Suleiman the Magnificent

Suleiman the Magnificent is rightly considered the most powerful sultan of the Ottoman Empire and the only ruler of it who has received widespread reflection in European popular culture. This occurred largely due to his beautiful wife Roxelana, who is attributed with a variety of ethnic origins. It was during Suleiman's reign that the Turkish Empire reached its maximum military power and territorial expansion, and its ruler became widely known. Suleiman was close to making the Mediterranean Sea a "Turkish lake" and made the Black and Azov Seas so. He also organized the internal governance of the empire, earning the title of "Kanuni," which translates from Turkish as "legislator," since during his reign the codification of Turkish law took place.