Fashion within the palace walls, particularly headgear, was used to identify and legitimize rank and importance. During the reign of Mehmed II (The Conquerer), a new type of headgear called the mücevveze was adopted. This new dressing had a large cylindrical form that was wrapped in fine muslin. The royal turban was only appears in Ottoman images of formal ceremonies, such as army inspections and the receptions of foreign ambassadors. One of the central goals of such a turban was to make the wearer appear large and imposing.
Under the leadership of Mehmet II, Ottoman forces take Constantinople (now Istanbul) after a 54 day battle
Fashion was an indicator of rank and social status, even for those outside the palace walls. This style affluent turban shows an upperclass falconer of the Ottoman palace. Although all affluents consisted of a squat, the domed headpiece, the material that wrapped it would vary. These variations indicated status--linen was more desired than fur.
Construction of the Topkapi Palace begins. This palace serves to be the primary residence for Ottoman sultans for nearly 400 years.
Attacks led by Sultan Mehmed II led to the eventual cooperation of Albanian forces under the leadership of Commander Skanderbeg.
These men, the Janissaries of the Ottoman Empire, were Christian boys who were kidnapped at the age of six and then trained for elite positions within the palace--as elite soldiers, viziers, architects, doctors, etc. The headgear typically included an extra sleeve of fabric, the shape and length of which would depend on the janissaries rank.
Sinan designed more than 100 mosques in his lifetime as greatest architect of the Ottoman empire, a civil engineer and (arguably) the world's first earthquake engineer. "While Sinan is often remembered for his two major commissions, the mosque complexes of Süleymaniye in Istanbul (1550–57) and of the later Selimiye in Edirne (1568–74), he designed hundreds of buildings across the Ottoman empire and contributed to the dissemination of Ottoman culture. Apart from mosques and other pious foundations—including schools, hospices, and soup kitchens, supported by shops, markets, baths, and caravanserais—Süleyman also commissioned repairs and additions to major historical monuments. The tile revetment of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, as well as several additions to sites in Mecca and Medina, the two Holy Cities of Islam, date from this period." -Suzan Yalman
Of the Bayat branch of Oghuz Turkic, Fuzûlî lived in Baghdad under the Safavid Empire and then absorbed by the Ottoman Empire. Click to link to read more about his life. Downloads of his poetry are also available.
Suleiman I, son of Selim I, was born in Trabzon, Turkey.
This Persian oral folklore is credited to Nizami Ganjavi and is the story of two young lovers who meet at school and quickly fall for one another. They must negotiate their way around a family feud and an arranged marriage (with another man) Layla's family has planned. Numerous poets over time have imitated this Persian tale, including a famous Ottoman version by Fuzuli--can you think of any others?
Suleiman the Magnificent's other legal wife (besides Hürrem Sultan) whose name means "One who is always beautiful" and "Moon of Fortune." She engaged in a long feud for Suleiman's attention, but lost that battle and was sent to live with her son, Mustafa, who she tried to protect from competing stepbrothers. Ambassador Bernardo Navagero reported in 1553, "Mustafa has with him his mother, who exercises great diligence to guard him from poisoning and reminds him everyday that he has nothing else but this to avoid, and it is said that he has boundless respect and reverence for her." She is buried in the Muradiya Complex, Complex of Sultan Murad II in Bursia, Turkey.
Concubine, and later legal wife of Suleiman the Magnificent--and allegedly favorite--was influential in state affairs. Click the link to read a poem composed by Suleiman to Hurrem. See the post about Nisâyî for additional information.
Figânî was a famous poet of the Ottoman Empire. He was much involved in court intrigue, and he made enemies with Suleiman's closest friend and adviser, İbrâhîm Pasha. For more about Figânî and a sample of his poetry, click the link.
Sinan would then serve as the most prominent civil engineer for sultans Suleiman the Magnificent, Selim II, and Murad III.
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Appointed by Suleiman as Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire, Ibrahim Pasha was never truly accepted by those of the court. As a Greek Orthodox Christian carried off by pirates from his hom in Northern Greece (the part of Venice) and sold into slavery to the Manisa Palace, he was always suspected as being a loyal European. The first rash political move of Ibrahim, that would eventually lead to his murder, was his willingness to take the name of "Sultan" during the military campaign against the Persain Safavid empire.
The son of a poor mu'ezzin (caller-to-prayer), Baki excelled in school and in the early 1560s became a part of Suleiman's intellectual conversation circle. For samples of Baki poetry, click the link below.
King Louis II of Hungary and Bohemia loses to Ottoman Empire forces under the leadership of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. Thus, leading to the division of the Habsburg Monarchy and the end of the Jagiellon dynasty in Hungary and Bohemia.
