Ottoman Conquest of Baghdad

Timeline

1. 1534Advance line from Tabriz to Mesopotamia · IraqIn the 1532–1555 Ottoman–Safavid War, Grand Vizier Pargalı İbrahim Pasha captured the Safavid old capital Tabriz in summer 1534. Tahmasp I avoided battle and pursued a scorched-earth policy. Supply difficulties made it hard for the Ottomans to hold Azerbaijan, so Süleyman led his main force south toward Mesopotamia, targeting Baghdad.
2. 1534Baghdad · IraqThe Safavid governor was ordered to withdraw, and Baghdad offered almost no resistance. Ottoman forces occupied the city in December 1534; Süleyman held an entry ceremony and adopted titles such as 'Shah of Baghdad in Iraq,' emphasizing Sunni sovereignty over the Abbasid capital.
3. 1534–1535Baghdad · IraqThe Ottomans wintered in Baghdad, ordering repairs to Sunni holy sites damaged or neglected by the Safavids (such as the tomb of Abu Hanifa) and beginning irrigation restoration. Before returning to Constantinople, Süleyman left a strong garrison; Baghdad became a provincial capital, and the routes of Mesopotamia and the Persian Gulf passed into Ottoman control.