Suleiman built a large fortification, Marmaris Castle, that served as a base for the Ottoman Navy. An early description of Suleiman, a few weeks following his accession, was provided by the Venetian envoy Bartolomeo Contarini: The sultan is only twenty-five years [actually 26] old, tall and slender but tough, with a thin and bony face. At the same time, Suleiman and those like him lived and worked in societies in which gender-based, racial, and religious hierarchies created conservative, male-centric social systems and political regimes. Hundreds of imperial artistic societies (called the Ehl-i Hiref, "Community of the Craftsmen") were administered at the Imperial seat, the Topkap Palace. How did Suleiman the Magnificent destroy King Louis? Tripoli in North Africa fell to the Ottomans in 1551. One of these, the Sleymaniye Mosque, is the final resting place of Suleiman: he is buried in a domed mausoleum attached to the mosque. This victory was also hugely significant for the Ottoman Empire itself: it was the furthest west it had ever expanded in its history. After many long and costly campaigns, what he had was a stalemate on both fronts, as his Habsburg and Safavid rivals initially retreated and then regrouped. Difficulties of time and distance and of bad weather and lack of supplies, no less than the resistance of the Christians, forced the sultan to raise the siege. Suleiman's suspicion of Ibrahim was worsened by a quarrel between the latter and the finance secretary (defterdar) skender elebi. . The Hungarian army (as they were in control of Belgrade) was unable to counterattack against the Ottoman forces, and during the conflict succumbed to Suleimans forces. However, as soon as Francis had crossed the border back into France, he formed the League of Cognac with other European leaders, in order to dethrone Charles V. And who did he turn to in the East? When the Kanun laws attained their final form, the code of laws became known as the kanuni Osmani ( ), or the "Ottoman laws". Having consolidated his conquests on land, Suleiman was greeted with the news that the fortress of Koroni in Morea (the modern Peloponnese, peninsular Greece) had been lost to Charles V's admiral, Andrea Doria. The Portuguese discovery of the Cape of Good Hope in 1488 initiated a series of Ottoman-Portuguese naval wars in the Ocean throughout the 16th century. His life became even more complicated in the 1550s. As a result, an Ottoman expedition to Aceh was launched, which was able to provide extensive military support to the Acehnese. In 1525, Francis I of France (r. 1515-47) had been defeated at the Battle of Pavia by the forces of the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V (r. 1519-56). A mausoleum constructed above the burial site came to be regarded as a holy place and pilgrimage site. This makes it seem as though the real architect of Ottoman success was Mehmed II, and Sleyman just effortlessly ruled over the empire which . Also in this period, Suleiman and Hrrem began creating their first large-scale charitable works, already mindful of their legacies. The first formal peace between the Ottomans and the Safavids was signed in 1555, but it offered no clear solution to the problems confronting the Ottoman sultan on his eastern frontier. Compare And Contrast: Ivan The Terrible Vs. Peter The Great Henry VIII and Elizabeth [18]:52 However, other nobles turned to the nobleman John Zpolya, who was being supported by Suleiman. Its capture was vital in removing the Hungarians and Croats who, following the defeats of the Albanians, Bosniaks, Bulgarians, Byzantines and the Serbs, remained the only formidable force who could block further Ottoman gains in Europe. [43], From 1526 until 1543, Suleiman stationed over 900 Turkish soldiers to fight alongside the Somali Adal Sultanate led by Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Ghazi during the Conquest of Abyssinia. As the Ottomans laid siege to the fortress, his health continued to deteriorate. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Initially, although outnumbered, the advantage was with the Hungarians; their troops were well-rested and knew the territory, whereas the Ottomans had just marched across Eastern Europe in the scorching summer heat. Persia had been the thorn in Selim Is side, and Suleiman the Magnificent was determined to make sure it was not the thorn in his side, too. Approximately 14,000 Hungarian soldiers were killed. Cihangir is said to have died of grief a few months after the news of his half-brother's murder. Angered by what he came to believe were Mustafa's plans to claim the throne, the following summer upon return from his campaign in Persia, Suleiman summoned him to his tent in the Ereli valley. First, Shah Tahmasp killed the Baghdad governor loyal to Suleiman, and put his own man in. Some Rights Reserved (2009-2023) under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license unless otherwise noted. On 6 September 1566, Suleiman, who had set out from Constantinople to command an expedition to Hungary, died before an Ottoman victory at the Siege of Szigetvr in Hungary at the age of 71[2]:545 and his Grand Vizier Sokollu Mehmed Pasha kept his death secret during the retreat for the enthronement of Selim II. Sleyman built strong fortresses to defend the places he took from the Christians and adorned the cities of the Islamic world (including Mecca, Damascus, and Baghdad) with mosques, bridges, aqueducts, and other public works. There are better Siege Defense Generals and Siege Attack Generals which are better to pursue. When he was aged 17, he was appointed governor at Kaffa, a port on the Crimean coast of the Black Sea, perhaps most famously remembered for its role in spreading the Black Death across Europe 150 years before Suleiman was born. As in the previous attempt, Tahmasp avoided confrontation with the Ottoman army and instead chose to retreat, using scorched earth tactics in the process and exposing the Ottoman army to the harsh winter of the Caucasus. [33], Attempting to defeat the Shah once and for all, Suleiman embarked upon a second campaign in 15481549. As a lifelong reader and composer of poetry, he gathered his compositions together to leave behind his voice, perhaps the most intimate part of his legacy. [72] Ibrahim converted to Islam and Suleiman made him the royal falconer, then promoted him to first officer of the Royal Bedchamber. He truly was a magnificent leader, and thoroughly deserving of his title. The foundations of the modern states and bureaucracies, and of modern capitalist economies, were laid down, in the midst of the first genuine wave of globalization in human history. Faroqhi, Suraiya N., and Kate Fleet, eds. Suleiman the Magnificent - World History Encyclopedia What men call sovereignty is a worldly strife and constant war; These were the Habsburg brothers Ferdinand, Archduke of Austria (l. 1503-1564), and Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (r. 1519-1556). This caused disputes between him and Hrrem Sultan, who wanted her sons to succeed to the throne. Ultimately, the Ottomans were successful in the Battle of Szigetvr, and Suleimans death was kept secret from the troops so as not to affect their morale. BBC - Religions - Islam: Ottoman Empire (1301-1922) Following the five-month Siege of Rhodes (1522), Rhodes capitulated and Suleiman allowed the Knights of Rhodes to depart. Become a member and unlock all Study Answers. [54] Suleiman's most famous verse is: The people think of wealth and power as the greatest fate, "[16]:2, Upon succeeding his father, Suleiman began a series of military conquests, eventually leading to a revolt led by the Ottoman-appointed governor of Damascus in 1521. [79], Even thirty years after his death, "Sultan Solyman" was quoted by the English playwright William Shakespeare as a military prodigy in The Merchant of Venice, where the Prince of Morocco boasts about his prowess by saying that he defeated Suleiman in three battles (Act 2, Scene 1).[80][81]. Suleimans second campaign in Persia was from 1548-49, but the Safavids once again refused to enter into pitched battle and used scorched earth tactics, exposing the Ottomans to the harsh winter conditions of the region. At the same time, in the Mediterranean and the southeast, Islamic forces in the person of Suleiman and his seagoing surrogates were grinding away at Christian hegemony, a continent-wide status newly won only decades before (in 1492), when Spanish monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella expelled the Moors. [35] The Ottoman Empire obtained most of Iraq, including Baghdad, which gave them access to the Persian Gulf, while the Persians retained their former capital Tabriz and all their other northwestern territories in the Caucasus and as they were prior to the wars, such as Dagestan and all of what is now Azerbaijan. Yet an area of distinct law known as the Kanuns (, canonical legislation) was dependent on Suleiman's will alone, covering areas such as criminal law, land tenure and taxation. The last sultan to rule during this time was Sleyman I, or Sleyman the Magnificent. There were persistent, ever-growing rumors about him being replaced by one of his sons. Help us and translate this definition into another language! As the global popularity of a recent Turkish-made television series, The Magnificent Century, attests, the life of Suleiman continues to fascinate audiences across a wide geography that extends from southeastern Europe, through North Africa and the Middle East, to Bangladesh and Pakistan. In 1542, facing a common Habsburg enemy during the Italian Wars, Francis I sought to renew the Franco-Ottoman alliance. The Sultan sought to turn