#sehzade mehmed son of suleyman i

[magnificentlyreused]

This blue and silver kaftan was first worn by Sultan Süleyman I in the third episode of the first season of Magnificent Century. With the buttons removed, it was worn again by Şehzade Cihangir in the third episode of the fourth season. 

A collar and new buttons were added before the kaftan appeared on Şehzade Mehmed in the twenty-third episode of the first season of Magnificent Century: Kösem. The kaftan was once again altered with new grey front panels before it was worn by Şehzade Kasım in the sixth episode of the second season.

[gulnarsultan]

Hi, I saw you writing for Magnificent Century; do you still take requests? If it's a no then feel free to ignore but if it's a yes then I would love to see what would happen if let's just say that Sultan Suleyman has 2 other sons by another concubine but the relationship between them gets really awful and sour throughout the years "even more so that mahidevran and suleyman" and because the concubine has little to no support (like mahi with Ibrahim pasha & hurrem with suleyman) she gets exiled from the palace along with her two sons, but while they lived a poor live they weren't completely cut off of the outside world so through the years the oldest son came to be the greatest seafarer throughout the world making connection and gaining wealth wherever he goes while the second son became one of the best swordsman of his time and since you are familiar with GoT/HotD they are basically the replica of Corlys velaryon/Arthur dayne. So, after a decade of building their names, the sultan and his other children realize that the greatest sea captain and swordsman are actually his sons/their brothers. How would they react ? 

Hello. I hope you will like it.

Reader and Suleyman have two sons. Smaller than Mustafa, but older than Mehmed. After Hurrem arrives, Suleyman completely turns away from the reader. The reader knows very well that she has to take his children and leave. Otherwise, Hurrem will find a way to kill her children. The reader is escaping to a distant country with her children. Over the years, her first son becomes a famous sailor and her other son becomes a famous swordsman. Their flour reaches as far as the Ottoman Palace. In fact, it is learned that these two famous men were the Sehzades who escaped from the Palace for a time. Everyone is shocked. Because many thought they were. Most likely, Suleyman will invite his sons to the Palace. He will try to give them the titles of Sehzade. Most likely, neither of them will accept returning to the Ottoman Empire and becoming a prince. Sehzades will be very jealous of your brothers. Mihrimah actually wanted to meet them.

[buildingislam]

The Architects of Islam: Mimar Sinan

Architecture created in the Islamic style was brought to fruition not on its own, but by some of the most outstanding architects to date (in my opinion).

In accordance to this blog, this following post will be dedicated three architects that paved the way to the present ideas and characteristics of Islamic architecture displayed across the world.

To begin this blog, I'll start with Mimar Sinan - who is arguably the most famous architect to build in the Islamic style.

(I apologise for spelling mistakes when it comes to the names of people and locations, through research, there have been several spellings of the same things, and so I used the most common spelling. Please correct me if it is wrong! This applies to all previous and future blog posts.)

Mimar Sinan

Mimar Sinan (1488/1490-1588) was the son of a Greek or Armenian convert to Islam, Abd al-Mannan. He joined the elite corps of the Ottoman army, the janissaries as a young man, like his father before him. During this time of Sinan's life, his talent as an engineer became known - he rose through the ranks in the military becoming an officer in the army who participated in several military campaigns under sultans Selim and Suleiman. As the Ottoman armies marched to new extents in Europe, Africa, and Persia - Sinan accompanied them and organised the engineering corps for the military as well as building mosques and other civil buildings in newly Ottoman cities. In 1539, Sinan was given the position of head architect of the sultan's government in Istanbul (Archive: Islam., 2023).

Mimar Sinan's career saw him undertake a number of projects; 79 mosques, 34 palaces, 33 public baths, 19 tombs, 55 schools, 16 poorhouses, 7 madrasahs, and 12 caravansaries - with the Şehzade Mosque, the Mosque of Süleiman I the Magnificent and the Selim Mosque being his most famous works (the latter was discussed in the previous blog post) - with all three residing in Turkey (Britannica., 1998).

The Ottoman mosques were largely inspired by the architecture of the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey (537 AD). Originally built as a Christian church in 537 by the Byzantines, the Hagia Sophia was converted to a mosque to to serve the new Muslim population after Mehmed II's conquest of the city in 1453 - and ever since, Ottoman architects such as Mimar Sinan used the Hagia Sophia's giant dome as a template for the design of Muslim mosques. Due to the grandness in scale and design of the Hagia Sophia, many architects made it their career mission to design something to top the it - including Mimar Sinan as he made it his goal to build a monument to Islam that was more magnificent than the Hagia Sophia.

This led to the one of the inspirations behind the construction of the Suleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey. In 1543, one of the Sultan Suleiman's sons, Prince Mehmed, died of smallpox - and in turn Suleyman insisted on building a large mosque in his honour that would serve the local community. Mimar Sinan was tasked with this project, and over four years he worked on what would transition into what is now known as the Şehzade Camii (the Prince's Mosque).

