Q 01/05

In which years did Suleiman the Magnificent reign as Ottoman sultan?

A) 1520-1566

B) 1481-1512

C) 1566-1574

D) 1453-1481

Answer · why

A) 1520-1566

It was the longest reign of any Ottoman sultan and raised the empire's population to at least 25 million.

Q 02/05

Whom did Suleiman succeed as sultan in 1520?

A) Murad II

B) Selim I

C) Mehmed II

D) Bayezid II

Answer · why

B) Selim I

His father had made war with Persia a priority; Suleiman turned first to Europe.

Q 03/05

What did Suleiman's own subjects call him, rather than 'the Magnificent'?

A) The Grim

B) The Just

C) The Lawgiver

D) The Conqueror

Answer · why

C) The Lawgiver

The epithet referred to his reform of the legal system, though it may only date from the 18th century.

Q 04/05

Suleiman was which number Ottoman sultan?

A) Fifth

B) Fifteenth

C) Twentieth

D) Tenth

Answer · why

D) Tenth

The Venetian envoy who described him weeks after his accession noted he was tall, slender and barely bearded.

Q 05/05

In which Black Sea city was Suleiman born in 1494?

A) Trabzon

B) Sinop

C) Samsun

D) Batumi

Answer · why

A) Trabzon

His father was governor there; his mother Hafsa was a convert concubine of unknown origin.