About Me

Hi, my name is Sultan Suleiman I the Magnificent. I was born on November 6, 1494 in Trabzon along the Black Sea’s coast. My parents were Hafsa Hatun Sultan and Selim I. When I was seven, I was sent to study science, history, literature and many more subjects at the schools of the Topkapi Palace in Constantinople. Early in my life, I met Ibrahim, who was a slave but later would become my most trusted advisor. When I was just seventeen, I was appointed governor of Kaffa, then Sarukhan. After my father, Selim I, died in 1520, I succeeded his throne as the tenth Ottoman Sultan. During my reign over the Ottoman Empire, I wanted to build the empire so that it could be a major power. I was greatly inspired by Alexander the Great when I was young. I wanted to follow his vision of building an empire that surrounded the world. I used my military forces to extend the Ottoman Empire eastward. I had many military campaigns in which I was victorious and many lands were added to the Ottoman Empire. At the end of my reign, the Ottoman territories were more than double of what they were before my reign. Furthermore, my Ottoman fleets dominated the Mediterranean Sea. During my rule, I fell in love with Hürrem Sultan, also called Roxelana. She was the daughter of an Orthodox Ukrainian priest, and as a slave, rose through the ranks of the Harem, which were closed quarters for women. Eventually, she became my favorite. Although many people criticized my decision, I decided to make her my wife, something that broke many Ottoman traditions. Together, we had a son, Selim II who was my successor. When I was young, I met Ibrahim Pasha at the Palace school, who was a slave at that time. When I rose in power, I gave him royal positions in my palace. Eventually, he rose in rankings rapidly and became wealthy. I became suspicious of him, though, that he was disrespecting my authority. Eventually, I was convinced of Ibrahim’s disloyalty and I had him murdered. To the people in the Western world, I was known as Suleiman the Magnificent. However, to the East, I was known as the Lawmaker because I recreated the Ottoman legal system. My canonical law helped to fix the empire’s form. The new administrative reforms that I created helped the Ottoman Empire prosper so that it could be a lasting power in Europe. I also helped establish the Golden Age of the Ottoman Empire. During my reign, there was much advancement in literature, art, and architecture. I was a great patron of culture, and I directed the great developments of the Ottoman Empire. I funded many great architectural feats, including many mosques and tombs.  Calligraphy also became highly developed during my reign. I was fluent in five languages: Ottoman Turkish, Arabic, Serbian, Persia, and Urdu. I was also a great poet, and I wrote verses in Persian and Turkish for many special occasions. During my reign as Sultan, the Ottoman Empire became an extremely powerful and prominent power in the world.