Siege of Diyarbakir (1514)

**Siege of Diyarbakir (1514)**; started in 1514 when the Safavid army under the command of Ustacalı Karahan wanted to capture Diyarbakır, which was opposing the government. The siege, which lasted approximately 9 months, ended when the Safavid Diyarbakir Took Again in the region on September 10.

## Before

On August 23, 1514, the Ottoman army under the command of Yavuz Sultan Selim defeated the Safavid army under the command of Shah Ismail in a decisive victory and advanced into Azerbaijan and Iran. With the approaching winter, the Ottoman sultan evacuated the lands of Azerbaijan and returned to Amasya. On his way back to Anatolia, he sent troops to besiege the cities in Northern Anatolia that were still under Safavid rule. Bıyıklı Mehmet Pasha, who achieved great success in one of these, the Siege of Bayburt , was promoted to the rank of Pasha and was assigned to annex the surrounding cities to Ottoman territory during the approaching winter. Bıyıklı Mehmed Pasha achieved the same success in the Kemah Siege and the sultan, who was going to return to Istanbul because of the approaching Egyptian war, appointed Bıyıklı Mehmed Pasha as the commander of the Eastern front against the Safavids.

Taking advantage of Yavuz Sultan Selim ending the campaign and disbanding most of the army, Shah Ismail prepared an army under the command of Nur Ali Halife and ordered it to attack Erzincan via Tunceli. Learning of this through his spies, Bıyıklı Mehmed Pasha gathered his forces and unexpectedly destroyed Nur Ali Halife and his army in the Battle of Ovacık.

While all this was happening, the people of Diyarbakır, provoked by İdris-i Bitlisi, expelled the Safavid troops in the city and declared their loyalty to the Ottoman Sultan. Shah Ismail, who had given up hope on Tunceli, sent an army of 5-6 thousand men under the command of Ustacalı Karahan, the brother of the deceased Diyarbakır Governor, to Diyarbakır, where he was beginning to lose control.

Learning that the Safavid army had passed Van, Idris-i Bitlisî sent a message to the sultan and managed to gather around himself a force of 10,000 Kurdish tribesmen. The sultan assigned Bıyıklı Mehmed Pasha, who was already in Bayburt, to gather his army. Amasya Beylerbeyi Şadi Pasha also received a decree from the sultan to join Bıyıklı Mehmed Pasha with 5,000 Sipahis.

## Siege

Arriving in front of Diyarbakır, Ustacalı Karahan wanted to take the city from which his troops were expelled through peace, despite everything. After the city did not surrender, the siege began. Meanwhile, the sultan, who had not yet returned to Istanbul from Amasya, sent a small number of aid forces under the command of Yiğit Ali to Diyarbakır. Yiğit Ali, who managed to enter the Greek gate with a midnight breakthrough, deployed his troops to defend the city and assured the defenders that the Ottoman army would arrive soon.

As the defense strengthened, the tribes supporting Shah Ismail and the Safavids sent support to the siege army. Meanwhile, Kurdish tribes did not remain idle. He saved his old homelands around Bingöl, Batman and Siirt. As the siege prolonged and the tribes alone became insufficient, Bıyıklı Mehmed Pasha prepared his army and set out. This army was advancing towards Diyarbakır, passing through Erzincan and Bingöl. Amasya army and Kurdish tribes around Bingöl also joined the Ottoman army. The army arrived in Diyarbakır on the 5th day of unification. Karahan, who could not get results from the long and tiring siege; When he learned that the Ottoman army was coming, he could not risk the battle, lifted the siege and started to escape towards Mardin.

Thus, Diyarbakır, which had been under siege for about 9 months, joined the Ottoman Empire on Monday, September 10.

## After

Bıyıklı Mehmed Pasha did not enter the city, left some soldiers for the garrison and headed towards Mardin to follow Karahan. Karahan, who did not stop in Mardin, retreated to Sinjar. Although the city of Mardin surrendered, the inner castle did not surrender. Bıyıklı Mehemd Pasha wanted to besiege, but Şadi Pasha said he would not participate and left the army with his forces. Bıyıklı Mehmed Pasha had to retreat to Diyarbakır due to the approaching winter and Şadi Pasha's campaign.

Şadi Pasha and the 5 Sancakbeyis acting with him were dismissed and punished by Yavuz Sultan Selim, who received the news of what happened. Bıyıklı Mehmed Pasha was appointed as the first Diyarbakır Beylerbeyi of the Ottoman Empire on October 4. Reinforcements were sent from Istanbul and Anatolia until next spring. Karaman Beylerbeyi Hüsrev Pasha also received orders to participate with his army.

## Related pages

Battle of Tabriz (1514)

## Infobox (military conflict)

- **partof**: Ottoman–Persian War (1505–1517)
- **image**: Diyarbakir walls.JPG
- **title**: The current state of the castle.
- **date**: c. 1514 - 10 September 1515
- **place**: Diyarbakır
- **reason**: Local Kurdish tribes turn away from Shah Ismail and side with the Ottomans.
- **result**: Ottoman-Kurdish victory
- **geographical changes**: Diyarbakir comes under Ottoman rule and becomes a province.
- **combatant1**: Ottoman Empire
 • Kurdish tribes
- **combatant2**: Safavid Iran
- **commander1**: :en:Bıyıklı Mehmet Pasha, Bıyıklı Mehmed Pasha
 Şadi Pasha
 :en:Idris Bitlisi, İdris-i Bitlisi
 Yiğit Ahmet
 Cemşid Bey
- **commander2**: Ustacalı Kara Han
 Durmuş Bey
- **strength1**: around 15,000
- **strength2**: 5.000