Suleiman the Magnificent

1494 – 1566

Suleiman I, known as Suleiman the Magnificent, was the longest-reigning Ottoman sultan, ruling from 1520 to 1566 and presiding over the empire's greatest territorial extent. His armies pushed deep into Hungary and besieged Vienna in 1529, while at sea his admiral Hayreddin Barbarossa ravaged the European Mediterranean coast. To protect his succession from rival heirs, he had his eldest son Mustafa strangled in 1553 in front of his own tent.

Last checked: May 10, 2026, 1:06 PM