TRENDEFRARAtlas of the Sultans · Wars, battles and treaties
Siege · 1600
During the Long War the commander-in-chief, Grand Vizier Damad İbrahim Pasha, on the advice of Tiryaki Hasan Pasha among others, made Kanizsa his target to secure Buda. According to the TDV articles on Kanizsa and Tiryaki Hasan Pasha, Kanizsa, described in Ottoman histories as a very strong fortress, surrendered by agreement after a siege of more than forty days (October 1600); with Szigetvár, Pécs, Siklós and Osijek attached, it became the centre of a new province. In September 1601 the army of Archduke Ferdinand and his allies besieged Tiryaki Hasan Pasha, now governor-general of Kanizsa. With 9,000 men Hasan Pasha withstood the general assaults; when the weather worsened, a sortie shook the Habsburg army, and the besiegers withdrew with heavy losses (17–18 November 1601). This seventy-day defence became famous in Ottoman histories and inspired heroic narratives and Namık Kemal's Kanije.
| Date | October 1600 – 18 November 1601 |
|---|---|
| Location | Kanizsa (Nagykanizsa), Hungary |
| Result | The fortress was taken and made a provincial centre; the Habsburg siege of 1601 was repulsed |
| Belligerents | Ottoman Empire | Habsburg Monarchy |
|---|---|---|
| Commanders | Damad İbrahim Pasha Tiryaki Hasan Pasha | Archduke Ferdinand |
Took place during the reign of Mehmed III (1595–1603). Mehmed III
The atlas records this territorial change for the year:
By the atlas's calculation the Ottoman lands covered about 5,566,000 km² in 1600; at the start of Mehmed III's reign they measured 5,588,000 km², at its end 5,566,000 km².
During Mehmed III (1595–1603) the atlas records 2 regions gained and 1 region lost.
Regions gained: Eger (1596), Kanizsa (1600).
Regions lost: Luristan–Nahavand (1597).
The victory at Keresztes is the one bright moment of his reign. The Celali revolts in Anatolia, financial collapse and violence within the palace make his reign the beginning of the state's internal crisis.
Areas are land area computed from the atlas's region data; see Method and sources.
Source: TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, “TİRYÂKÎ HASAN PAŞA” (Turkish); text written for the atlas.
Cite as: Atlas of the Sultans, “Siege of Nagykanizsa (1600): Date, Commanders and Outcome”, https://padisahlaratlasi.com/en/events/siege-of-nagykanizsa/ (last updated 12 November 2026). Corrections
Terms on this page: Grand vizier · Vizier