Constantinople into the center of Islamic civilization by a series of projects, including bridges, mosques, palaces and various charitable and social establishments. earth. Sinan became responsible for over three hundred monuments throughout the empire, including his two masterpieces, the Sleymaniye and Selimiye mosquesthe latter built in Adrianople (now Edirne) in the reign of Suleiman's son Selim II. [45], The discovery of new maritime trade routes by Western European states allowed them to avoid the Ottoman trade monopoly. The French traveler Jean de Thvenot bears witness a century later to the "strong agricultural base of the country, the well being of the peasantry, the abundance of staple foods and the pre-eminence of organization in Suleiman's government". Suleiman, as sculpted by Joseph Kiselewski,[84] is present on one of the 23 relief portraits over the gallery doors of the House Chamber of the United States Capitol that depicts historical figures noted for their work in establishing the principles that underlie American law.[85]. Second, the governor of Bitlis had defected and sworn allegiance to the Safavids. Everything upset Suleiman. The resources at his disposal increased considerably, as he came to preside over a crowded household as the heir apparent. A truly global empire, with a large territory, a stake over regional and global commerce, and a sophisticated cultural identity, thus began to emerge under Selim. [77]:5455,64 Western historians, failing to recognise that these 'decline writers' were working within an established literary genre and often had deeply personal reasons for criticizing the empire, long took their claims at face value and consequently adopted the idea that the empire entered a period of decline after the death of Suleiman. Vol. 1. Suleiman the Magnificent was indeed magnificent for many reasons. History of the Ottoman Empire and Modern Turkey: Volume 1, Empire of the Gazis: The Rise and Decline of the Ottoman Empire 1280-1808. Suleiman I, 1520-1566 Suleiman I, known as "the Magnificent" in the West and "Kanuni" (the Lawgiver) in the East, (6 November 1494 - 7 September 1566) was the tenth and longest-reigning Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, from 1520 to his death in 1566 ( Wikipedia ). eBook: History of France von John Julius Norwich | ISBN 978-0-8021-4670 The first (1534-35) gave the Ottomans control over the region of Erzurum in eastern Asia Minor and also witnessed the Ottoman conquest of Iraq, a success that rounded off the achievements of Selim I. They all sought to establish central control over religious matters during a time of intense theological debates and spiritual anxieties. After the first Ajuran-Portuguese war, the Ottoman Empire would in 1559 absorb the weakened Adal Sultanate into its domain. When republishing on the web a hyperlink back to the original content source URL must be included. He received an elite education under the supervision of tutors, including a strong poetic formation. That said, he had crucial disadvantages he had to overcome. This is a forum for those who think monarchy is a noble and viable alternative to Following two failed campaigns in Vienna in 1529 and 1532, Suleiman saw an opportunity to redeem himself in the early 1540s when a conflict erupted again in Hungary. (right). [4]:84, Suleiman also became renowned for sponsoring a series of monumental architectural developments within his empire. 9 Portrait of Louis XIV Showed his importance through pictures in the kingdom 10 Wikipedia description of Divine Right He believed he had divine right which means he was above all earthly authority Respond to the inquiry lesson question using specific information, examples, and evidence from the artifacts. Four Princes: Henry VIII, Francis I, Charles V, Suleiman the Which colonial area or areas placed a high value on religious freedom A similar ambiguity was exhibited by Suleiman's rivals farther east, the Safavids of Iran. However, Suleimans troops were much more disciplined than the Hungarians, who were also supported by a small contingent of Polish soldiers. How did Sleyman the Magnificent come to power? World History Publishing is a non-profit company registered in the United Kingdom. In the early stages of the campaign, he continued to remain visible to his men on ceremonial occasions. Sleyman himself died while besieging the fortress of Szigetvr in Hungary. Under his rule, the Ottoman fleet dominated the seas from the Mediterranean to the Red Sea and through the Persian Gulf. Please select which sections you would like to print: Also known as: Kanuni, Muhteem, Sleyman I, Sleyman Kanuni, Sleyman Muhteem, Sleyman the Lawgiver, Reader in the History of the Near and Middle East, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. He ruled from 1520 until his death in 1566 and was the longest-ruling sultan in Ottoman history. Corrections? Why did the absolute monarchy fail in France? Cite This Work [6], Breaking with Ottoman tradition, Suleiman married Hrrem Sultan, a woman from his harem, an Orthodox Christian of Ruthenian origin who converted to Islam, and who became famous in the West by the name Roxelana, due to her red hair. Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent inherited the throne at the age of 26. in, This page was last edited on 23 April 2023, at 20:04. Suleiman the Magnificent: History, Facts, & Major Accomplishments He ordered the execution of a son on the suspicion of rebellion. They made a push towards Persia, only to find the Shah sacrificing territory instead of facing a pitched battle, resorting to harassment of the Ottoman army as it proceeded along the harsh interior. Suleiman's challenges were not only of a military nature. In 1553, he recaptured Erzurum and crossed the Upper Euphrates River, gaining territory in northern Persia. World History Encyclopedia is a non-profit organization. Suleiman the Magnificent (Evony General Builds) - One Chilled Gamer [57] Suleiman is credited with large-scale cultivation of the tulip and it is thought that the tulips spread throughout Europe because of Suleiman. This expansion furthered Ottoman rule in Somalia and the Horn of Africa. He also decided to have the story of his reign written from his own perspective. On his retreat, he was thrown from his horse into a river and died, weighed down by his armor. In the area of taxation, taxes were levied on various goods and produce, including animals, mines, profits of trade, and import-export duties. Which form of government is associated with the reigns of Suleiman the [32] In 1535 Suleiman made a grand entrance into Baghdad. [51]:21. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Suleiman soon made preparations for the conquest of Belgrade from the Kingdom of Hungarysomething his great-grandfather Mehmed II had failed to achieve because of John Hunyadi's strong defense in the region. Worship of God is the highest throne, the happiest of all estates. In the matter of a few short years, Suleiman had penetrated into Europe, almost reaching Austria. After long negotiations a peace recognizing the status quo in Hungary was signed in 1562. We contribute a share of our revenue to remove carbon from the atmosphere and we offset our team's carbon footprint. The greatest of these were built by the Sultan's chief architect, Mimar Sinan, under whom Ottoman architecture reached its zenith. When his young son Mehmed died in 1543, he composed a moving chronogram to commemorate the year: Peerless among princes, my Sultan Mehmed. Suleiman the Magnificent was certainly one of the most important and globally recognized names of the sixteenth century. Was Suleiman the Magnificent a general? | Homework.Study.com His father was Selim the First and his mother was Hafsa Sultan. Yet Suleiman did not stop there. The Safavid dynasty became the main enemy after two episodes. At Mohcs, in August 1526, Suleiman broke the military strength of Hungary. Suleiman left behind a variety of legacies that continue to be debated today. [4]:70. In 1553, Turgut Reis was nominated commander of Tripoli by Suleiman, making the city an important center for piratical raids in the Mediterranean and the capital of the Ottoman province of Tripolitania. His campaigns of 1541 and 1543 led to the emergence of three distinct HungarysHabsburg Hungary in the extreme north and west; Ottoman Hungary along the middle Danube, a region under direct and permanent military occupation by the Ottomans and with its main centre at Buda; and Transylvania, a vassal state dependent on the Porte and in the hands of John Sigismund, the son of John Zpolya. Jan 1997. Suleiman & his close supporters argued that Suleiman was the one & true emperor on, Suleiman the Magnificent and the Ottoman Empire, c. 1566, Suleiman Is Being Entertained in the Great Palace. He formed a Franco-Ottoman alliance with Francis I in 1536, which was tactically one of the finest moves Francis made as king. [4]:89 The two surviving brothers, Selim and Bayezid, were given command in different parts of the empire. The presence of the Spanish in the Eastern Mediterranean concerned Suleiman, who saw it as an early indication of Charles V's intention to rival Ottoman dominance in the region. His third step was to raise a household servant named brahim to the highest rank, the grand vizierate. Francis asked Suleiman to make war on the Holy Roman Empire, and the road from Turkey led through Hungary to reach the Holy Roman Empire. In late 1553 or 1554, on the suggestion of his favorite doctor and dentist, the Spanish Jew Moses Hamon, the Sultan issued a firman () formally denouncing blood libels against the Jews. The Shah's army continued its strategy of avoiding the Ottomans, leading to a stalemate from which neither army made any significant gain. Yes, Suleiman the Magnificent was an absolute monarch. [34], In 1553 Suleiman began his third and final campaign against the Shah. [69], Before his downfall, Pargal Ibrahim Pasha was an inseparable friend and lover of Suleiman. Sultan Suleiman The Magnificent (1494-1566), One of the few Monarchs The following year, they made a push for Persia, and found the Safavids ceding territory instead of engaging in pitched battle. [2]:542, In an inscription dating from 1537 on the citadel of Bender, Moldova, Suleiman the Magnificent gave expression to his power:[83]. [41][42] From this base, Sulayman Pasha managed to take control of the whole country of Yemen, also taking Sana'a. Sleyman the Magnificent and His Age: The Ottoman Empire in the Early Modern World. Furthermore, it signified the collapse and partition of medieval Hungary, which was to last for several centuries, split between the Ottoman Empire, the Principality of Transylvania, and the Habsburg Monarchy. In the modern period, various conservative movements espoused Suleiman as a founding father for the ideal of a universalist Muslim empire built on bureaucratic efficiency and justice. The Mughal Emperor Akbar the Great himself is known to have exchanged six documents with Suleiman the Magnificent. Freeman-Grenville, p. 36, sfn error: no target: CITEREFPeirce2019 (, List of campaigns of Suleiman the Magnificent, Territorial expansion of the Ottoman Empire, Ottoman naval expeditions in the Indian Ocean, a series of Ottoman-Portuguese naval wars, Constantinople: City of the World's Desire, 14531924, "Suleiman I (the Magnificent)(14941566).". I'll sing your praises always Suleiman was born in Trabzon on the southern coast of the Black Sea to ehzade Selim (later Selim I), probably on 6 November 1494, although this date is not known with absolute certainty or evidence. [25]:444 In 1533 the Treaty of Constantinople was signed by Ferdinand I, in which he acknowledged Ottoman suzerainty and recognised Suleiman as his father and suzerain, he also agreed to pay an annual tribute and accepted the Ottoman grand vizier as his brother and equal in rank. "Suleiman the Magnificent." Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms. With the aid of his father's army, Selim defeated Bayezid in Konya in 1559, leading the latter to seek refuge with the Safavids along with his four sons. "the formulator of dynastic law", under which name he is widely known today to Turkish-speaking audiences. Suleiman I (Ottoman Turkish: , romanized: Sleyman- Evvel; Turkish: I. Sleyman; 6 November 1494 - 6 September 1566), commonly known as Suleiman the Magnificent in the West and Suleiman the Lawgiver (Ottoman Turkish: , romanized: nn Suln Sleymn) in his realm, was the tenth and longest-reigning Sultan of the Ottoman . In 1555, a settlement known as the Peace of Amasya was signed, which defined the borders of the two empires. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Belgrade fell to him in 1521 and the island of Rhodes in 152223. 1. In 1533, Suleiman led an army into Asia Minor, where he occupied Tabriz and took Bitlis without resistance. Again, this demonstrates how Suleiman earned his title: his influence was known from Austria to Indonesia. Two days later, he watched from his golden throne as 2,000 Hungarian prisoners were executed. We want people all over the world to learn about history. Throughout his reign literary works were commissioned praising Suleiman and constructing an image of him as an ideal ruler, most significantly by Celalzade Mustafa, chancellor of the empire from 1534 to 1557. From 1538-59, the Ottoman-Portuguese Wars raged through North Africa and the Red Sea, as both fought for the best trading locations. Higher medreses provided education of university status, whose graduates became imams () or teachers. Following diplomatic exchanges, the Sultan demanded from the Safavid Shah that Bayezid be either extradited or executed. His father Selim served there as provincial governor, and his mother Hafsa was a concubine in his father's harem. Rstem sent one of Suleiman's most trusted men to report that since Suleiman was not at the head of the army, the soldiers thought the time had come to put a younger prince on the throne; at the same time, he spread rumours that Mustafa had proved receptive to the idea. In the decades after Suleiman, the empire began to experience significant political, institutional, and economic changes, a phenomenon often referred to as the Transformation of the Ottoman Empire. Was Suleiman the Magnificent an absolute monarch? Once again, Suleiman rose to the challenges in front of him, and his answer was to create a self-curated legacy. The Varangian Guard: Who Were the Vikings of Byzantium? Their son, Selim II, succeeded Suleiman following his death