Tag: Suleiman the Magnificent

Henry VIII or Suleiman The Magnificent?
Who was more powerful, Henry VIII or Suleiman The Magnificent?

Suleiman the Magnificent, also known as Suleiman I, was the tenth Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, and he reigned from 1520 to 1566. He is one of the most famous and influential rulers of the Ottoman Empire. Suleiman was born on November 6, 1494, and he died on September 6, 1566.

During his reign, Suleiman oversaw the expansion of the Ottoman Empire to its greatest territorial extent. It covered modern day Turkey, Georgia, Armenia, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, much of Libya and Algeria, Greece, Hungary, Romania, Moldova as well as bits of Ukraine and Russia. He ruled over 25 million souls.

He is known for his military campaigns and successful conquests, which included the capture of Belgrade, Rhodes, and most notably, the siege of Vienna in 1529. Suleiman’s reign is often considered the height of Ottoman power and influence in both Europe and Asia.

The economy of the Ottoman Empire was more than double France, Spain and the Hapsburg Empires combined.

Suleiman was also a patron of the arts, and his rule saw a flourishing of literature, architecture, and culture. He is particularly well-known for his legal reforms and the codification of laws that became the basis for the legal system of the Ottoman Empire. His title, “the Magnificent,” reflects the grandeur and success of his rule. His reign is sometimes referred to as the “Golden Age of the Ottoman Empire.” He was succeeded by his son, Selim II, upon his death in 1566.

Henry VIII was a King of England who ruled England from 1509 to 1547. Not even the whole of island of Great Britain. He ruled over a puny 2.3 million souls. His economy was tiny compared to the major European powers of the day – far less the mighty Ottomans. Henry was born on June 28, 1491, and he died on January 28, 1547.

The Six Wives of Henry VIII

Henry is famously known for his six marriages. His desire to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, and the Pope’s refusal to grant him an annulment, led Henry to establish the Church of England in 1534. Henry passed the Act of Supremacy, which declared the English monarch as the supreme head of the Church of England, further solidifying his control over the church.

This event, known as the English Reformation, resulted in the Church of England breaking away from the authority of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church. As part of the English Reformation, Henry ordered the dissolution of the monasteries in England, confiscating their lands and wealth. This move had profound effects on the religious, social, and economic landscape of England.

Henry’s reign had a lasting impact on English history, especially in the areas of religion and government. The establishment of the Church of England set the stage for the development of Protestantism in England, and the monarchy’s power and role in governance were significantly transformed.

Resources:
- Colin Riegels, BCL in Law, University of Oxford
- World History Encyclopedia
October 24, 2023
Turkey’s PM gets on his soap box to slam Turkish drama series

A historical Turkish TV series has distorted Ottoman history, Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was reported as saying by a news agency on Monday.

“The Magnificent Century” chronicles the life of Suleiman the Magnificent, who ruled the Ottoman Empire in its golden age, has gained popularity in the Arab World, but according to Erdogan, the series has tarnished the image of the 16th century longest-reigning Ottoman emperor, Sultan Suleiman, Anadolu Agency reported Erdogan saying.

“These are not our ancestors who have been portrayed in this TV series,” he said during the inauguration of an airport in Kutahya Province, 190 miles west of the capital Ankara.

In the TV series, scenes which have particularly offended show a young and lusty sultan cavorting in the harem and drinking goblets of wine. These pursuits were frowned upon by the Muslim faithful for whom the sultan had religious as well as temporal authority.

“We live in a seven-billion-people strong world and we know our role. We go to every place that our ancestors reached on their horsebacks, and we care about these regions,” he added.

During the emperor’s reign, the Ottoman Empire reached its zenith, he said. “He spent 30 years of his life on the horseback, fighting wars and conquering cities.”

The prime minister said he is pursuing a legal case against the TV directors of the Turkish drama.

Known as the “Lawgiver” among Turks, Suleiman is regarded as a sacred character, whose rule from 1520 to 1566 marked the height of the Ottoman military, political and economic power, when it stretched from Budapest to Mecca, Algiers to Baghdad.

What do you think of ‘The Magnificent Century’? Has it distorted Ottoman history? And does it matter if it has? Leave us your comments below!

via Turkey’s PM gets on his soap box to slam Turkish drama series | Al Bawaba.

November 28, 2012
Ottoman Decadence on TV Irks Turkey’s Erdogan

By Emre Peker

ISTANBUL–Ottoman palace intrigues, tales of harem lust and a dash of foreign conquests make for a compelling cocktail, as producers of the television series “Magnificent Century” profitably realized. Yet despite dominating ratings in Turkey and being broadcast in numerous countries, the serving isn’t quite to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s taste.

The show chronicles the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent, whose 46-year rule ended 1566 and is seen as the pinnacle of the Ottoman Empire. Attracting a third of the prime-time audience every night it’s on air, and broadcasting to 150 million people in 22 countries from the Czech Republic to Japan, the series is a sure hit for Tims Productions, the Istanbul-based firm behind some of the most successful series and movies in the past decade.

