Suleiman the Magnificent, 1520-1566

Suleiman the Magnificent was the tenth and longest-reigning Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, from 1520 to his death in 1566. He restored the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem and the Jerusalem city walls. These are still standing today and surround the Old City.

At the time of Suleiman’s death the Ottoman Empire, with its unrivaled military strength, economic riches and territorial extent, was the world’s foremost power. Suleiman’s conquests had brought under the control of the Empire the major Muslim cities (Mecca, Medina, Jerusalem, Damascus, and Baghdad), many Balkan provinces (reaching present day Croatia and Austria), and most of North Africa. His expansion into Europe had given the Ottoman Turks a powerful presence in the European balance of power.