Hasan Corso (born Pietro Paolo Tavera) was the mayor of Algiers and caliph of Salah Rais. Corso was born on the island of Corsica. When he was five years old, he was taken and sent away to Istanbul, and was introduced to the Janissaries. There, he was educated in the Muslim religion, Turkish language and given military education. At the end of these years, the Turkish gave him the name Hassan Corso, and sent him to Algiers. He rapidly rose through the ranks and earned the title of Agha. One of his principal lieutenants was a European convert to Islam as well, and hailing from Corso's neighbouring island of Sardinia, Ali "Sardo".