The Sehzade Mosque

Upon completion, the mosque became a landmark of the city, and included not only a mosque but a complex that included a soup kitchen for the poor, a place for travellers to sleep, and a tomb for Prince Mehmed. Sultan Suleiman was extremely pleased with it but Sinan was not satisfied - and insisted he would do better - which leads us back to the inspiration behind the Suleymaniye Mosque.

Sultan Suleiman wanted another giant mosque in Istanbul, with this one being named after himself so he can accumulate the good deeds of Muslims who pray in it after he dies. He wanted it to be a central part of Istanbul's skyline to show the supremacy and glory of Islam (Archive Islam., 2023), this led to the decision of placing the mosque on top of a hill near the Golden Horn - meaning it could be seen for miles around.

There is a rumour that once the foundation was laid, Mimar Sinan went missing for five years! Suleiman was furious with the missing Sinan, and demanded to know where his favourite architect had gone, once the five years had passed, Sinan returned with the explanation that because the building would be so massive, he needed to let the foundations to settle in the soil before above ground building could commence.

The Suleymaniye Mosque was completed in 1557, and the reveal of what is now one of the most significant pieces of Islamic architecture not only to Mimar Sinan's career, but to the architectural world as a whole. Like the Sehzade Mosque, the building did not only serve as a place of worship, but also a kulliye (complex) which held a hospital, public baths, a library - which is still used today - a soup kitchen, numerous schools teaching Quran, a school for Hadith, and a primary school for children. The cemetery in which Sultan Suleiman is buried is also in this location.

Like other mosques in Istanbul, the entrance to the mosque holds a forecourt and a central fountain, and the exterior of the building is decorated with rectangular blue coloured Iznik tile window lunettes. To the south of the mosque is where the madrassa housing a library containing 110,000 manuscripts. There are minarets at all four of the corners of the courtyard, half short and half tall, which is a sign that the mosque was endowed by a sultan, as princes and princesses could only construct two minarets and others could only construct one minaret. Unfortunately, in 1660 the mosque was ravaged by a fire and then restored by Sultan Mehmed IV, then in 1766 part of the dome collapsed during an earthquake, and due to repairs, what was left of the original decoration by Sinan was damaged (Islamic Landmarks., 2023).

And yet, even after Sinan created this masterpiece, which was received incredibly, he still believed he could do much better.

This then transitioned into the commissioning of the Selimiye Mosque in Edirne, which rivalled Hagia Sophia after Suleiman died in 1566. This left his son and successor Selim II in charge and wanting a mosque built in his name, despite being much older when construction began for the Selimiye Mosque, Sinan was determined to make his masterpiece.

The architecture for his masterpiece was discussed in depth in the previous blog.

The Selimiye Mosque

Mimar Sinan died in 1588 at age 98 or 100 (his birth year is unknown) and was buried in the cemetery of the Suleymaniye mosque, near Sultan Suleiman. During life, Sinan built some of the greatest examples of Islamic architecture ever - and is as of 2023, one of the most successful and acclaimed Muslim architects to grace the planet - and the impact on the Muslim world being not limited to just mosques supports his reputation. His apprentices went on to build other major landmarks such as The Blue Mosque (discussed in the previous blog) and notably the Taj Mahal in Agra, India.

His works remain some of the greatest symbols of Islam, centuries after his death and impressive career.

Thank you for reading the first half of this blog - the following blog will discuss my second chosen architect.

Thank you for reading, and hopefully you enjoyed! Please like and share if you did!

Summer Marshall-Miller

Bibliography:

Archive: Islam (2023) The Greatest Architect was a Muslim. Available at: 

https://archiveislam.com/the-greatest-architect-was-a-muslim.html (Accessed: March 1, 2023). 

Britannica (1998) Sinan. Available at: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Sinan (Accessed: March 1, 2023). 

Islamic Landmarks (2023) Süleymaniye Mosque. Available at: https://www.islamiclandmarks.com/turkey/suleymaniye-mosque (Accessed: March 1 2023). 

[ottomanladies]

How did concubines negotiate contact with non-eunuch men in & around the harem? I assume princes could interact with their moms, sisters, and other female blood relatives. Yet Mehmed III impregnating a servant while still a prince & Kosem caring for Osman suggests they weren’t 100% isolated from non-sultan men. How was this divide between princes, their “stepmoms” & other non-blood related women in the harem managed?

Royal children and royal consorts belong to the same family even if there is not a blood relation between them. This is something we'll see later, maybe influenced by European practices, but we have princes call their fathers' consorts "first mother" "second mother" "third mother" according to the women's ranks. So, these people — consorts and children — certainly had a relationship, especially after the practice of the prince governorate lapses and princes live in the harem before being secluded in the kafes.

