern Africa where we take a closer look at the life and reign of Sayyida al Hurra, the last woman in Islamic history to hold the title al-Hurra or Queen. After fleeing the Reconquista in Spain, Sayyida’s family would settle in Northern Africa as refugees. As they worked to unite their fellow refugees to create a unified Morocco, an informal navy of privateers assembled to serve up revenge against the Spanish and Portuguese forces that drove them out of their homeland. And Sayyida al-Hurra is the driving force behind this battle for control over Morocco and the Strait of Gebraltar.