The Sultan, called "magnificent": Who is Kanuni Sultan Süleyman?

Suleiman was born on 6 November 1494 in Trabzon city, on the southern coast of Turkey's Black Sea region. His father is Selim I. that become an Ottoman Sultan in 1512 and his mother is Ayşe Hafsa Valide Sultan. He spent his childhood in Trabzon city with his friend Yahya Efendi. Suleiman has been trained in different fields for his development since he was 7, such as science, history, literature, theology and military tactics, and was appointed to Saruhan sanjak principality in 1513. Here, he formed a close friendships with Pargalı İbrahim. 

After nearly seven years of Saruhan sanjak principality, his father, Selim I. passed away, and Suleiman ascended the throne as the tenth Ottoman sultan in 1520. Suleiman, a very serious and confident sultan, had the perseverance and will. Suleiman, who was referred to as "Suleiman the magnificent" in the West and received the nickname "Kanuni" on the grounds that he was fair and in accordance with the law in the East, was left on the throne for 46 years. And, he became the Ottoman Sultan who went on the most expedition by arranging 13 times. 

Suleiman, who made his first expedition on Belgrade, then took Rhodes, Moldavia and Hungary, and took most of the Middle East. The Ottoman Empire and Süleyman, which continued its expeditions, traveled up to Algeria on the continent of Africa. Thus, Suleiman's reign have passed on the 10 years by expedition. 

He continued to expeditions both in land and in sea, Suleiman, who grew up every day adding a new one to the land he conquered, has three known wifes. His first wife was Gülfem Sultan. Mahidevran Sultan whose second wife was Circassian or Albanian concubine, was and the mother of Şehzade Mustafa. Kanuni also strangled his son, Şehzade Mustafa, who was rumored to want to take the throne on October 6, 1553 in the Konya Ereğlisi.  

The third wife of Kanuni was Roxelana of Ruthenian origin, known as Hürrem Sultan. Brought to Istanbul, who was captured from Crimea and sold as slaves, Hürrem Sultan became Suleiman's favorite. Hürrem Sultan, who has had 5 children including Sehzade Mehmed, Sultan Selim II., Sehzade Bayezid, Sehzade Cihangir and Mihrimah Sultan, became the legal wife of the sultan.  

In 1558, the death of his wife Hürrem Sultan was very hard on Suleiman, while Selim won the battle between Sehzade Bayezid and Sehzade Selim in the Battle of Konya in 1559, and Sehzade Bayezid was executed and buried in Sivas on July 23, 1562. 

Suleiman, who had many expeditions and conquests until his death, left for Zigetvar on 1 may 1566, when he was 72 for thirteenth expedition. He died on the night of September 7, 1566, 1 day before Zigetvar was taken, from gout, dysentery, paralysis or angina. Suleiman's death was hidden in order not to cause moral discomfort among the soldiers.  His funeral was buried in the Süleymaniye Mosque on 23 November following the prayer performed by Şeyhülislam Ebussuud Efendi. And after Suleiman's died, his son Selim II. is on the throne.  

Kanuni, known as the golden age of the Ottoman Empire during its reign, became the sultan, which magnified its territory most as a face measurement. Kanuni has been praised for its support for architectural developments, theology, legal and political reforms, artistic progress and education. The most symbolic structure of this period was the Suleymaniye Mosque. However, Kanuni, built many mosques, madrasas, hammam, darussyifa like structures, and he has met the needs of his people. 

And the fact that every piece of work and monument has managed to come to the present day has shown once again that it is right to be called the "Magnificent" and "Big Turkish" of the world.