Protector of the Pilgrimage

Following the spectacularly successful Mamluk campaign, Sultan Selim I accepted the homage of the Sharif of Mecca and adopted the title "Servant of the Two Holy Places" (Khadim al-Haramayn), pledging to protect the security of the pilgrims traveling to Mecca and Medina each year for the hajj rituals required by the Muslim faith. Defense of the pilgrimage routes henceforth became one of the most significant sources of legitimacy and prestige for the Ottoman dynasty, as it was a role of immeasurable importance for all Muslims which no other dynasty could claim to fulfill.