Nurbanu Sultan

There are several theories about the ethnic roots of Nurbanu, none of which is generally accepted:

Nurbanu Sultan was born in 1525, she was the daughter of Nicoló Venier. In 1537, she was captured by Hayreddin Barbarossa, during the Venetian expedition, she was captured and was taken to Ottoman Empire. [8]

Nurbanu who was said to be prominent in the palace with her beauty and extraordinary intelligence, was send to Konya as on of the girls of the harem of Şehzade Selim in 1543, in 1544 she gave birth to her first child, a daughter Şah Sultan, in 1545 she gave birth to her second child Ismihan Sultan and on 4 July 1546 she gave birth to her third child, her only son Şehzade Murad who would later become the Sultan of the Empire. [8]

Nurbanu's husband Selim

Nurbanu became the most favored consort of Şehzade Selim (who became Ottoman Sultan as Selim II in 1566), and the mother of Şehzade Murad (the future Murad III, born 1546).

While her spouse Selim was still a şehzade, Nurbanu had been the head of his princely harem at Manisa.

Once he became sultan, Selim let his favorite wife, the haseki Nurbanu, remain at the Topkapı Palace throughout his reign, as his predecessor (Suleiman the Magnificent) had done.[9]

Even after Selim began to take other concubines, Nurbanu persisted as a favorite for her beauty and intelligence. As the mother of the heir-apparent, she acted as an advisor to her husband. Although it was far from normal at the time, Selim II would often ask Nurbanu for her advice on various subjects because of his respect for her good judgment. The Venetian ambassador Jacopo Soranzor reported:

"The Haseki is said to be extremely well-loved and honored by His Majesty both for her great beauty and for being unusually intelligent."[10]

She became a formidable figure with far-reaching influence during this time. According to some sources (mostly Venetian accounts), her influence was such that Nurbanu Sultan effectively ran the government alongside the Grand Vizier Sokollu Mehmed Pasha. The Ottoman Empire was far from stable at the top, and clashes over the imperial throne were common. It was also not unusual for the loser in such contests to have his entire family massacred along with him to prevent any future challenges. Nurbanu Sultan was determined, however, that when the time came for her son to succeed his father, nothing would interfere with that.

When Selim II's reign ended in 1574, the haseki Nurbanu received 1,100 aspers a day, while Selim's other consorts, each the mother of a son, received only 40 aspers.[11][12]

Murad III, to whom Nurbanu was a Valide sultan during 1574–1583.

Şehzade Murad had been sent to serve as Governor of Manisa on the Aegean coast and was there when Sultan Selim II died in 1574.[13] This would have been the perfect opportunity for someone to seize power with the Sultan dead and his son away from the capital. Nurbanu realized this as much, if not more, than anyone and took quick action. Security and privacy in the harem were the most strict anywhere and no one knew when Selim II had actually died. Nurbanu told no one and hid the dead body of her husband in an icebox and sent to Manisa for her son to come to Constantinople immediately. All the while no one was the wiser that Sultan Selim II had departed this life. It was not made known publicly until twelve days later when Murad arrived and Nurbanu delivered up the body of her late husband. Her son became Sultan Murad III and Nurbanu became Valide Sultan, the highest position a woman could hold in the Ottoman Empire. Unlike her predecessor Hürrem Sultan, Nurbanu outlived her husband and enjoyed absolute power between 1574 and 1583, although she was apparently not resident in the Palace after Selim II's death.

Under the influence of Nurbanu on the harem, her son Murad's great respect for her also played a role. In this way, the Sultanate became a high status and became an important and powerful position of the dynasty. Nurbanu's pocket money, which reaches high amounts among both dynastic members and high level officials, is considered as an indicator of this power. As valide sultan she was allocated 2000 coins daily.[8]

Nurbanu had the ultimate power, and she became a formidable figure with far-reaching influence. Canfeda Hatun, Raziye Hatun, and Hubbi Hatun ladies-in-waiting to Murad and Nurbanu also appear to have been very powerful and influential during his reign.[14][15]

Nurbanu Sultan became famous in her old age with her relations with her son's wife Safiye Sultan. As Safiye Sultan said, "I saw Nurbanu for the first time in her mid-forties, but despite her advanced age, she was the most beautiful woman I have ever seen." [16]

Patroness of architecture

Atik Valide Mosque constructed by Nurbanu Sultan

This mosque complex was constructed by Mimar Sinan on a vast area. The component buildings in the complex were established on a number of successive and stepped flat levels. Buildings were constructed as the mosque, medresse, school, and the dervish lodge on two separate plains. To the west of these, on a lower flat level were erected the complex of buildings designed to meet social functions such as charity. The public bath is in the south. [18]

The Darüşşifa (hospital), which constitutes the major concern of the present study, is an integral part of the mosque complex constructed by Mimar Sinan, the great Ottoman architect, under the auspices of Nurbanu Sultan between 1570 and 1579. The landed properties that Nurbanu Sultan devoted to the darüşşifa in her mosque complex are scattered over many corners of Istanbul, Rumelia, and Anatolia. Through the revenues remitted from these resources the treatments and needs of patients admitted to the darüşşifa were sponsored. A section specialized in the administration of revenues was also included in the darüşşifa premises. [19]

During her nine years of regency, Nurbanu ordered the renowned Ottoman architect Mimar Sinan to build the Atik Valide Mosque and its surrounding külliye at the district of Üsküdar in Istanbul, where previously a "Jewish bath" was located. The construction of the külliye was completed and put in commission at the end of 1583, just before the demise of Nurbanu on 7 December 1583.

