Ghazi Süleyman Pasha (1306 – 1357) was an Ottoman prince, son of Sultan Orhan. He played a major role in early Ottoman expansion into Thrace in the 1350s. He was Orhan's eldest son and his favorite and, until his death due to a hunting accident, his heir presumptive.

Motherhood

Traditional Ottoman historiography wrote that Süleyman Pasha's mother was Nilüfer Hatun, who was also the mother of Murad I. This has been refuted by modern historiography: Süleyman's mother was actually the consort Efendize Hatun, while Nilüfer entered the harem in 1325, twenty years after Süleyman's birth. Efendize was Orhan's cousin, the daughter of his uncle Gündüz Bey.

Biography

Süleyman Pasha was a great warrior, so much so that he deserved the title Ghazi. He was one of Orhan's main generals, especially in Thrace, and became known as the "Conqueror of Rumelia". He conquered Iznik (Nicaea) in 1331, Karesioğulları in 1335, and Izmit (Nicomedia) in 1337. His father appointed him governor of all his conquests. Between 1349 and 1354 he conquered Gallipoli and its region. He failed in the siege of Sofia, but he killed its governor Ivan Asen, son of tsar Ivan Alexander. In 1355 he crossed the Dardanelles and conquered parts of Rumelia, where he created a nucleus of Ottoman settlements which were then exploited as a base for future conquests. In the same year, he killed a second son of Ivan Alexander, Michael. He died in 1357, due to a fall from his horse while hunting with falcon between Bolayır and Seydikavağı. His father had him buried in Bolayır, even though Süleyman had already had a mausoleum built in Yenişehir, near Bursa. He is also remembered for his religious and charitable constructions in the territories he administered: he built mosques, madrasas, caravanserais and schools in Bursa, Göynük, Geyve, Akyazı, İzmit, İznik and Gelibolu.

Family

Consorts

Süleyman Pasha had two known consorts:

Sons

Süleyman Pasha had at least three sons:

Daughters

Süleyman Pasha had at least two daughters: