Research conducted by Hungary’s University of Pécs has produced new findings about the Ottoman settlement around Szigetvár Castle, where Suleiman the Magnificent died during his final campaign in 1566. Surface surveys and geophysical investigations carried out in 2024–2025 showed that the settlement known as “Turbek” was larger and more prosperous than previously thought.
Although the density of Ottoman-era finds varied across the area, the settlement was found to have extended across approximately 80 hectares. Traces of structures, everyday objects, ceramics, coins, jewelry and examples of Ottoman metalwork provided insight into the settlement’s size and daily life.
Suleiman’s final campaign
After a reign of approximately 46 years, Suleiman left Istanbul on May 1, 1566, for his 13th and final campaign. Despite his advanced age and illness, Suleiman remained at the head of his army. His imperial tent was pitched on a hill overlooking Szigetvár Castle, later identified as the site of the tomb.
Suleiman died in his tent on the night of September 6–7. Szigetvár Castle came under Ottoman control shortly afterward.
Historical accounts indicate that Suleiman’s death was concealed for a time by those close to him to prevent the army’s morale and order from deteriorating and to ensure the smooth succession of his son, Selim II. His internal organs are believed to have been removed to prevent the body from decomposing, while amber and musk were applied to the body. The coffin was temporarily buried beneath the throne in his tent.
According to some historical accounts and a widely held view, the removed internal organs were buried where the tent stood. The body is believed to have been exhumed approximately 42 days later and placed in a carriage for the return journey. Along the way, the sultan was treated as though he were still alive, and his death was officially announced after Selim II arrived in Belgrade.
The settlement around the tomb
On the orders of Selim II, a tomb was built at the site where Suleiman died and where his internal organs are believed to have been buried. The tomb eventually became an important pilgrimage site, and structures including a mosque, a dervish lodge, a guesthouse and a guard barracks were built around it.
The tomb complex was protected by a wooden palisade and defensive structures, while a civilian settlement developed around it. As Ottoman rule withdrew from the region, the buildings in Turbek were destroyed, and the area gradually turned into vineyards and gardens. The exact location of the settlement was eventually forgotten.
The location of the lost tomb identified
Modern research into the location of Suleiman’s tomb began after an agreement was signed in 2012 between the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency and the Municipality of Szigetvár. An interdisciplinary team led by Professor Norbert Pap of the University of Pécs examined historical documents, maps, land records and a plan of the tomb complex drawn in 1664.
The research determined that the original tomb site was on Üzüm Tepesi in the Turbek-Zsibot area, approximately 4.2 kilometers northeast of Szigetvár Castle. Excavations that began in the area in 2015 uncovered a square-plan structure that researchers identified as the tomb built in Suleiman’s name.
Subsequent work identified traces of a mosque, a dervish lodge, a guesthouse for visitors, a guard barracks, a wooden palisade and structures belonging to the civilian settlement.
Finds shed light on daily life
During research carried out in 2024–2025, investigators found everyday objects, ceramics, coins, jewelry and examples of Ottoman metalwork around structures, some of which were made of brick and covered with tiles.
Excavations also uncovered a well and large storage pits. The pits contained grain remains, fired-clay pieces from heating systems, footed bowls, fragments of porcelain cups and pieces of painted glass vessels.
The finds included a rare gold coin from the 16th century, a silver coin from the era of the Crimean Khanate, fragments of Ottoman tableware, rings, decorated buckles and ornaments from horse harnesses. The research indicates that a large Ottoman settlement existed beyond the tomb complex and that some of its residents and visitors were relatively prosperous by the standards of the period.
