Selim III

Selim III was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1789 to 1807. He was an enlightened ruler who attempted to modernize the army and the administration. He also supported the arts and sciences and composed Ottoman classical music. He faced many challenges during his reign, such as wars with Russia and France, rebellions in Egypt and the Balkans, and opposition from the conservative Janissaries. He was eventually deposed and imprisoned by the Janissaries, who placed his cousin Mustafa on the throne as Mustafa IV. A group of assassins killed Selim in his cell a few weeks later. He was buried in the Laleli Mosque, which he had built in Istanbul. He is regarded as a martyr and a reformer by many Turks.