Page 58 - All About History - Issue 56-17

Suleiman the Magnificent

obedient, never prone to brawling and, above and drank wine from a goblet made from a single The empire
He dined on a silver table using silver plates
all, fearless. They abstained from alcohol and
lived on a diet of turnips, cucumber, garlic, salt piece of turquoise. With over 50 courses served
and vinegar. They only drank water, which they by 200 attendants wearing red silk and gold- of Suleiman
mixed, once or twice a day, with flour, a small bit embroidered hats, the sultan and his court
of butter, powdered beef and spices — perhaps would eat in halls filled with thick carpets and
the Ottoman Empire’s answer to the modern day cloths of gold. His tables were laden with an
protein shake. Busbecq concluded, array of seafood from the Bosphorus:
“I dread to think what the future holds lobster, sturgeon, muscles, swordfish.
for us when I compare the Turkish Henry VIII may have a reputation
system to ours.” for indulgence, even gluttony, but
But ambassadors wrote to his feasts paled in comparison
their monarchs of more than the to Suleiman’s. 07
Ottomans’ military might. The The beauty of Turkish
details of the Ottoman court itself, dress and carpets captured
described in vivid detail in the the attention and imagination
reports of Holy Roman, French and of Europe. From the Doge’s
Venetian ambassadors, reveal a world Palace in Venice — through which
of grandeur, opulence and refinement. Ottoman art, textiles and culture flowed
Soon, Ottoman dress, art and culture permeated — to Hampton Court, plush, vibrant textiles
Europe, becoming some of the most highly prized and carpets were a symbol of wealth and
elements of the period. Throughout Suleiman’s sophistication. Henry VIII himself, on several
reign there was enormous admiration for this occasions, even participated in court masques
inventive, intelligent monarch. Suleiman had once dressed as a Turk.
been called the ‘Scourge of Heaven’ — now he was In 1532, Venetian merchants sold Suleiman
known as ‘the Magnificent’. a gold throne studded with jewels and pearls,
Suleiman wore elaborate floor-length caftans estimated to cost 40,000 ducats. He sat in
made of satins and silks, often lined with sable his great hall on his ornate throne receiving
and patterned in ways that made even the most gifts: cotton from Egypt, damask from Syria;
extravagant of European monarchs look drab and from Mosul, silver plates, cloth of gold and
pedestrian. He was also partial to shirts made of lapis lazuli. Suleiman was particularly fond
soft white linen, lined with white cotton faced of Chinese porcelain and he imported furs
with rose-coloured silk, all perfumed with aloe and Arabian horses. Even on campaigns, the
wood, and the sultan never wore the same sultan made an impression.
clothes twice. Contemporary descriptions of his triumphal
march to Vienna in 1532 describe foot soldiers
and cavalry troops followed by standard-
bearers carrying flags with Ottoman crescents
and the prophet Muhammad’s name
embroidered in pearls and jewels. 12 pages
followed, carrying costly helmets glittering
with gemstones. One of the most famous
ones was a golden helmet of four crowns, all
with enormous 12-carat pearls, diamonds,
rubies and a large turquoise stone. It was
a triumph of Venetian craftsmanship and,
rather curiously, bore a striking resemblance
to the papal tiara.
Suleiman rode on a magnificent horse, the
saddle of which was estimated to be worth
70,000 ducats, while its chamfron — the
plate designed to protect the horse’s face —
boasted a piece of turquoise as large as an
egg. The sultan wore a large turban and a
fur-lined gold brocade caftan of royal purple
embroidered with jewels. Around his neck,
he wore a gold chain that was so heavy it
required attendants to ride on both sides to
relieve the weight. 7. The Crescent and the Lily
But Suleiman himself earned the The alliance between France and the
admiration of visitors to his court. Ambassador Ottoman Empire shocked the rest of
Busbecq was impressed by his wise approach Christian Europe to its very core. This
important foreign alliance was maintained
Suleiman’s army was a to advisors and councillors. He wrote that “in
formidable force until the Napoleonic wars.
making his appointments the sultan pays no
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