Before the reign of Süleyman I, princes as young as 10/11 were sent to provinces away from Istanbul to learn how to rule. It's with him that for the first time actual adult princes live in the harem: Mustafa left Istanbul for Manisa at the age of 18, Mehmed was even older— 21 years old. In any case, princes weren't barred from talking to their fathers' consorts. There's actually a letter of Hürrem's in which she asks her husband to send her hello to Mustafa:

“If you send greetings to Sultan Mustafa, send him my note too.” Apparently she had included a separate letter to Suleyman’s eldest son in the scroll cylinder that carried her own to the sultan. The future would cloud Roxelana’s relations with Mustafa and his mother Mahidevran, but in 1526 there appeared to be harmony, or at least an effort on Roxelana’s part to keep up communication. — Peirce, Empress of the East: How a European Slave Girl Became Queen of the Ottoman Empire

Specifically to the examples you've mentioned:

the slave Mehmed III impregnated was part of Nurbanu's retinue, which means that he probably met her whenever he visited his grandmother (which royal grandchildren routinely did— daily in the XIX century, supposedly it was the same in the XVI century)

Osman was Kösem's step-son. Seeing as Mehmed was only a couple of months younger and they had therefore the same tutor, they could not not have a relationship of some sort. I also imagine that the children used to play together when they were little and the only sons of Ahmed I. The Venetian ambassador's remark that she was not to converse with him or his younger brother anymore does not mean that they wouldn't see each other anymore but that they weren't supposed to spend a lot of time together. Or alone. As Osman was motherless, he was "defenceless" because he didn't have anyone to look after his own interests; if Mahfiruze had been alive at the time, Kösem wouldn't have certainly taken him out for carriage rides with her children. They would have still seen each other on a daily basis, maybe for lessons or because Kösem would visit Mahfiruze (for tea, for example) but it wouldn’t have been that dangerous (from Ahmed I’s point of view, at least) because Kösem wouldn’t have tried to lobby the young prince

Hell, I'll even include Ahmed and Kösem who, according to Valier, met each other when the prince used to visit his own mother.

These things could happen, though it wasn't certainly a habit and it was forbidden to entertain an intimate relationship with a woman belonging to the sultan's harem, it doesn't matter her rank.

In the case of step-mothers and step-children though it was perfectly normal for them to have some sort of relationship. I mean, motherless children were entrusted to other consorts by the sultans themselves. In the XIX century, princes would routinely visit their fathers’ consorts on religious festivities and consorts with no children would even have favourites among the royal children: Mahmud II’s consort Tiryâl Hanımefendi was very close to the then-prince Abdülaziz, so much so that when he became sultan, she was considered a sort of second valide sultan. It’s true we’re much later in Ottoman history but in this case, Abdülaziz had a living mother. 

I think the family dynamics of the Ottoman dynasty are very interesting.

[mihrunnisasultans]

Your son Mehmed is so like you. Brave and loving. He does not want to be away from you even for a moment (...) Make use of the opportunity you have now. Mehmed is waiting for you, you can make him happy.

Mahidevran + little Mehmed for the Amasya family + friends series

[reallifesultanas]

About the Haseki title

Yesterday was the anniversary of Hafsa Valide Sultan's death. For this reason, I would like to talk a little about the Haseki title as it was created due to her death.

Origin of the Haseki title

The title itself was created in 1534 by Suleyman I. The reason is more complicated than we would think at first. Usually, we believe that Suleyman created this title for Hürrem because he loved her so much that wanted to give her something valuable. But it's not only about his love and affection for Hürrem, the whole title had a deeper meaning.

Suleyman went a lot to war in his early-mid reign. During the wars, his mother was left in the capital to take care of his harem and act as a messenger for him. Hafsa was great for that role because Suleyman could trust her, she told him everything that happened, she was respected by everyone and she could take great care of Suleyman's family. So Suleyman could be calm, everything stayed fine in the capital while he was far away. Suleyman - and every sultan - needed a strong and honest and trustworthy ally in the capital during war-time, especially when war seemed to be long and hard. For example, his father Yavuz Selim I made Suleyman act as a regent while he was chasing his brothers and fighting against them. True that these times Suleyman was not in Topkapi Palace, Istanbul but Edirne, because that was the custom. So until 1534, Suleyman could leave the capital in relative calmness because the city was in the hands of his mother, and also his mother was there to keep safe the harem and take care of his children and family.

But everything changed in 1534, in the year of Suleyman's hardest campaign. Suleyman's Persian campaign started and these kinds of campaigns were the hardest and most dangerous campaigns for the Ottomans. The wars with the Safavids are legendary! In such a situation Suleyman's mother fell ill, very ill. This is why Suleyman didn't leave with his army in early 1534 but sent Ibrahim Pasha instead. This was the first time that he did not accompany his army. At first, the army was fine with it, at least there is no evidence suggesting otherwise. Most probably they knew the reason why the sultan stayed and understood him. But with time as the war became worse and worse, Suleyman was very needed at the battlefield. Hafsa Sultan in the end died on 19 March of 1534. After the mourning period, Suleyman should leave and join his army already. But who he could trust to keep the harem and the city safe? All of his trusted men were at the campaign and the only person he could trust, Hürrem, was not suitable for the position. In the end, Suleyman named his younger son, Mehmed as the protector of Istanbul, but he was young also. Mehmed moved to Topkapi Palace with his mother and tutor, but still, it was not enough. Hürrem was the only one Suleyman could completely trust, so he must have to make her suitable for the role.

