Under the command of Hayreddin Barbarossa, the site was selected for its proximity to Tripoli which had come under the Knights of Malta in 1530 when Charles V of Spain, as King of Sicily, had given them Tripoli, Gozo and Malta.
The location was selected under Hayreddin Barbarossa's command because it was close to Tripoli, which had been taken over by the Knights of Malta in 1530 after Charles V of Spain, as King of Sicily, gave them Tripoli, Gozo, and Malta.