29 moments

1. Born at Trabzon

   1494-11-06 · Trabzon, Turkey

   

   Suleiman was born at the Black Sea port of Trabzon, where his father Selim was an Ottoman prince and provincial governor. Wikipedia describes the conventional date as probable rather than conclusively documented; coordinates represent central Trabzon.

2. Conquers Šabac

   1521-01-01 · Šabac, Serbia

   During his first major campaign as sultan, Suleiman personally took Šabac before the Ottoman advance shifted toward Belgrade. The source establishes the event in 1521 but supplies no more precise date for Suleiman's presence at Šabac.

3. Encircles Belgrade

   1521-08-28 · Belgrade Fortress, Belgrade, Serbia

   

   Suleiman reached and encircled Belgrade during the campaign that opened the Danube corridor toward Hungary. Coordinates identify Belgrade Fortress, the focus of the siege.

4. Takes personal charge at Rhodes

   1522-07-28 · Rhodes, South Aegean, Greece

   

   Suleiman landed on Rhodes with the main Ottoman army and assumed personal direction of the siege against the Knights Hospitaller. Coordinates represent the fortified city of Rhodes.

5. Advances into Buda

   1526-01-01 · Buda Castle, Budapest, Hungary

   

   After Mohács, Suleiman continued north to Buda, which surrendered before Ottoman troops looted and burned parts of Buda and Pest. The source places this movement after the battle but does not give an exact arrival date.

6. Departs Constantinople for Hungary

   1526-04-16 · Constantinople (Istanbul), Turkey

   

   Suleiman left the imperial capital at the head of the campaign that culminated in the Battle of Mohács. Coordinates represent historic central Constantinople rather than a documented departure gate.

7. Commands at Mohács

   1526-08-29 · Mohács Battlefield, near Sátorhely, Hungary

   

   Suleiman commanded the Ottoman army in the decisive defeat of King Louis II, transforming the political geography of Hungary. Coordinates follow the battlefield point published in the linked battle article.

8. Besieges Vienna

   1529-01-01 · Vienna, Austria

   Suleiman personally directed the first Ottoman siege of Vienna, the westernmost major objective of his 1529 campaign. The quotation uses an ellipsis to omit intervening text without changing its wording; coordinates represent Vienna's historic center.

9. Arrives at Osijek

   1529-08-06 · Osijek, Croatia

   

   Suleiman reached Osijek during the difficult march through the Balkans and Hungary toward Buda and Vienna. The year 1529 is established by the campaign context.

10. Writes from Osijek

    1532-07-12 · Osijek, Croatia

    

    On his second westward campaign against the Habsburgs, Suleiman was at Osijek when he sent Ferdinand a letter announcing the Ottoman advance. The year 1532 is supplied by the section and campaign chronology.

11. Reaches Tabriz

    1534-09-27 · Tabriz, East Azerbaijan, Iran

    

    Suleiman arrived at the Safavid capital during the Campaign of the Two Iraqs after crossing Anatolia and the Armenian highlands. The quotation's subject is Sultan Suleiman in the immediately preceding clause of the campaign-diary summary; coordinates represent central Tabriz.

12. Enters Baghdad

    1534-12-18 · Baghdad, Iraq

    Suleiman entered Baghdad after the Safavid administration abandoned it, establishing enduring Ottoman control over a major center of Iraq. Coordinates represent central historic Baghdad; the source preserves the grammatical form “1th.”

13. Leads the Corfu siege

    1537-01-01 · Corfu, Ionian Islands, Greece

    

    Suleiman personally led the unsuccessful Ottoman siege of Venetian-held Corfu during the Ottoman–Venetian War. Coordinates represent Corfu's old fortress and historic city.

14. Leaves Avlona for Corfu

    1537-08-19 · Vlorë (Avlona), Albania

    

    From the Ottoman naval concentration point at Avlona, Suleiman crossed toward Corfu to redirect the campaign against Venetian territory. The quotation preserves the source's typographical wording “leaft”; coordinates represent Vlorë harbor.

15. Besieges Suceava

    1538-09-16 · Suceava Fortress, Suceava, Romania

    Suleiman and the combined Ottoman–Crimean forces reached Suceava, whose fortress surrendered during the campaign that deposed Petru Rareș. Coordinates identify the medieval fortress rather than the modern city center.

