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Sunday marked the 459th anniversary of the death of Suleiman the Magnificent, the Ottoman Empire’s longest-reigning sultan, who passed away during a campaign to capture the fortress of Szigetvar in 1566.
Suleiman was born on Nov. 6, 1494, in Trabzon, where his father, Selim I, later the empire’s ninth sultan, served as governor. He spent his childhood there before receiving an education in science, religion, the military and literature at the Enderun School in Istanbul’s Topkapı Palace. He later became the governor of Saruhan province.
After Selim’s death on Sept. 22, 1520, Suleiman ascended the throne on Sept. 30, launching what became a nearly 46-year reign marked by military expansion, architectural achievements and sweeping legal reforms.
Rise of power
His first campaign was against the Kingdom of Hungary, capturing Belgrade in 1521. The following year, he seized Rhodes, a strategic island in the Eastern Mediterranean. In 1523, Suleiman appointed his childhood friend Pargalı Ibrahim Pasha as grand vizier.
Seeking dominance in the Mediterranean, he placed Barbaros Hayreddin Pasha at the head of the Ottoman Navy in 1532. His forces also moved against the Safavids in Iran and Iraq, capturing Tabriz and Baghdad.
In 1536, however, Suleiman ordered the execution of Ibrahim Pasha. That same year, the Ottoman Navy defeated a Christian fleet led by Genoese Adm. Andrea Doria in the Battle of Preveza, cementing Ottoman naval supremacy.
Family struggles, tragedies
Suleiman faced turmoil within his own family. In 1553, suspecting his eldest son, Mustafa, of plotting to seize the throne, he had him executed during a campaign in central Anatolia.
The construction of the grand Süleymaniye Mosque, designed by architect Mimar Sinan, was completed in 1557. But just a year later, Suleiman lost his beloved wife Hürrem Sultan, whose influence and partnership had shaped much of his life.
Conflict between his sons, Bayezid and Selim, ended with Selim’s victory. Bayezid fled to the Safavid court but was later handed over to Suleiman in exchange for money and territory. Bayezid and his sons were executed in 1562.
Final campaign, death
Determined to restore Ottoman prestige after a failed siege of Malta in 1565, Suleiman embarked on his last campaign against Szigetvar in present-day Hungary. Struggling with gout, he personally led his army but died on Sept. 7, 1566, one day before the fortress fell.
His death was kept secret until the siege ended. His body was later buried in the Süleymaniye Mosque Complex in Istanbul after the accession of his son Selim II.
Legacy
Known in the West as “Suleiman the Magnificent” and the “Grand Turk,” he expanded the empire’s territory from 6.5 million to nearly 15 million square kilometers. He codified and systematized Ottoman laws, earning the title “Kanuni,” or the” Lawgiver.”
Suleiman left a lasting architectural and cultural legacy, commissioning mosques, bridges, waterworks and libraries across the empire. He also supported advances in education, dividing madrassa studies into specialized fields such as law, theology, mathematics and medicine.
Beyond his rule, Suleiman was also a poet, writing under the pen name “Muhibbi.” His divan includes 2,779 ghazals, making him one of the most prolific lyric poets in history.