But how could a simple consort rule the whole harem and help the young protector of Istanbul? Hürrem was the mother of a prince, which definitely was something but still, she was very far from the highest-ranking women of the harem. In the harem, there lived Suleyman's widowed sisters and aunts, who all had a higher rank than Hürrem. Most of them were even older than Hürem and age was a very important factor in the hierarchy especially together with ranks. How could Hürrem rule over them? How could Hürrem with a lower rank keep the harem in order? Well, there was no way for that, so Hürrem must have had a higher rank to do so. Suleyman was thinking about what he could do... When the mourning period ended he immediately married Hürrem in May 1534. She became a wedded wife and stuff so she had a high rank but she still was only a Hatun, as only the trueborn princesses and the Valide could have the title "Sultana". As a wedded wife she still was not completely above the old true-born sultanas. Suleyman wanted to mark Hürrem's importance and position for everyone, to make it even more clear that she is Suleyman's favorite and only woman, his ear in the capital while he is abroad. So he created a new rank for Hürrem: the Haseki Sultan title. As a wedded wife and a Haseki she had a higher rank than anyone else in the Harem, she became a Sultana. And with such titles, she could easily move to Topkapi Place with Sehzade Mehmed to act as regents while Suleyman was far away. They - along with Mehmed's tutor - did a nice job, wrote letters to Suleyman about everything, and kept the harem and the city in order.

But what was the Haseki's role?

The original usage of Haseki Sultan title meant that she was the chief consort of the sultan with special status. A Haseki Sultan had an important place in the palace, being the second most powerful woman and enjoyed the greatest status in the imperial harem after Valide Sultan and usually had chambers close to the sultan's chamber. Rumors have it that Suleyman and Hürrem had a secret corridor between their rooms so they could meet anytime. When the position of Valide Sultan was vacant, a Haseki took the Valide Sultan's role, have access to considerable economic resources, become chief of the imperial harem, sultan's advisor in political matters, and even have an influence on foreign policy and international politics. So this was the original meaning of being a Haseki.

What happened later?

After Hürrem the next Haseki Sultan was Nurbanu Sultan, mother of the heir, later Murad III and partner of Selim II, Hürrem's son. When Selim ascended the throne Hürrem was already dead, so the position of the Valide Sultan was vacant. This is why Nurbanu could act similarly to Hürrem. She had a less long tenure, as Selim was sultan for only 8 years, but her power and work were very similar to Hürrems. Hürrem was the only woman in Suleyman's life after they met and she was the mother of all his children except Mustafa, who was born long before Hürrem and Suleyman met. Nurbanu was similarly to the only woman in Selim's life, however, their situation was different. Due to the law of fratricide, Nurbanu and Selim stopped reproducing after the birth of their first son in 1546. They never had any children together again, but still, they were faithful to each other and Nurbanu acted as a companion and partner, and ally to Selim. Later when their son, Murad got his first province, Nurbanu had to leave with him, leaving Selim alone. The alone Selim during this period accidentally impregnated a consort and had a daughter with her. From then on Selim was loyal to Nurbanu again and the mother of the daughter couldn't have any position or any special wealth. Selim ascended the throne in 1566 and his pashas were worried because he had only one son, one heir, the son of Nurbanu, Murad. So the pashas in the end pushed Selim to produce more children. The mothers of these children were one-night stands and they had a shamefully low stipend (50 aspers for a day) compared to Nurbanu's stipend (1100 aspers for a day). Selim wanted to show everyone that these women and these sons born from these one-night stands mean nothing compared to Nurbanu and Murad, so he stated that his heir is Murad, and his love is Murad's mother. So he married Nurbanu. So all in all true, that Selim had other women in his life besides Nurbanu but we cannot compare any of them to Nurbanu. And in general, Nurbanu had a very similar role as Hürrem so we can consider them being both the original kind of Hasekies.

