Question

Was Suleiman actually magnificent?

Answer 1

For the Turks and the Muslim world, he might have been a great Sultan. He was not an enlightened Renaissance monarch, as depicted in the Turkish soap opera, Suleyman the Magnificent, of course, but a great warrior and administrator he was. A bit rough around the edges, who treated foreign ambassadors like hostages... See Bousebacq's (Holy Roman Imperial Ambassador)  memoirs in which he described the petty chicanery he was subjected to by the Sultan. Hope this infomation will help you a lot.