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Join Wundery Plus in the Wundery app or on Apple Podcasts. It's September 30th, 1520 in Istanbul, the capital of the Ottoman Empire.

The Bosporus Strait, which splits Istanbul in two,

is usually thronged with merchant ships, fishing boats,

and smaller launches carrying people around the city.

But today all traffic on the water has been stowed.

The Strait has been cleared to make way for three imperial galleys that now cut through the waterways.

Enormous green and red banners stream from the top of their masts.

Their oars sweep in and out of the water in perfect harmony. Standing beneath an ornate canopy

on the largest of the three boats is a young man. Suleman is 26 years old. He's tall

and wiry with just a shadow of a mustache on his pale face.

From his finery, it's impossible to tell that he's been traveling for more than a week, but he has

been and he's exhausted and relieved that at last his destination is in sight.

First on a tree-covered hill across the harbour is the palace of the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire,

this young man's new home. As Solomon looks out at the palace, a young official around the same

age as the new sultan bows before him. Ibrahim has served in Solomon's household for years,

but the two young men are more like brothers than

master and servant. Ibrahim tells Suleiman that they will be arriving shortly,

and ahead an honor guard of white turban elite soldiers waits at the dock.

As they draw closer, Solomon can see their stern faces staring ahead in perfect order.

Solomon and Ibrahim glance at each other, sharing a private smile before trumpet sound and the troops cheer

...