But the decadent representation of Suleiman’s life, hinting that the sultan known as “the Lawgiver” was given to alcohol and promiscuity, also drew widespread criticism from conservatives.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Erdogan joined the chorus.

His intervention came in response to criticisms from Turkey’s main opposition party that the ruling Justice and Development Party’s reorientation of foreign policy towards the Middle East has made the country less secure. Mr. Erdogan said that under his leadership, Turks would go everywhere their ancestors roamed on horseback during the Ottoman Empire—a vast territory which stretched across three continents from the Adriatic to the Caspian Sea and encompassed much of the modern-day Middle East.

In a rhetorical flourish that rallied his supporters but baffled many commentators, the prime minister then meshed his defense of government policy with a salvo against the “Magnificent Century,” arguing for active international engagement by deriding the limited scope of the opposition’s stance and the show’s limited focus the luxuries of the palace.

“That’s not the Sultan Suleiman we know, that’s not the Lawgiver we know, 30 years of his life was spent on horseback, not in a palace like you see in TV shows,” Mr. Erdogan told a cheering crowd of thousands at an airport opening ceremony in the western province of Kutahya on Sunday.

“I publicly condemn the directors of those shows and the owners of the television station. We have warned the authorities on this matter and await a decision by the judiciary. We can’t have this sort of an understanding, the nation needs to give the appropriate lesson, within the confines of the law, to those who play with the people’s values,” the prime minister said.

Sunday’s intervention isn’t Mr. Erdogan’s first foray into social matters. In May, the premier declared that abortion is murder and vowed to fight it. At the time, Mr. Erdogan also said he doesn’t like Caesarian sections, and the Health Ministry swiftly pushed through a law limiting the procedure to medical necessities. The government, however, took no steps to limit Turkish womens’ right to abortion. In July, Mr. Erdogan, a pious Muslim educated in a vocational school for religious studies, attacked universities for serving alcohol on campus grounds.

As with his previous statements on social issues, the prime minister’s criticisms of “Magnificent Century” also proved divisive.

One of Turkey’s most successful shows, the production has also been equally polarizing. The country’s broadcasting watchdog received a record 140,000 complaints on grounds that the series disparaged Turkey’s Ottoman past, a source of great pride at its peak. As a result, “Magnificent Century” received a warning from the authorities.

Yet Turkey’s most popular show also has its supporters, from artists to columnists and fans, who speculate that Mr. Erdogan’s swipe is only an attempt to draw attention away from current matters.

“I don’t understand why this came up on the agenda when there are so many problems in the country,” Nebahat Cehre, who played the part of Suleiman’s mother in the show’s first season, said in a statement published online by Hurriyet newspaper. “In the end, this is a scenario based on historic events. Also, in the beginning, it’s stated that the show is a work of fiction. I think the purpose is to change the agenda.”

The opposition party said the Prime Minister’s intervention was symptomatic of the government’s intensifying effort to meddle in people’s daily lives.

“The prime minister doesn’t want a second sultan on the screens, he’s jealous of the ratings. I suspect the only prime minister to tussle with television shows in the world is ours,” said Muharrem Ince, deputy chairman of the main opposition Republican People’s Party.

The prime minister’s speech will no doubt receive a warm reception from some conservatives who see the show as denigrating Turkey’s Ottoman history. But the intervention does come at an interesting time.

From the Syrian conflict that’s spilling over the border to last week’s Israeli-Gaza conflict, Mr. Erdogan has been very active in trying to shape international developments in the region.

Meanwhile, the prime minister has also been waging a campaign against credit-rating firms that won’t rank Turkey investment-grade. Domestically, Mr. Erdogan is attacking his secularist domestic opposition and separatist Kurds.

Mr. Erdogan is also pursuing ambitious infrastructure projects while seeking to achieve high levels of sustainable economic growth. The premier has his eyes set on a goal worthy of Ottoman sultans: to triple Turkey’s $780 billion gross domestic product and join the world’s top-10 economies by 2023, the republic’s centenary. Indeed, Mr. Erdogan doesn’t mince words when staking his claim: “My brothers, we’re acting with an understanding of the spirit that established the Ottomans.”

November 27, 2012
Video: Suleiman the Magnificent

In the 16th Century an Ottoman Sultan known as the second Solomon ruled half the civilized world. He was known as Süleyman the Magnificent. During his 46-year reign, the Ottoman Empire flourished and witnessed a golden age.

To purchase a DVD of the film, please visit:

https://www.musefilm.org/store/suleyman-the-magnificent

SÜLEYMAN THE MAGNIFICENT

In the 16th Century, an Ottoman Sultan known as the second Solomon ruled half the civilized world. The Turks called him Kanuni, the Lawgiver. To the Europeans, he was known as Süleyman the Magnificent. During his 46-year reign, the Ottoman Empire flourished and witnessed a golden age.

