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Suleiman's Handwritten Note on Copper for the Medina Minbar

Suleiman the Magnificent and unknown official

A short note in Suleiman's own handwriting approving copper for a minbar (pulpit) to be sent to Medina.

Suleiman's own handwritten approval on this note shows his direct, personal involvement in funding religious works in Medina.

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Photograph of a handwritten Ottoman Turkish document in black ink on a pale greenish-grey paper with reddish speckles. A short heading appears at the top, followed by four lines of cursive Arabic-script text in verse-like arrangement, ending with a closing line containing a sultan's title.
Note on copper for the Medina minbar, with Suleiman the Magnificent's handwritten approval.

About this source

What it is

This document records an official note stating that a minbar to be sent to Medina required a large quantity of copper. Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent responded directly in his own handwriting, approving the request with the words "be it given."

Why it matters

Most sultanic decisions passed through officials and scribes, so a note written in the sultan's own hand is rare and valuable evidence. It shows Suleiman personally overseeing even practical details of religious construction projects in the holy city of Medina, underlining his role as patron of Islam's sacred sites.

Look closer

  • Why might historians treat a note in the sultan's own handwriting differently from one written by a scribe?
  • What does this small administrative decision reveal about how the Ottoman state funded religious buildings?
  • What does the document not tell us about who requested the copper or why it was needed?

This document is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Suleiman the Magnificent on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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