When Selim II died his son Murad III took his place, and Nurbanu reached her peak, becoming a Valide Sultan. Murad to sign his love for his mother made a legal and official title out of Valide Sultanship (though it's a different story). Murad immediately made his favorite consort, Safiye a Haseki Sultan, however this time Haseki meant a different thing. The whole Haseki title was created because of the absence of a Valide Sultan and both titles have similar tasks so the two titles were incompatible. Still first time in history there was a Valide Sultan (one of the strongest of all time) and a Haseki Sultan. Both were very loved by the sultan, and both wanted to influence the sultan. This naturally caused trouble. The Haseki Sultan, Safiye wanted to be such a Haseki as Nurbanu and Hürrem were previously, but it was not possible with the presence of such a Valide Sultan. Safiye, while was a Haseki, was considered more like a favorite consort by people. Things changed when Nurbanu died in 1583 and so Safiye became a real Haseki Sultan, acting like a Haseki Sultan. However besides her Murad continuously had other consorts and these consorts had a bigger value than previously Selim II's late consorts. Some of them could to charitable foundations, which suggest a higher stipend than Selim II's late consorts. All in all of course none of them couldn't be compared to Safiye, but still, they were present.

When Murad III died, Safiye became the Valide Sultan to Mehmed III and so reached her peak in power. Safiye Sultan knew how terrible A Valide could be to a Haseki and vica versa, this is why she forbade to her son to make a Haseki out of any of his consorts. During Mehmed's reign, there was no recorded Haseki Sultan.

When Mehmed died his barely 13 years old son, Ahmed I ascended the throne in 1603. Soon he made his favorite consort, Kösem a Haseki Sultan. Kösem was a strong Haseki Sultan, but she was not similar in tasks or any other perspective to Hürrem and Nurbanu, who were the original kind of Hasekies. Kösem's situation was similar, because Ahmed's mother died young, so the Valide Sultan's position was vacant, but she couldn't make power out of the harem. She couldn't take the Valide Sultan's job. She had no political activity, she tried in vain to gain any political influence, Ahmed never let her do so. She couldn't really have her allies, she didn't have heavy burdens on her shoulders such her predecessors had. She was not even the one ruling the imperial harem as it was ruled by Haci Mustafa Agha, the chief black eunuch, who was a father-figure to the sultan. During this period the Haseki title had a meaning of being the sultan's favorite, and not being a kind-of-valide.

The next years were chaotic for the Haseki title. The new ruler after Ahmed I who had a Haseki was Osman II. Osman II's Haseki did not have any political influence, was not ruling the harem (while the position of Valide Sultan was vacant though). We cannot even consider her any kind of Haseki, only her stipend suggests she was a Haseki but nothing else.

The next sultan, Murad IV had a Haseki, Ayşe Sultan who was similar to Osman II's Haseki, as she also couldn't gain any political or another kind of influence. And in his late reign, Murad IV made a second Haseki out of his favorites. With this, the original meaning and the whole raison d'etre of it were destroyed.

The Haseki Sultan title was destroyed by Murad, but his brother Ibrahim I made a total mess out of it. He gave a Haseki title and Haseki stipend to all of his favorites, so during his reign, there was a total of 8 Hasekies. These women cannot be compared to the original Hasekies but not even to Murad IV's Haseki, Ayşe. The Haseki title was devastated and it seemed like it will end like this.

A little light came then, with the reign of Mehmed IV, who made his favorite consort, mother of his children a Haseki Sultan. Emetullah Rabia Gülnüş was again a kind of normal Haseki Sultan. She had political power, she influenced the sultan, but the role of Valide Sultan was not vacant, as Mehmed IV's mother, Turhan was alive, so she couldn't act as an original Haseki. She was similar to Kösem Sultan actually. While Emetullah Rabia Gülnüş had a Valide mother-in-law, we still cannot compare this to Safiye and Nurbanu, because those two fought with each other, while Turhan and Emetullah had a cordial relationship. True that Emetullah was not as strong and independent as the original Hasekies but after the mass of Ibrahim I, it was a refreshment to see a kind-of-Haseki-Sultan.

Mehmed IV's brother, Ahmed II had a Haseki also, Rabia Sultan, but this woman was nothing like a Haseki should be. She had the salary of a Haseki but that's all. She didn't have any kind of influence, so in reality, she was more like a simple favorite than a Haseki Sultan. The Haseki Sultan title was soon abolished and in general, the whole harem system changed a lot, the titles of the harem concubines changed also. With the death of Rabia, the last Haseki Sultan, the Haseki title disappeared.

*    *    *

Tegnap volt Ayşe Hafsa Valide szultána halálának évfordulója. Ennek okán szeretnék egy kicsit beszélni a Haszeki szultána címről, amely részben halála miatt jött létre.

A Haszeki cím eredete

A címet magát I. Szulejmán alkotta meg 1534-ben. Ennek oka bonyolultabb volt, mint azt először gondolnánk. Általában úgy hisszük, Szulejmán azért alkotta meg ezt a rangot Hürrem számára, mert annyira szerette és ki akarta fejezni, mennyit jelent neki. A cím azonban nem csupán a szerelemről szól, sokkal mélyebb jelentése és jelentősége van.

