AA correspondent compiled information about Suleiman the Magnificent's last expedition in 1566 and the work carried out in the tomb area near Zigetvar Castle.
On the 460th anniversary of Suleiman the Magnificent's death during the siege of Zigetvar Castle on the night between 6 and 7 September in 1566, his last campaign and the Ottoman ruins unearthed in the region have come to the fore again.
Research conducted by the University of Pecs in Hungary in the large surroundings of the mausoleum complex in the period 2024-2025 provided new information about the size, structure and daily life of the Ottoman settlement called "Turbek".
It was determined that the finds from the Ottoman period, varying in density from place to place, were spread over an area of approximately 80 hectares, and that the settlement was larger and wealthier than previously thought.
Suleiman's last campaign and death
Suleiman the Magnificent, who was the longest-reigning sultan in Ottoman history with his reign of approximately 46 years, left Istanbul on May 1, 1566 and went on his 13th and last expedition.
The tent of Suleiman the Magnificent, who was at the head of his army despite his old age and illness, was built on the hill overlooking Zigetvar Castle during the siege and where the tomb area is considered to be located.
Suleiman the Magnificent died in his tent on the night between 6 September and 7 September. Zigetvar Castle came under the control of Ottoman forces shortly after the sultan's death.
According to historical sources, the death of Suleiman the Magnificent was due to the deterioration of the morale and order of the army, as well as the loss of the throne to his son, II. It was hidden by the sultan's close circle in order to ensure a smooth transition to Selim.
It is reported that in order to prevent the body of Suleiman the Magnificent from deteriorating, his internal organs were removed, amber and musk were applied to his body, and his coffin was temporarily buried under the throne in his tent.
According to some historical sources and widespread acceptance, the removed internal organs were buried in the area where the tent was located.
Suleiman the Magnificent's body was removed approximately 42 days later and placed in the car for the return journey, the sultan was treated as if he were alive along the way, and his death was attributed to II. It is stated that Selim was officially announced after his arrival in Belgrade.
Ottoman settlement developed around the tomb
II. By the order of Selim, a mausoleum was built in the place where it is believed that Suleiman the Magnificent died and his internal organs were buried.
Structures such as a mosque, dervish lodge, guesthouse and guard barracks were built around the tomb, which turned into an important place of pilgrimage over time. While the complex was protected by wooden fortifications and defensive structures, civilian settlements developed around it.
The "Turbek" settlement was destroyed during the withdrawal of Ottoman rule from the region. The exact location of the settlement was forgotten as the buildings in the settlement were demolished and the area was transformed into vineyards and gardens over time.
The location of the lost tomb was determined using scientific methods
Modern research to find Suleiman the Magnificent's tomb began after the agreement signed between the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) and Zigetvar Municipality in 2012.
Lecturer at the University of Pecs, Prof. Dr. The interdisciplinary team, led by Norbert Pap, examined historical documents, maps, land records and a plan of the mausoleum complex drawn in 1664.
As a result of the studies, it was determined that the main tomb area was on Üzüm Hill in the Turbek-Zsibot region, approximately 4.2 kilometers northeast of Zigetvar Castle.
During the excavations that started in the region in 2015, a square-planned structure that researchers identified as the tomb built in the name of Suleiman the Magnificent was unearthed.
During subsequent studies, traces of a mosque, a dervish lodge, a visitor's guest house, a guard barracks, a wooden palanka and a civil settlement were identified.
New finds shed light on the size of the settlement and daily life
Turkish and Hungarian researchers, led by the University of Pecs, carried out surface surveys and geophysical surveys using modern measuring devices in the wide surroundings of the tomb complex in the 2024-2025 period.
Daily use items, ceramics, coins, jewelry and examples of Ottoman metalwork were identified around the buildings, some of which were made of bricks and covered with tiles.
A well and large storage pits were also unearthed during the excavations. Grain remains, terracotta pieces from heating systems, footed bowls, fragments of porcelain cups and fragments of painted glass vessels were found in the pits.
Among the finds were a rare gold coin from the 16th century, a silver coin from the Crimean Khanate period, pieces of Ottoman tableware, rings, ornate buckles and horse harness ornaments.
It was stated that the research results indicate that there was a large Ottoman settlement beyond the structure around the tomb and that some of the inhabitants and visitors were wealthy according to the conditions of the period.