Suleiman the Magnificent captured Baghdad from Safavid dynasty ruled by Tahmasp I.
Since Baghdad had lordship over the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, this capture was significant because of the implications for both regional and international trade.
First-born son of Suleiman and Mahidevran, but arguably not the favorite, Mustafa was viewed as a threat to his father's rule. Due to Mustafa's success and popularity as a leader in the province, Amasya, Suleiman ordered his execution during the campaign against Safavid Persia under the charge of treason and threatening to take his father's throne. Despite his mother's attempts to warn and protect him, he was executed. Suleiman's other wife, Roxelana, had a heavy hand in this operation. Mustafa is buried in Bursa, Turkey, where is mother would later join him. See information about the poet, Nisâyî, for more information.
Following multiple conquests in the Arab world, the Ottoman Empire takes on a new role as the protector of the hajj and the holy places of Islam. The Ottoman sultans become the Great Caliphs, and most powerful individuals of the Islamic world.
Illustration of the plain of Arafat, the site visited by pilgrims during hajj. The Mosque of Nimra is on the left. Typically, this illustration (and others like it) would be copied to assist pilgrims on their religious journey.
The Şehzade Mosque was built as a memorial to Suleiman's favorite son, Şehzade Mehmed. Mehmed was the oldest son of Hürrem, and he died returning from a victorious military campaign in Hungary. His death affected Suleiman deeply. It is said that Suleiman personally mourned for his son for forty days at the temporary tomb (which would become the site for the mosque). Mimar Sinan received his first imperial commission and built a lavish mausoleum to Mehmed as a part of the larger mosque complex.
This mosque, for which Mimar Sinan was also architect, is built as an assertion of Suleiman the Magnificent's authority. He often represented himself as "the second Solomon"; therefore, the mosque references the Dome of the Rock which was built on the site of the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem.
Borrowed from the traditional themes and subjects of Chinese art, this mid-16th century ink on paper drawing shows a dragon and calligraphy. The Persian artist, Shah Quli, served in the Ottoman court and brought with him this so-called "saz" style, named for the reed pen used.
Nisâyî is a female poet, and the details of her life are difficult to find. She intensely disliked Suleiman's wife, Roxelana, and wrote strong verses about her - even going so far as to call her a witch. Click the link to learn more.
Two Arab merchants, Hakem of Aleppo and Sems of Damascus, open the first coffeehouse in Tahtake, a thriving commercial district of Istanbul. Tradesmen, artisans, and military men all gathered in these spaces which would eventually become significant to the fabric of Ottoman social and religious life. Various attempts were made to restrict and prohibit this new threatening social scene that existed outside the boundaries of the home and mosque. Despite this negative perception (and actual trend) of coffeehouses as hotbeds for political opposition, Suleiman enjoyed the ritual of drinking coffee. The most strict ban on coffee during the Ottoman empire was imposed during the reign of Murad IV, who believed that the mosques were empty due to the fact that people were hanging out in the coffeehouses.
A tughra is an imperial monogram used by Ottoman sultans, used to legitimize their power and seal documents. These intricate designs were impossible to forge. Suleiman's tughra represents his name, his father's name, and the phrase "the one who is always victorious."
This helmet was constructed during Suleiman's reign, probably for a royal vizier and with watered steel and decorated in gold with arabesques and inscriptions from the Qur’an.
Under the guidance of Selim II, court architect, Mimar Sinan strengthens the structure of Hagia Sophia and also adds the world-famous minarets on the western end of the building.
Son of Suleiman the Magnificent and Hürrem Sultan (Roxelana). He controlled many provinces in Anatolia during his father's reign. He was met with little to no resistance when he took the Ottoman throne, after his father's death, because his brothers had already been killed. He was arguably a weak sultan; although educated, he frequently sought guidance from his grand vizier, Sokollu Mehmet Pasha.
This distinctive yellow hat was only worn by the Jewish servants of the Ottoman empire. Also accompanied by this hat was the curly sideburns.
After the death of his father, Selim II, Murad began his reign. In order to secure his authority, he had his five younger brothers executed in true fashion of Ottoman fratricide, strangulation by silk cord. Although this practiced was viewed as brutal by European standards, it was a long-standing tradition that helped to legitimize the successor. Not all sultans approved of this practice, and Ahmed I preferred to imprison his brothers in the Ottoman palace.
Like his father, Sultan Selim II, Murad ruled the Ottoman Empire from Istanbul, rarely leaving that city during his reign. He also left all administrative responsibilities to the experienced Sokollu Mehmed Pasha, as his father had done. Remembered for his piety and respect for women, Mrad III improved the status of women in the Ottoman Empire.
Sinan built this bride across the Drina River in the east Bosnia and Herzegovina.
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