MUSTAFA III

His Father's Name: Ahmed the Third His Mother's Name: Mikhrimah Sultana Date of Birth: January 28th, 1717 Date of Death: January 21st, 1774 His Sultanate: 1757-74 (17 years)

Mustafa the Third was of medium height with a large nose, wide eyes and a black beard. He had a huge body and was very strong. He was well educated and talented. He was an excellent poet, his poetry being written under the pseudonym of Djikhangir. One of his most famous poems is as follows:

"Do not expect us to save the world which is being ruined,

The bad running the country has caused the problems.

Now everybody at the Imperial Palace is false and base,

Only Allah, the Merciful and Everlasting, can help us."

Mustafa occupied himself with astronomy but he also studied the history of Islam and the Ottoman Empire. He knew that the greatest threat to the Empire would come from Russia and so he prepared for this, day and night. He built up the treasury, knowing that his country would need to be rich when war erupts.

He was 40 years old when he came to the throne and knew that he would have to make improvements in the style and standard of government. He had difficulty in finding suitable people for important posts but did make many changes. He even considered, at one time cutting a canal across the isthmus of Suez.

Mustafa rebuilt almost the whole of Istanbul and also erected the Fatih Djamiee (Mosque of the Conqueror) and the Eyub Sultan Mosque. The Naval and Military Schools were opened in 1764.

The Russian-Ottoman War began in 1768 and ended in 1774 at the Treaty of Kainardji. By this treaty, the Ottoman Empire lost many provinces and lands. It was the real beginning of the end for the Empire – the "Decline Era."

Mustafa fell sick during the Russian War and died when he was 57 years old. During his reign the Laleli Mosque was built over a period of four years. Mustafa had two sons called Selim the Third and Mohammed. He also had five daughters.