Süleymanname of Arifi

What it is

The Süleymannâme is an illustrated manuscript recounting the life and achievements of Suleiman the Magnificent, completed around 1558 and kept in the Topkapı Palace Museum Library in Istanbul. The Persian verse text was written by Fethullah Arifi Çelebi, and the 65 gold-decorated miniature paintings were made by five unnamed court artists. It was the fifth volume of the first illustrated history of the Ottoman dynasty.

Why it matters

Because it was produced for the sultan's own court while he was still alive, the Süleymannâme shows exactly how Suleiman wanted his reign, battles, receptions and hunts to be remembered. One surviving scene depicts a Safavid envoy's audience with Suleiman during the Treaty of Amasya, showing the ceremony and diplomacy of his court. It is a key source for understanding Ottoman court life and self-image in the sixteenth century.

Look closer

• Why might a ruler commission an illustrated history of his own reign instead of leaving it to be written later?
• What does the scene of a foreign envoy's reception tell you about Ottoman ceremony and diplomacy?
• Since the artists are unnamed, what do we know — and not know — about who really created this record?