SULTAN SELIM THE SECOND

(1524 - 1574 )

He who was the son of the Sultan Suleyman the Legislator and the Sultana Khiirrem, was born on May the 28th, 1524, and died on December the 15th, 1574. His reign lasted for eight years, between 1556 and 1564.

Selim the Second was of medium height, open foreheaded, blue eyed, thin eyebrowed and blond. Some important events of his sultanate time were as follows:

He made agreements with the adjacent countries. He sent fleets to Indonesia on mobilization, and helped the Mussulmans in India. He decided to capture Cyprus since the Cypriot pirates made harms to the Ottoman fleet and trade ships in the Mediterranean Sea, and the fleet under the command of Lala Mustafa Pasha seized Cyprus completely in one and a half years. When the fleet of the Crusaders which came to help Cyprus diminished the Turkish fleet at Inebahti, the Ottoman Sultan could not sleep for days. But, in a very short time, a new fleet, which were much more splendid than the previous, was launched into the Mediterranean Sea.and when the Venetians saw the new men-of-war which were one hundred and fifty eight in number, sailed in a year, they willy nilly had to make an agreement as if they had been the loser.

The St. Sophia Mosque was restored and the Selimiye Mosque was constructed in that time. The Crimean Suzerainity was allowed to war with Russia; and Russia was subjected to taxes.

The city of Tunis was taken and the whole Tunisia was annexed to the Ottoman lands.
Sultan Sahli the Second was a poet like his father. Below are the two lines from one of his poems:
We are loving nightingales that have got wretched because of the longing of separation,
The gentle morning wind becomes fire if it blows through our rosary.

Yahya Kemal Beyatli, the famous poet of the 20th. Century, indicated that the above couplets are as wonderful as the Selimiye Mosque.
The Ottoman territories had been expanded to 15.162.000 km/sqs from 14.892.000 km/sqs during his reigning era.
He expired on the 15th of December in 1574. His sultanate lasted eight years as his grandfather's. He was buried into his mausoleum in St. Sophia (May Allah the Everlasting have mercy upon his soul!)
Eboussououd Effendi, Sheikh Muhammed Ashik Effendi, Sheikh Shahan Effendi of Kastamonou. Mehmed Effendi of Birgi, Asia Chelebi, who wrote an appendix to the Shakaik (Peony), and Kin Ali Effendi were the Muslim eminents in the time of Sultan Selim the Second.
He had eight sons whose names were Murad the Third. Abdoullah. °finnan, Mustafa, Suleiman. Mehmed, Mahmoud. Djikhangir: he had four daughters named Fatima Sultana. Shah Sultana. Gevkherhan Sultana. Esma Sultana.