Which Ottoman sultan was known as 'Avcı' (the Hunter)?

Mehmed IV was the Ottoman sultan known as “Avcı,” meaning “the Hunter.”

Mehmed IV became sultan in 1648 at the age of six and ruled until 1687. He developed a passionate interest in hunting from childhood, spending so much time pursuing game that the nickname Avcı became closely associated with him.

His reign lasted nearly four decades and included the powerful Köprülü era, when grand viziers such as Köprülü Mehmed Pasha and Fazıl Ahmed Pasha restored Ottoman military and administrative strength. During the middle years of his reign, the empire achieved important victories and reached a high point of territorial expansion in Europe.

The nickname should not be confused with a formal military title. Mehmed IV was also a religiously observant ruler, but Avcı specifically referred to his enthusiasm for hunting. His reign ended after the Ottoman defeat and crisis surrounding the War of the Holy League, including the failed siege of Vienna in 1683.