The Atik Valide Complex comprises a mosque, medrese, primary school, convent for mystics, schools for Qur’an recitation and hadith scholars, soup kitchen, hospital, and bathhouse. Mimar Sinan conceived of his major mosques as finely tuned instruments meant to sound the Qur’an as a text-as-event, in a reenactment of the original revelation. He even integrated sounding vessels in the domes to ensure a beautiful performance of the holy text. Based on the endowment deed (vakfiye), one can reconstruct the soundscape Nurbanu created through her patronage. [20]

Nurbanu Sultan has also constructed imaret and bathhouse, which she built in Mercan, Alemdağ and Langa, in Istanbul, she was the first Ottoman women to built a library in this complex. The stone needed during the construction of this mosque and complex was obtained from places close to Istanbul such as Iznik and Gallipoli, wooden Sapanca and Iznik. [8]

She was buried at the mausoleum of her husband Selim II located inside the Hagia Sophia (then a mosque) at Sultanahmet in Istanbul, Turkey.

Afife Nûr-Banû Valide Sultan's name is inscribed at the entrance of her husband Selim II's türbe.

Afife Nurbanu Sultan's Ṣalāt al-Janāzah and her Islamic burial (Shahan-Shah-Namah-i Lokhmann)

Nurbanu died at Istanbul on 7 December 1583, during the reign of her son Murad III.[21] She was buried next to Selim II in his mausoleum in the courtyard of Hagia Sophia, thus becoming the first wife of a Sultan to receive the honor of being laid to rest next to her spouse.[22]

Nurbanu Sultan attracted great respect not only during her life but also after her death. As against the norm that sultans remained in the palace during the funeral procession, Murad III accompanied his mother’s corpse, both walking and crying, up to the Fatih mosque where her burial service was to be read. The farthest sultanic mosque from the imperial palace, i.e., the Fatih Mosque, was assigned for the funeral rite. This choice not only enabled as many people as possible to give their blessing to the soul of Nurbanu Sultan but also maintained the extensive appreciation of this religious respect paid to her by the residents of the imperial capital. [18]

Preceding Nurbanu's death, the Venetian ambassador in the Ottoman palace, Paolo Contarini had stated All goods and evils are coming from the mother queen. [18] When Nurbanu died in December 1583, the successor of Contarini reported the following:

"The death of this woman upset some according to their vested interests while contented others. The great authority she enjoyed with her son had gained many people important profits, while on the contrary had eliminated the hopes of some for realizing their wishes. Nevertheless, everybody admits in general that she was an excessively good, courageous and erudite woman"[18]

With Selim, Nurbanu is confirmed to have had at least four children, including:

• Şah Sultan (1544, Manisa Palace, Manisa – 3 November 1577, Istanbul, buried in Zal Mahmud Paşa Mausoleum, Eyüp), married firstly in 1562 to Damat Hasan Agha, married secondly to Damat Zal Mahmud Pasha.[23]
• Ismihan Sultan (1545, Manisa Palace, Manisa – 8 August 1585, Istanbul, buried in Selim II Mausoleum, Hagia Sophia Mosque), married firstly in 1562 to Damat Sokollu Mehmed Pasha, married secondly in 1584 to Damat Kalaylıkoz Ali Pasha.[23]
• Murad III (4 July 1546, Manisa Palace, Manisa – 16 January 1595, Topkapı Palace, Istanbul, buried in Murad III Mausoleum, Hagia Sophia)

Though the claim remains disputed,[24] several sources also mention her as the mother of:

• Gevherhan Sultan (1544, Manisa Palace, Manisa – Istanbul, buried in Selim II Mausoleum, Hagia Sophia Mosque), married firstly in 1562 to Damat Piyale Pasha, married secondly to Damat Cerrah Mehmed Pasha.[23] (According to a conjecture by Baki Tezcan)
• Fatma Sultan (1559, Konya Palace, Konya – October 1580, Istanbul, buried in Selim II Mausoleum, Hagia Sophia Mosque), married in 1574 to Damat Kanijeli Siyavuş Pasha.[25][26]

She was portrayed by Turkish actress Merve Boluğur in television series Muhteşem Yüzyıl.[27]

• Ottoman dynasty
• Ottoman family tree
• List of Valide Sultans
• List of consorts of the Ottoman Sultans

• Women Leaders in Power