Did the Ottoman Empire get caught by Portuguese Crusaders doing black magic, like alchemy or Solomonic magic?
By CopticBot.ai (Coptic Space Inc.) · Last reviewed 2026-10-10
There is no historical record within the Coptic Orthodox tradition, or in general academic history, of Portuguese crusaders "catching" the Ottoman Empire performing black magic or Solomonic magic. However, to understand why these stories sometimes circulate, we must look at the historical context of the conflict and how the Church views the occult.
1. The Nature of the Conflict
The conflict between the Portuguese and the Ottoman Empire (primarily in the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea during the 15th and 16th centuries) was driven by trade routes and religious expansion. While the Portuguese often viewed their expeditions as a continuation of the Crusades, their primary encounters with Ottomans were naval battles.
In that era, it was common for opposing sides to accuse one another of "sorcery" or "diabolical aid" to explain away military defeats or the "supernatural" precision of new technologies. For instance, the Ottomans had superior gunpowder and artillery, which to an uneducated observer might have seemed like a form of magic/sorcery.
2. Alchemy and "Solomonic" Magic
Regarding alchemy and Solomonic magic (the use of seals and invocations attributed to King Solomon):
- Alchemy: In both the Islamic world (Ottomans) and the Christian world (Europeans), alchemy was actually a precursor to chemistry. While it had mystical elements, it was frequently practiced by scholars on both sides as a way to understand the properties of metals. It was not "black magic" in the sense of devil worship, though the Church often cautioned against it if it led to greed or the occult.
- Solomonic Magic: Historically, "Solomonic" grimoires (books of magic) were actually very popular in Europe during the Renaissance. It is an irony of history that these types of magical texts were often found in the West more frequently than in the Ottoman East during that specific period.
3. The Coptic Perspective on Magic
The Coptic Orthodox Church is very straightforward regarding the occult. Whether it is performed by a king, a caliph, or a common person, the use of magic is a grave sin and an alliance with demons.
St. Cyril of Alexandria was very firm in his writings (as seen in On the Unity of Christ) that those who turn away from the "holy commandment" and delve into the "infatuation of the Greeks" (meaning pagan/occult practices) are like "fierce and bitter wolves." He warns that heretics and those who practice such arts "weight their yoke heavily" with blasphemy.
4. Why These Rumors Exist
The idea of the Ottomans practicing "black magic" likely stems from two sources:
- European Propaganda: During the height of the Ottoman threat to Europe, many pamphlets depicted the Turks as being in league with the devil to instill fear and rally soldiers for a crusade.
- Sufi Mysticism: Some Ottoman soldiers or dervishes practiced forms of Sufism that involved talismans or "healing" prayers that a Portuguese Catholic or a Coptic Christian might have perceived as sorcery.
In summary, while the Ottomans and Portuguese were bitter enemies, there is no factual evidence that the Portuguese discovered a state-sponsored program of black magic. As Coptic Christians, we recognize that the real "magic" that afflicted the Middle East during that time was the spread of heresy and the persecution of the faithful, which we believe are the true tools of the enemy, rather than the "alchemy" or "Solomonic" rituals found in storybooks.