Szulejmán uralkodásának korai-középső periódusában rendeteget háborúzott. A háborúk idején édesanyja a fővárosban maradt és vigyázott a háremre, mindenről beszámolt a szultánnak, ami a fővárosban zajlott. Hafsa nagyszerűen megfelelt erre a szerepre, mert Szulejmán megbízhatott benne, Hafsa mindent elmondott fiának, ami történt és nagyszerűen gondját viselte Szulejmán családjának, emellett pedig mindenki szerette és tisztelte. Szulejmán ilyen háttérrel nyugodt lehetett a háborúban is, hiszen családja és a főváros jó kezekben volt. Szulejmánnak - és minden más szultának is - hatalmas szüksége volt erős, megbízható emberekre, akiket a fővárosban hagyhatott háború idejére, különösen ha hosszadalmas háború volt kilátásban. Példának okáért Szulejmán apja, I. Yavuz Szelim saját fiát, Szulejmánt hagyta meg Isztambul őrzőjének, amíg ő a keleti fronton harcolt vagy saját testvéreit üldözte. Igaz, Szulejmán nem Isztambulban volt ekkor, hanem Edirnéből kormányozta az országot és vigyázott a rendre, hiszen a hagyomány így követelte. Lényegében tehát 1534-ig Szulejmán nyugodtan hagyhata hátra a fővárost, ha háborúzni ment.

1534-ben aztán minden megváltozott. Ebben az évben indult Szulejmán egyik legkeményebb hadjárata, a perzsa hadjárat. A Szafavidák ellen vívott háborúk mindig a legnehezebbek voltak az oszmánok számára, nem volt ez másként Szulejmán esetében sem. Ilyen körülmények között azonban, pont a hadjárat előkészületei alatt Hafsa szultána súlyos beteg lett. Szulejmán nem akarta elhagyni édesanyját, ezért hadseregét előreküldte Pargali Ibrahim vezetésével, ő maga pedig anyja mellett maradt. Ez volt az első alkalom, hogy Szulejmán így cselekedett. Úgy tűnik, a hadsereg nem különösebben bánta eleinte Szulejmán döntését, bizonyára tudták, mi távollétének oka és megértették. Később, ahogy a hadjárat egyre rosszabbul ment, Szulejmánra nagy szükség volt a hadszíntéren. Hafsa végül március 19-én hunyt el. A gyászidő letelte után Szulejmánnak el kellett volna indulnia hadserege után, azonban nagyon nehéz helyzetben találta magát. Nem tudtakire bízza a háremét és a fővárost. Bár kinevezte fiát, Mehmedet Isztambul védelmezőjévé, a herceg még nagyon fiatal volt ekkor. Mehmed herceg anyja és tanítója kíséretében a Topkapi Palotába költözött, ám ez kevés volt. Hürrem volt az egyetlen, akiben Szulejmán kellőképpen megbízott, hogy ráhagyja a háremet és a fővárost, azonban a nőnek nem volt megfelelő rangja ahhoz, hogy elláthassa ezt a feladatot.

Hogyan uralhatta volna egy egyszerű ágyas a háremet és hogyan segíthette volna Isztambul ifjú őrzőjét? Hürrem bár több herceg anyja volt és a szultán kedvence, mégis nagyon távol állt rangban a hárem sok más lakójától. A háremben éltek ugyanis Szulejmán özvegy testvérei, nagynénjei, akik mint rangban, mind korban felülmúlták Hürremet. Hogy uralkodhatott volna tehát Hürrem? Szulejmán végül feleségül vette kedvenc ágyasát, Hürremet 1534 májusában. Ezzel bár hites feleség lett és pozíciója sokat javult, továbbra is csak a Hatun rang illette meg, nem uralhatta tehát a háremben élő született szultánákat. Szulejmán ezért megalkotott egy olyan rangot Hürrem számára, amellyel maga is szultána rangot kapott, így pedig alkalmassá vált arra, hogy a háremet uralja. A Haszeki szultána rang megalkotása után mindenki számára nyilvánvalóvá vált, hogy mit jelent Hürrem a szultán számára, és kénytelenek voltak elfogadni felsőbbrendűségét. Ezekután Hürrem fiával együtt nyugodtan költözhetett a Topkapi Palotába, ahonnan rendszeresen számoltak be a szultánnak az aktuális eseményekről. Jó munkát végeztek, így Szulejmán nyugodtan koncentrálhatott hadjáratára.

Na de gyakorlatban mi volt a Haszeki szultána feladata?

Eredetileg a Haszeki szultána cím a szultán fő kedvencét jelölte, akinek kiemelt státusza volt. A Haszeki szultána nagyon fontos szerepet játszott a háremben, és a második legbefolyásosabb nő lehetett a Valide szultána után. Emellett megvolt a saját lakrésze, mely a validéével vetekedett. A legendák szerint Hürrem lakrésze például titkos összeköttetésben állt Szulejmánéval, hogy zavartalanul találkozhassanak. Ha a Valide Szultána hiányzot a hierarchiából, a Haszeki vette át feladatait, amivel hatalmas gazdasgi forrásokhoz jutott hozzá, ő volt a hárem feje, a szultán tanácsadója politikai ügyekben, sőt akár befolyással lehetett a más államokkal vlaó politikára is. Ezt értjük tehát a Haszeki cím eredeti jelentőségének.

