Timeline April 1558

Events in April 1558 1

• 1558 Death of Roxelana -- Suleiman alone Roxelana dies on 15-18 April 1558, aged approximately 56, after a long illness. She predeceases Suleiman by eight years. Suleiman is devastated -- her death ends the extraordinary 35-year partnership that had shaped his reign as much as any military campaign. He writes a poem for her: 'Throne of my lonely niche, my wealth, my love, my moonlight / My most sincere friend, my confidant, my very existence, my Sultan...' He buries her in a türbe (mausoleum) in the Süleymaniye complex, later joining her there. After her death Suleiman grows more withdrawn, delegating increasingly to his grand vizier Sokollu Mehmed Pasha while continuing to campaign.