In the 16th Century an Ottoman Sultan known as the second Solomon ruled half the civilized world. The Turks called him Kanuni, the Lawgiver. To the Europeans, he was known as Süleyman the Magnificent. During his 46-year reign, the Ottoman Empire flourished and witnessed a golden age. A contemporary of Francis I of France, Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire and Henry VIII of England, Süleyman was an audacious military leader, celebrated poet, and enthusiastic patron of art and architecture. Shot on location in Turkey, and narrated by Ian McKellan, this film explores the breathtaking palaces and mosques of the Ottoman Empire and focuses on the dramatic life and personality of Sultan Süleyman.