Page 25 - The Age of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent

sultan was present. He had an officer who resembled Süley- lamic, and Turkish traditions, giving birth to an artistic
man impersonate the sultan and stalled for more than forty vocabulary that was unique to the Ottoman world.
days in Szigetvár, moving out only when he was assured that It was an age of giants among architects and artists, includ-
Selim had arrived at Belgrade and was ready to take over. ing Sinan, the master of monumental buildings and com-
The army finally arrived in Istanbul in November and Süley- plexes; Haydar Reis, who used the pseudonym Nigari, the
man's body was laid to rest behind the Süleymaniye Mosque, portraitist; Nasuh, known as Matrakci, the initiator of the
next to the mausoleum of Hürrem. topographic genre of painting; Piri Reis, the cartographer and
Süleyman must have known that Szigetvár would be his author of naval guides; §ahkulu, the creator of exquisite
last campaign. He was seventy-two years old at the time, ail- drawings; Kara Memi, the illuminator of imperial manu-
ing, and had not led the army for more than ten years, but scripts; and Osman, the master of illustrated histories.
he insisted on commanding the Ottoman forces himself. If he Süleyman's reign is probably best known for its prolific ac-
wanted to die on the field as a true gazi (warrior of the faith), tivities in literature and history. The greatest intellects of the
his wish was fulfilled. sixteenth century belonged to the ulema, the most renowned
Süleyman, who gave so much to his world—in legislative member of which was Ebussuud (1490-1575), who served
acts, international prestige, expansion of the frontiers, glo- as §eyhulislam for close to three decades and issued thou-
rious conquests, increased national wealth, patronage of the sands oifetvas (responses to legal questions in accordance
arts—died alone, having lost his beloved wife and favorite with Islamic jurisprudence) as well as sanctioning the open-
sons. He was truly a sultan who served the state, devoting his ing of the first Turkish coffeehouses and performances of the
life and sacrificing those of his loved ones for the welfare of Karagôz shadow theater. The central administration also pro-
the empire. It was extraordinary that he found time to in- duced famous scholars, authors, and artists, including Nasuh
dulge in the arts and to support the activities of the artists. (died 1564?), an officer in the Enderun who was a mathema-
tician, swordsman, inventor of athletic games, historian, and
illustrator; Ahmed Feridun Pa§a (died 1583), commander,
Süleyman the Patron governor, and member of the Divan-i Hümayun who was
known for his histories, one of which describes Süleyman's
The reign of Süleyman was the golden age of Ottoman cul- last campaign at Szigetvár; Mustafa Ali (1541-1599), the
ture, which flourished under the sultan's personal involve- statesman and historian who wrote an account of the artists;
ment and ardent support. Süleyman was by training a gold- and Piri Reis (14657-1554) and Haydar Reis (14927-1572),
smith, following the tradition of the Ottoman house that both naval officers who practiced writing and painting.
every ruler had to have a practical trade. He spoke Arabic, Poetry was by far the most popular of the court arts, en-
Persian, and Çagatay (Eastern Turkish), and was an accom- couraged and practiced by the sultan and his sons as well as
plished poet, writing in Persian and Turkish under the pseu- his grand vezirs (Ibrahim and Rüstem in particular) and other
donym Muhibbi, meaning "beloved friend" or "affectionate members of the court. Süleyman belongs to a long list of poet
lover." In addition he was a great patron of art and architec- sultans, including Mehmed II, Bayezid II, Selim I, Selim II,
ture, which during his long and glorious reign reached the and Murad III.
most innovative and productive level in Ottoman history. The The sultan's passion for poetry was matched only by his
members of his court also supported and practiced the arts; zeal for sponsoring art and architecture. During his reign
many excelled in writing poetry, literature, and history, and Istanbul became a bustling metropolis with flocks of mer-
several became celebrated calligraphers and painters. chants and artisans arriving daily to reap its bounty. The city
The age of Süleyman was renowned for the construction of was enhanced with the construction of religious, charitable,
monumental architecture, with the sultan, his family, and and social establishments designed and built by Sinan
high administrative officials commissioning one spectacular (14907-1588), under whom Ottoman architecture reached
complex after another. It was also a most prolific period for its greatest monumentality. Appointed the royal architect by
the production of religious, literary, and historical manu- Süleyman, Sinan was responsible for over three hundred
scripts, their bookbindings, calligraphy, illuminations, and il- monuments scattered throughout the empire; 10 he continued
lustrations outstanding as works of art. The high aesthetic to work for the succeeding sultans, achieving his ambition of
and technical achievements of these artists were matched by building the largest and highest dome in Ottoman history
the goldsmiths, jewelers, arms and armor makers, wood- with the Selimiye Mosque in Edirne, completed in 1575.
workers, cloth makers, embroiderers, rug weavers, and pot-
ters, who produced the most exquisite pieces for Süleyman.
The imperial studios employed hundreds of men from all
Fig.
7. Portrait of Sultan
Süleyman with the
in
the
Süleymaniye Mosque
parts of the empire, their origins as diverse as the lands ruled background (detail), engraving by Melchior Lorichs, dated 1559 (London,
by the sultan. This period saw the synthesis of European, Is- The British Museum, 1848 11-25 24)
24