Süleyman the Magnificent, longest-reigning Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, is thought to have been born on this date in 1494, although there’s no concrete evidence that this was his exact birthdate. 10 facts about him:
Süleyman was the only son of Sultan Selim I. He was born in Trabzon on the southern coast of the Black Sea.
At the age of seven, he started his education: science, history, literature, theology and military tactics in the schools of the imperial Topkapı Palace in Constantinople. He was just 17 when he was appointed as the governor of Kaffa.
Süleyman succeeded his father as sultan on 30 September 1520 and immediately started military campaigns against Christian forces. Belgrade fell to him in 1521 and Rhodes, long under the rule of the Knights of St. John, in 1522–23.
A description of him, written in the first few weeks of his reign by the Venetian envoy Bartolomeo Contarini reads: “The sultan is only twenty-five years old, tall and slender but tough, with a thin and bony face. Facial hair is evident, but only barely. The sultan appears friendly and in good humour. Rumour has it that Suleiman is aptly named, enjoys reading, is knowledgeable and shows good judgment."
His reign lasted from 1520 to 1566, meaning he ruled at the same time as King Henry VIII of England and the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V.
Under his reign, the Ottoman Empire experienced a period of artistic and intellectual flourishing, often referred to as the “Golden Age.” Süleyman was a patron of the arts and also reformed the legal system, including the establishment of a court system, and the appointment of judges.
He is said to have been responsible for the spread of tulips around Europe. He had a white Tulip growing in one of his gardens which led to other nobles growing them as well. The flowers featured in art, including ceramics and rugs, and when foreign diplomats came to visit, they would often be given the flowers as a gift.
As was customary for Ottoman sultans, Suleiman had a large harem. His favourite wife was known as Roxelana, who was originally from what is now western Ukraine. Her birth name was Aleksandra or Anastazja Lisowska. However, she was captured by Crimean Tatar raiders as a young girl and taken to Constantinople where she was sold in a slave market to someone connected to Süleyman and placed in the harem. Here, she had to convert to Islam and change her name to Hürrem, meaning “joyful one”. Roxelana was a nickname deriving from her place of birth. While it’s thought she wasn’t as beautiful as other women in the harem, her personality made up for it as far as Süleyman was concerned and she soon became his favourite concubine, and later his wife. As the sultan’s bride, Roxelana was freed from slavery. She was an important influence, playing a significant role in political affairs. Süleyman wrote poetry to her while he was away on military campaigns, under the pen name “Muhibbi,” meaning “Lover”.
He gets a mention in a Shakespeare play, The Merchant of Venice, to be exact, where the Prince of Morocco boasts about his prowess by saying that he defeated Süleyman in three battles.
He died on 6 September 1566 during a military campaign at the age of 71. His death was kept secret at first by order of the Grand Vizier. Most of his body was taken back to Istanbul for burial, but his heart, liver, and some other organs were buried in Turbék, outside Szigetvár, the site of the campaign. He was succeeded by Selim II, Roxelana’s last surviving son. He was sometimes known as “the sot,” a weak ruler in comparison.
NEW!!
Beta
(Combat Team Series #2)
Steff was abducted by an evil alien race, the Orbs, at fourteen. Used as a weapon for years, he eventually escapes, but his problems are just beginning. How does a man support himself when his only work experience is a paper round and using an Orb bio-integrated gun?
Warlord is an alien soldier who knows little but war. When the centuries-old conflict which ravaged his planet ends, he seeks out another world where his skills are still relevant. There are always wars on Earth, it seems. However, none of Earth's powerful armies want him.
Natalie has always wanted to visit England and sees a chance to do so while using her martial arts skills, but there are sacrifices she must make in order to fulfil her dream.
Maggie resorted to crime to fund her sister's medical care. She uses her genetic variant abilities to gain access to the rooms of wealthy hotel guests. The Ballards look like rich pickings, but they are not what they seem. When Maggie targets them, little does she know that she is walking into a trap.
Hotel owner Hamilton Lonsdale puts together a combat team to pit against those of other multi-millionaires. He recruits Warlord, Natalie, Maggie and Steff along with a trained gorilla, a probability-altering alien, a stockbroker whose work of art proved to be much more than he'd bargained for, a marketing officer who can create psionic forcefields, a teleporting member of the landed gentry, and a socially awkward fixer. This is Combat Team Beta.
Steff never talks about his time with the Orbs, until he finds a woman who lived through it, too. Steff believes he has finally found happiness, but it is destined to be short-lived. He is left with an unusual legacy which he and Team Beta struggle to comprehend; including why something out there seems determined to destroy it.
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