in 1566 after 46 years of rule. For Ferdinand, this meant that he had to pay a fixed yearly sum to Suleiman the Magnificent for the Hungarian lands he continued to control, while also renouncing his claim to the Kingdom of Hungary. Article. Unlike many of his Islamic and Christian contemporaries, he protected the Jewish communities of the Ottoman Empire. Sleyman the Magnificent - Britannica Two days later, Suleiman arrived to personally take charge, arriving with an army of 100,000 men. [31], Suleiman's father had made war with Persia a high priority. The soldiers were not notified of the sultan's death, to prevent turmoil and rioting in the army camp. He was buried next to the mosque he had built to his name, the Suleimaniye, near the tomb of his wife Hrrem. During Selim Is reign, the Ottoman Empire increased in size by 70%, and by the time of his death in 1520, it spanned 3.4 million square kilometers (1.3 million square miles) from Algeria to Moldavia. There followed during 155961 a conflict between the princes Selim and Bayezid over the succession to the throne, which ended with the defeat and execution of Bayezid. Numerous educational institutions recommend us, including Oxford University. The battle raged from 25th June 29th August and resulted in an Ottoman victory. Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1520 to 1566, "Kanuni" redirects here. Contributor to. [4]:124 Furthermore, Suleiman enacted new criminal and police legislation, prescribing a set of fines for specific offenses, as well as reducing the instances requiring death or mutilation. Despite his following marriage and his new sumptuous residence, Ibrahim sometimes spent the night with Suleiman I at Topkap Palace. God's might and Muhammad's miracles are my companions. Hanifa was the founder of the Hanafi school of Islamic law, which the Ottomans followed. [6][82] Today the skyline of the Bosphorus and of many cities in modern Turkey and the former Ottoman provinces, are still adorned with the architectural works of Mimar Sinan. Ulam (specialists in Islamic law), notably Ab al-Sud (Hoca elebi) and Kemalpaazade, made the period memorable, as did the great Turkish poet Bk and the architect Sinan. The treaty was signed on 14th January 1526, and Francis was released from prison. Upon the death of his father, Selim I (r. 15121520), Suleiman entered Constantinople and ascended to the throne as the tenth Ottoman Sultan. Armenia and Georgia were equally split between the two, while the Ottomans also gained Iraq (granting them access to the Persian Gulf). When East meets West: The Unique Art of the Ottoman Empire. [75] When Mustafa entered his father's tent to meet with him, Suleiman's eunuchs attacked Mustafa, and after a long struggle the mutes killed him using a bow-string. "Suleiman the Magnificent." The naval strength of the Ottomans became formidable in the reign of Sleyman. Ivan IV ruled from 1547-1584 when his mental capabilities stated to decline and affect his reign. Suleiman the Magnificent (aka Sleyman I or Suleiman I, r. 1520-1566) was the tenth and longest-reigning sultan of the Ottoman Empire. As he engaged in bitter rivalries with the Catholic Habsburgs and the Shiite Safavids, he presided over a multilingual and multireligious empire that promised peace and prosperity to its subjects. A very modern form of rulership was crafted by these figures and their entourages in this period. Start today. In the 1530s and 1540s, Ottoman military ventures became even more prominent, with large-scale campaigns against the Safavids, clashes in east-central Europe, a stronger naval presence in the Mediterranean, and engagements in the Indian Ocean. Ibrahim also supported ehzade Mustafa as the successor of Suleiman. [49], Elsewhere in the Mediterranean, when the Knights Hospitallers were re-established as the Knights of Malta in 1530, their actions against Muslim navies quickly drew the ire of the Ottomans, who assembled another massive army in order to dislodge the Knights from Malta. His tutor Hayreddin, his constant companion since adolescence, died. When did France became an absolute monarchy? - 2023 Sleyman codified a centralized legal system (kanun) for the Ottoman state, expanded both the territory and the revenue of the empire, and built up Constantinople (Istanbul) as the empires capital. Suleiman was contemporaries with figures similar to him, who either inherited dynastic enterprises that they subsequently expanded or built themselves. I am the sultan who took the crown and throne of Hungary and granted them to a humble slave. While his father wrote poetry solely in Persian, Suleiman wrote in Persian and Turkish, and some of his verses have become famous Turkish proverbs, including: Suleiman also helped to develop the architecture of the Ottoman Empire and oversaw the construction of 300 monuments during his reign.