A contemporary of Francis I of France, Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire and Henry VIII of England, Süleyman was an audacious military leader, celebrated poet, and enthusiastic patron of art and architecture.

Shot on location in Turkey, and narrated by Ian McKellan, this program explores the breathtaking palaces and mosques of the Ottoman Empire and focuses on the dramatic life and personality of Sultan Süleyman.

1987 / 57 min. / DVD / Color

© 1987 The National Gallery of Art / The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Producers: The Metropolitan Museum of Art / The National Gallery of Art / Suzanne Bauman
Director: Suzanne Bauman
Studios: The Metropolitan Museum of Art / The National Gallery of Art
Executive Producers: The Metropolitan Museum of Art / The National Gallery of Art
Producer: Suzanne Bauman
Director: Suzanne Bauman
Narrator: Ian McKellen

December 17, 2011
Ottoman Empire reborn on TV

The Magnificent Century is the most-watched television drama in Turkey.

By Mitch Potter Washington Bureau

The Turkish producers admit it was more than a gamble. They risked everything to capture the sights, sounds and intrigue of the Ottoman era, replete with production values so lavish the whole world would watch.

The conquest of Magnificent Century is well underway. Now in its second season, the most-watched TV drama in Turkey is airing in four countries and is scheduled to spread to 14 more in December. By this time next year, producers say, it will be showing in 34 countries, using subtitles and dubbing.

No doubt Suleiman the Magnificent would approve. He’s the star, after all. And 500 years later, the longest-reigning of the Ottoman sultans is about to hold court again over most of the territory he once controlled, courtesy of his modern-day likeness, actor Halit Ergenc.

Producer Timur Savci, head of Istanbul’s fledgling TIMS Productions, told the Toronto Star the notion to plunge, Tudors-style, into the previously untouched Ottoman era came to him in a dream years ago.

“I thought the appeal could be not just national but global. But we needed to create it in a class of its own, in terms of esthetics and production values. It took everything we had. If it failed we would have had to lock the doors.”

Turkey only recently became a content-exporting nation, with several of its soap operas now heralded throughout the Arab world.

But Magnificent Century — Muhtesem Yuzvil, in Turkish — ran into trouble even before the first episode aired, when a 30-second trailer sparked protests from Turkish religious conservatives angered the initial images of Harem dancers and wine tippling signalled a series fixated on the most licentious aspects of Ottoman history. The objections melted away once the series began and audiences became hooked.

Looking back at past glories is rare for the Turkish production industry. But the series coincides with a reviving interest in Ottoman times as the economically resurgent country rises in regional importance.

“We didn’t calculate that when we started working on this five years ago. But the broadcast coincides with the success Turkey is feeling right now,” said Savci.

“We have a sense of self-confidence as a country that wasn’t there before. And I think this firmer footing makes it easier for us to look back.”

A trio of historical advisers help the production team put its finger on the pulse of the first half of the 1500s, when Suleiman ruled for 46 years.

“We took on a lot of detail you don’t get in school,” said Savci. “For example, Suleiman received his advice while resting on a divan behind a screen. So when important state matters were discussed, they would never see him or even know whether or not he was in the room.”

And while the characters are historically accurate — Suleiman’s marriage to an enslaved Ukrainian beauty, Alexsandra Lisowka, for example, is well-documented — the emotional drama and dialogue are fiction for the most part.

The uglier excesses of the era are written around, as well. Though Istanbul still bears the unmarked gravestones of Ottoman-era executioners, their work was deemed too grisly for prime time family viewing.

“This is important history, but the show has no message. The goal is great stories and pure entertainment.”

As for Suleiman, his afterlife is scheduled to end in 2013 as the climax to the fourth and final season. But with Magnificent Century already striking a chord with foreign viewers, Savci acknowledges “prequels and sequels are under discussion.

“We have 500 years of history to work with. This was the peak, but we’re confident there are other facets of the Ottomans worthy of more to come.”

Mitch Potter is the Star’s Washington bureau chief.

via World News: Ottoman Empire reborn on TV – thestar.com.

November 28, 2011
Elder of Ziyon: “Millions of naked tourists visiting mosques in Turkey”

Saudi Arabia’s MBC channel quotes a Turkish sheikh as complaining about the fact that large Turkish mosques are now tourist attractions, and millions of half-naked women (the headline says “naked”) are now descending to the holy places.

The sheikh of the mosque of Suleiman the Magnificent said that some mosques are starting to enforce dress codes, including veils, to stop this problem.

He also says that Turkish women are eager to wear the veil in the streets, even as they are banned from wearing it in parliament.

The sheikh, who is a member of Erdogan’s political party, also said that Turkey under Erdogan has regained its prestige and standing in the Arab and Muslim world. He said that its leadership was behind the Mavi Marmara, and made martyrs for the Palestinian cause, and for Islamic Jerusalem.

via Elder of Ziyon: “Millions of naked tourists visiting mosques in Turkey”.

June 30, 2011