Story Highlights
- Historical event:
- 22 September 1520
- The Venetian envoy Bartolomeo Contarini described the young new sultan: “He is twenty-six years of age, tall, but wiry, and of a delicate complexion. His neck is a little too long, his face thin, and his nose aquiline. He has a shade of a mustache and a small beard...”
Father of Suleiman the Magnificent – the famous Sultan Selim I (also known as Selim the Cruel) died on this day in 1520.
He doubled the Ottoman Empire after he had conquered Egypt, Palestine, Syria and part of Arabia. He received the title of Caliph of Islam (Muhammad’s successor), the sword of the Prophet, and his cloak. He conquered Mecca and Medina, the places of the greatest significance to the Muslims. The Sharif of Mecca gave him the title of Servant of the Two Noble Sanctuaries or Protector of the Two Holy Cities, i.e. the mosques in Mecca and Medina.
Suleiman’s father, Selim the Cruel, assumed the title “Malik ul-Barreyn, wa Khakan ul-Bahrayn, wa Kathir al-Jayshayn, wa Khadim ul-Haramayn” (“King of the Two Lands, Khagan of the Two Seas, Conqueror of the Two Armies, and Servant of the Two Holy Shrines). He died on this day probably from anthrax, but there are rumors that he was poisoned by the doctor who treated him.
When his father died, Suleiman went to Constantinople to take power (until that, he had governed one of the provinces of the Empire). When Suleiman entered Constantinople, he became the 10th sultan of the Ottoman Empire. The Venetian envoy Bartolomeo Contarini described the young new sultan: “He is twenty-six years of age, tall, but wiry, and of a delicate complexion. His neck is a little too long, his face thin, and his nose aquiline. He has a shade of a mustache and a small beard; nevertheless he has a pleasant mien, though his skin tends to be a light pallor. He is said to be a wise Lord, fond of study, and all men hope for good from his rule.”
