TRENDEFRARAtlas of the Sultans · Wars, battles and treaties
Siege · 1552
A new campaign had been launched in Hungary to secure Buda. According to the TDV article on Sokullu Mehmed Pasha, the commander-in-chief, Vizier Ahmed Pasha, joined forces at Belgrade on 15 May 1552 with Sokullu Mehmed Pasha, governor-general of Rumelia, and took Temeşvar (Timișoara) after a siege lasting from 28 June to 26 July 1552. According to one account, Sokullu's horse was killed by a musket ball in the final assault, but the pasha mounted another and fought on.
| Date | 28 June – 26 July 1552 |
|---|---|
| Location | Temeşvar (Timișoara) |
| Result | Temeşvar conquered and annexed |
| Belligerents | Ottoman Empire | Hungarian, Czech, German and Spanish defenders |
|---|---|---|
| Commanders | Ahmed Pasha Sokullu Mehmed Pasha |
Took place during the reign of Suleiman I (1520–1566). Suleiman I
The atlas records this territorial change for the year:
By the atlas's calculation the Ottoman lands covered about 5,067,000 km² in 1552; at the start of Suleiman I's reign they measured 3,034,000 km², at its end 5,127,000 km².
During Suleiman I (1520–1566) the atlas records 20 regions gained and 1 region lost.
Regions gained: Belgrade–Šabac (1521), Rhodes and the Dodecanese (1522), Eastern Slavonia and Syrmia (Osijek–Vukovar) (1526), Lika–Krbava (1527), Baghdad–Basra (1534), Požega (central Slavonia) (1537), Kars–Ardahan–Artvin (1537), Yemen–Asir (1538), and 12 more.
Regions lost: Kars–Ardahan–Artvin (1565).
With a reign of forty-six years he ruled longer than any other sultan. He brought the state to its military, legal and cultural peak; yet the executions of his sons Mustafa and Bayezid are the gravest instances of violence within the dynasty.
Areas are land area computed from the atlas's region data; see Method and sources.
Source: TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, “SOKULLU MEHMED PAŞA” (Turkish); text written for the atlas.
Cite as: Atlas of the Sultans, “Siege of Temesvár (1552): Date, Commanders and Outcome”, https://padisahlaratlasi.com/en/events/siege-of-temesvar-1552/ (last updated 12 November 2026). Corrections
Terms on this page: Vizier