16. Reaches Buda with relief army

    1541-08-21 · Buda Castle, Budapest, Hungary

    

    Suleiman personally brought the Ottoman relief force to Buda, defeating the Habsburg besiegers before converting central Hungary into an Ottoman province. The quotation uses an ellipsis to omit the army's Janissary count.

17. Prepares campaign at Edirne

    1542-11-17 · Edirne, Turkey

    

    Following repeated Habsburg efforts against Buda and Pest, Suleiman relocated temporarily to Edirne to prepare another Hungarian campaign. Coordinates represent central Edirne; the exact residence is not specified.

18. Besieges Esztergom

    1543-07-25 · Esztergom Castle, Esztergom, Hungary

    

    Suleiman led the Ottoman army at Esztergom, an important Danube fortress captured during his 1543 Hungarian campaign. The date records the beginning of the documented siege interval; coordinates identify Esztergom Castle.

19. Returns to Istanbul from Hungary

    1543-11-16 · Istanbul, Turkey

    

    After moving back through Buda, Varadin, and Belgrade, Suleiman completed the 1543 campaign by returning to the imperial capital. Coordinates represent historic central Istanbul; the source spells his name “Suleyman.”

20. Returns to Tabriz

    1548-01-01 · Tabriz, East Azerbaijan, Iran

    

    Suleiman reached an abandoned Tabriz during his second major eastern campaign, but Safavid scorched-earth measures made the occupation unsustainable. The source dates the arrival to summer 1548 but the quoted abstract does not give a day; coordinates represent central Tabriz.

21. Winters at Aleppo

    1548-01-01 · Aleppo, Syria

    After withdrawing from the Van theater, Suleiman established his winter residence at Aleppo while subordinate forces operated elsewhere. The stay extended across the winter of 1548–1549; the required single date is given as 1548.

22. Directs the siege of Van

    1548-08-25 · Van Castle, Van, Turkey

    Suleiman was present during the Ottoman siege of Van, where the accompanying French ambassador advised him on artillery placement. The page dates the siege to 25 August 1548; the quotation uses an ellipsis to omit explanatory text.

23. Departs Istanbul for final Safavid campaign

    1553-08-28 · Istanbul, Turkey

    

    Suleiman left Istanbul with Grand Vizier Rüstem Pasha for the campaign that would continue through eastern Anatolia, Syria, and the Caucasus. Coordinates represent historic central Istanbul rather than the undocumented departure point.

24. Camps near Ereğli

    1553-10-05 · Ereğli, Konya Province, Turkey

    Suleiman established his imperial camp near Ereğli, where Prince Mustafa arrived for the audience that preceded his execution. Coordinates represent Ereğli; the exact imperial campsite near the town is not securely identified.

25. Advances through Karabakh

    1554-01-01 · Karabakh, Azerbaijan

    

    During the last phase of the Ottoman–Safavid war, Suleiman advanced into Karabakh while Shah Tahmasp continued to avoid a set-piece engagement. Karabakh is a broad historical region; coordinates are a representative regional point and the source supplies only the year-level campaign chronology.

26. Marches in Nakhchivan

    1554-01-01 · Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan

    

    Suleiman's army entered Nakhchivan during the summer campaigning season, marking the eastern reach of his final Safavid expedition. The evidence is an identifying historical-image caption; coordinates represent Nakhchivan city rather than a specified marching position.

27. Concludes peace at Amasya

    1555-05-29 · Amasya, Turkey

    

    At Amasya, Suleiman concluded the first formal Ottoman–Safavid peace, defining spheres of control in Iraq, Armenia, and Georgia. Ellipses omit translations and state titles; the precise venue within Amasya is not identified.

28. Leaves Constantinople on final campaign

    1566-05-01 · Constantinople (Istanbul), Turkey

    

    Despite advanced age and severe gout, Suleiman left the capital at the head of his thirteenth and final imperial campaign. Coordinates represent historic central Constantinople rather than a documented departure gate.

29. Dies during the Szigetvár siege

    1566-09-06 · Ottoman siege camp, Szigetvár, Hungary

    Suleiman died in the Ottoman siege camp one day before Szigetvár fell. His death was concealed temporarily to preserve army cohesion. The campaign table dates his death to 6 September 1566; coordinates represent Szigetvár because the exact tent location is not conclusively established.