Mi történt később?

Hürrem után a következő Haszeki, Nurbanu szultána volt, az örökös, későbbi III. Murad anyja és II. Szelim partnere. Amikor Szelim trónralépett, Hürrem már régóta halott volt, így a Valide szultána rang üres volt. Ennek köszönhetően Nurbanu hasonló keretek között ténykedett, mint elődje, Hürrem. Haszekisége csupán 8 évig tartott, mely alatt hatalma, munkája nagyban hasonlított Hürremére. Szulejmán életében nem volt más nő miután megismerte Hürremet és ő volt minden fiának anyja, kivéve Musztafának, aki jóval idősebb volt Hürrem fiainál. Nurbanu hasonlóan az egyetlen nő volt Szelim életében, azonban esetük kissé eltérő volt. A testvérgyilkosság törvénye miatt Szelim és Nurbanu első fiuk születése után nem nemzett többé gyermeket, azonban hűségesek voltak egymáshoz és Nurbanu vált Szelim partnerévé, társává. Később, mikor egyetlen közös fiuk megkapta első uralnivaló provinciáját, Nurbanu a szokásokhoz híven követte fiát, ezzel hátrahagyva Szelimet. A magány idején Szelim nemzett egy gyermeket egy névtelen ágyasnak, egy kislányt. A lány születése után aztán Szelim újra hűséges lett Nurbanuhoz és nem kockáztatta többé, hogy gyermeket nemzen. A sors azonban máshogy gondolta. Szelim 1566-ban, Szulejmán halálát követően foglalhatta el a trónt. Ekkor Szelimnek gyakorlatilag egyetlen örököse volt, fia Murad, ami a pasák szerint rendkívül kevés volt. Ha Murad elhunyt volna egy betegség következtében, ami talán nem lett volna meglepő, tekintve, hogy nem volt egy erős megjelenésű figura, akkor a birodalom örökös nélkül maradt volna. Emiatt a pasák minden erejükkel azon voltak, hogy Szelimet rávegyék a további gyermeknemzésre. Végül Szelim több egyéjszakás kaland során több fiút is nemzett. Ezen ágyasok azonban szinte szégyenteljesen alacsony fizetést kaptak (50 asper egy napra) Nurbanuhoz viszonyítva (1100 asper egy napra). Szelim emellett nyilvánosan is ki akarta fejezni, hogy életében egy nő és egy örökös van, emiatt nyilvánosan Muradot nevezte meg örököséül, fia anyját pedig feleségül vette. Így bár Nurbanu mellett voltak más nők Szelim életében, mégsem vehetjük egyiküket sem komolyan, csupán a körülmények adtak létjogosultságot nekik. Épp emiatt általánosságban véve (hatalmát, befolyását, elismertségét, vagyonát, munkáját) Nurbanu Haszekisége nagyban hasonlított Hürremére, ami mindkettejüket egyértelműen a Haszekik eredeti generációjává teszi.

Mikor II. Szelim elhalálozott, fia III. Murad követte a trónon, amivel Nurbanu elérte hatalma csúcsét, Valide szultánaként. Murad, hogy bizonyítsa, mennyire tiszteli és szereti anyját egy valódi tisztséget alkotott a Valide számára, de ez egy másik történet... Murad ugyanekkor kedvenc ágyasát, Safiyét a Haszeki ranggal tüntette ki. Azonban ez a Haszekiség merőben eltért Hürrem vagy Nurbanu Haszkiségétől. Az egész rangra azért volt szükség, mert nem volt életben Valide szultána és szükség volt a pótlására. Jelen esetben azonban nagyon is volt Valide, ráadásul a történelem egyik legerőebbike, így természetes frusztrációt okozott a két rang együttes jelenléte. Mivel mind a Valide, mind a Haszeki rang hasonló feladatkörrel és befolyással bír, a két nő között verseny alakult ki, ami vérremenő harcig fajult az évek múlásával. Bár Safiye szeretett volna hasonló Haszeki lenni, mint elődei, esélye sem volt erre sem a háremen belül sem a politikai életben. Gyakorlatilag Safiye csak egy kedvenc ágyas volt, magas fizetéssel, hiába viselte a Haszeki rangot. A dolgok természetesen megváltoztak, amikor Nurbanu 1583-ban lehalálozott. Innentől Safiye valódi Haszekivé lépett elő. Fontos azonban megjegyezni, hogy Muradnak rendszeresen voltak más ágyasai Safiye mellett ebben az időszakban és jóval nagyobb vagyonnal és befolyással rendelekzdtek, mint például II. Szelim elfeledett ágyasai. Murad ágyasai közül többen is tudtak jótékony szervezetet alapítani és egyéb más adaozásokat csinálni, melyre aligha lettek volna képesek, ha annyi a fizetésük, mint II. Szelim ágyasainak. Ettől függetlenül természetesen Safiyéhez nem érhettek fel.

