So many requests for Suleiman lately! This is my first portrait from a profile view which I actually enjoyed a lot. The best portraits of many Ottoman sultans use this style instead of the typical three-quarters portrait we see in Europe. His wife Hurrem is also one of the top requests and she will be posted soon as well.
Suleiman I, known as Suleiman the Magnificent in the West and Kanunî Sultan Süleyman in his realm, was the longest-reigning Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1520 until his death in 1566. Under his rule, the Ottoman state ruled over at least 25 million people - what many scholars call the apex of the Empire. Suleiman and his military were a force to be reckoned with - shortly after ascending the throne, he began campaigns against Christian powers of Europe and the Mediterranean. Changes made by Suleiman to the Empire included major overhauls of society, education, taxes, and law.Breaking with Ottoman tradition, Suleiman married Hürrem Sultan, a Christian woman from his harem who converted to Islam. Scholars agree Suleiman's reign was a watershed in Ottoman history. In the decades after Suleiman, the empire began to experience significant political, institutional, and economic changes, a phenomenon often referred to as the Transformation of the Ottoman Empire.
Left Portrait: Public Domain, Right Portrait base: iStock photo. Created using Photoshop.
