View of the siege of Sziget, 1566 (Szigetvár, Baranya, Hungary) 46°02ʹ55ʺN 17°48ʹ19ʺE

A low oblique map/view Siege of Austrian Habsburg Szigeth, commanded by the Croatian General Nikola Šubić Zrinski (1508-7 September 1566), from 6 August to 8 September 1566, by the Ottoman forces under Suleiman I [the Magnificent] (6 November 1494-7 September 1566) who died of natural causes just before the Ottoman victory at the Battle of Szigeth on 7 September, the day before the end of the siege. Ottoman Wars in Europe: Suleiman’s later wars in Europe (1537-1566). Oriented with east to top (compass points are written to the edges: LEVANTE, OSTRO, PONENTE, TRAMONTANA).

Although the Ottomans won this battle, it exhausted their resources and stopped their advance on Vienna which remained safe from Ottoman threats until the Great Siege of 1683 (see RCINs 724018-724024).

Although the layouts of the fortifications are drawn in the same position on this map/view as they are on RCIN 721044, the orientation is differently given. It would appear that the orientation of this map/view is more correct.

This map shows the tripartite division of old Szigetvár, set in the midst of marshes and a lake, the walled and bastioned town and castle connected by a wooden walkway to the central part of the new fortification which, in turn, is connected by a short wooden walkway to the southernmost area of the fort. This view shows an early stage in the siege: the fortress walls are not yet battered to the ground and the town and castle are still intact.

A palisade, broken in several places, surrounds Sziget; it is not present on the marshland areas which provide a natural defence. The Turkish infantry camp is shown to the south-west (bottom right) with the pavilions of the officers to the south-east (top right). An ammunitions dump, encircled by a fence is to the east and, just above this is a figure on a horse which may be a depiction of Suleiman I.