The recent discovery of the tomb of the man considered the greatest Ottoman ruler, Suleiman the Magnificent, has raised hopes of a tourism boom in one of Hungary's most impoverished areas.

From hammam baths and crumbling minarets to battle site memorials and ruins of mosques, traces of the country's 150-year-long stretch (1541-1699) in the Ottoman Empire are not hard to find in Hungary.

But many Hungarians see them as relics of a dark period during which the country's flourishing renaissance era was extinguished.

As a result, few of the Ottoman monuments have so far been promoted by the Hungarian authorities, but this Suleiman discovery could change that.

Who was Suleiman the Magnificent? Suleiman was born 1494 and his reign from 1520 to 1566 was the longest of any sultan

Suleiman was born 1494 and his reign from 1520 to 1566 was the longest of any sultan He greatly expanded the Ottoman Empire, annexing large swathes of the Balkans, the Middle East and northern Africa

He greatly expanded the Ottoman Empire, annexing large swathes of the Balkans, the Middle East and northern Africa He was taken ill before his final battle and was found dead in his imperial camp on September 7, 1566

He was taken ill before his final battle and was found dead in his imperial camp on September 7, 1566 Suleiman's body was later taken to Istanbul, his internal organs and heart were then buried and later built over by a tomb

Suleiman's body was later taken to Istanbul, his internal organs and heart were then buried and later built over by a tomb The town of Turbek grew around the tomb, which was the only settlement that the Ottomans built from scratch during their reign in Hungary

The town of Turbek grew around the tomb, which was the only settlement that the Ottomans built from scratch during their reign in Hungary At the end of the 17th century both the town and the tomb were wiped off the map by the Habsburgs

Experts confirmed in July that excavations begun two years ago in the struggling town of Szigetvar, close to the Croatian border, had revealed the tomb of the 16th-century ruler.

Suleiman died aged 71 on September 7, 1566, during an epic battle with the mainly Croatian defenders of Szigetvar castle that depleted his forces hoping to quickly advance on Vienna, the capital of the Habsburg Empire.

While his body was laid to rest in Istanbul, his heart and other internal organs were buried at the site of his death and later covered by a tomb.

A team of researchers led by geographer and historian at Pecs University Norbert Pap are believed to have found the tomb, after being granted funding by the Turkish government find the only settlement that the Ottomans built from scratch during their reign in Hungary.

Sleepy Szigetvar, with a population of 10,000 has few hotels, but Dr Pap is convinced of the town's long-term potential for tourism given appropriate investment.

The town's mayor Peter Vass said he hopes the number of visitors to Szigetvar will double from the current 25,000 per year.

Suleiman the Magnificent's heart and other internal organs were buried at the site of his death and later covered by a tomb ( AFP: Attila Kisbenedek )

The municipality has already earmarked a site for the construction of higher-end hotels close to the castle.

"This town is dying, young people are leaving or have already left for Germany or London, but Suleiman can bring in jobs, income, and tourists," Dr Pap said.

"Szigetvar may be on the periphery now, but 450 years ago it was on the main street of European history.

"Suleiman is a national cultural icon in Turkey, and as Szigetvar is easier to get to from both Western Europe and Turkey than Kosovo, there is a very good chance that Turkish tourists will come visit the tomb."

Senior government officials from Hungary, Croatia and Turkey will on Wednesday join thousands of visitors to Szigetvar to commemorate the 450th anniversary of the siege.

The excavations have uncovered the remains of Turbek: the walls of a mosque, a tomb, dervish monastery cloisters, as well as a wealth of silver coins and fragments of clothing, pottery, glass and metal.

AFP