III. Murad halálával Safiye Valide szultána rangot kapott fia, III. Mehmed mellett és elérte befolyása csúcsát. Safiye mindneki másnál jobban tudta milyen szörnyűséges, ha egyszerre van jelen egy erős Valide és egy Haszeki, épp emiatt, megtiltotta fiának, hogy bármelyik ágyasát Haszeki rangra emelje, így III. Mehmed uralkodása alatt Safiynek nem igazán volt vetélytársa.

Mehmed halálával, alig 13 éves fia, I. Ahmed került trónra, 1603-ban. Hamarosan ő is kinevezett magának egy Haszekit, kisebbik fiának anyja, Köszem kapta meg ezt a titulust. Köszem erős asszony volt, Ahmed háremében is kiemelt szerepe volt, azonban sem befolyásában sem feladatköreiben nem hasonlíthatjuk az előbbi Haszekikhez. Bár Köszem helyzete hasonló volt Hürrem vagy Nurbanu helyzetéhez, hisz a szultán anyja nem élt, így a Haszeki volt a legmagasabb rangú nő, Köszem mégsem tudott felérni elődeihez. Nem volt politikai befolyása, Ahmed nem engedte meg neki, hogy aktivizálja magát a politikában. Emellett saját támogatói körrel sem rendelkezett, nem nyomták nehéz terhek a vállait, hiszen a hárem vezetése sem az ő feladata volt. Tény, hogy volt beleszólása a hárem életébe, de azt Haci Musztafa Aga, fő fekete eunuch irányította, aki egyfajta apafigura volt a szultán életében. Köszem Haszekisége inkább volt egy kiemelt kedvenc szerepe, mint az eredeti Haszekiség.

A következő néhány év teljesen kaotikus volt a Haszeki rang szempontjából. A soronkövetkező szultán, II. Oszmán is odaadta a titulust egyik ágyasáank, azonban a nőnek nem volt semmiféle politikai befolyása vagy akár hárembeli befolyása (még úgy sem, hogy nem volt Valide szultána Oszmán uralkodása során). Fizetését leszámítva semmi köze nem volt a Haszekikhez ennek az ágyasnak.

A következő szultán IV. Murad szintén Haszekivé tette egyik ágyasát, aki éveken keresztül dominálta Murad szerelmi életét, azonban politikai befolyása nem volt és a Valide szultánával sem versenyezhetett a háremben. Ayşe Haszeki is inkább volt jó fizetéssel rendelkező kedven ágyas, mintsem Haszeki. Ráadásul Murad uralkodásána végén feltűnt egy második Haszeki, amivel az egész Haszeki szultána rang létjogosultságát sikerült lerombolni.

A Haszeki szultána rangot bár Murad is erőteljesen elkezdte rombolni, a munkát öccse, I. Ibrahim végezte be. Ibrahim minden kedvenc ágyasának kiosztotta a Haszeki rangot, amivel összesen 8 Haszekit produkált. Ezeket a nőket egyáltalán nem hasonlíthatjuk a korábbi Haszekikhez, még Ayşe Haszekihez sem! Úgy tűnt, a Haszeki rang teljesen tönkre ment és megsemmisült.

Egy kis fényt hozott a következő uralkodó, IV. Mehmed, aki újra logikus módon használta ezt a rangot és kedvenc ágyasának, gyermekei anyjának, Emetullah Rabia Gülnüşnek adta oda. Emetullah Rabia Gülnüş függetlenül attól, hogy volt életben Valide szultána politika befolyásra is szert tudott tenni, emellett befolyással bírt a szultánra és a háremre is. Esete kissé hasonlít Safiye fiatalkori Haszekiségére, azzal a különbséggel, hogy IV. Mehmed édesanyja, Turhan Hatice Valide szultána és közte sosem volt harc a hatalomért, elfogadták és tiszteletben tartották egymást. Így bár összességében Emetullah Rabia Gülnüşt nem hasonlíthatjuk az eredeti Haszekikhez, mint Hürrem vagy Nurbanu, mégis felüdülés volt Ibrahim 8 Haszekije után látni valakit, aki legalább hasonlított a Haszeki eredeti értelmére.

IV. Mehmed öccse, II. Ahmed volt az utolsó szultán, aki rendelkezett Haszeki szultánával. Ez a nő Rabia volt, a szultán gyermekeinek anyja, kedvenc ágyasa. Bár fizetése a Haszekire jellemző, rendkívül magas fizetés volt, nem volt semmilyen beolyása, így inkább volt egyszerű ágyas, mint valódi Haszeki. A Haszeki szultána címet hamarosan végleg eltörölték és az egész hárem struktúra nagyban megváltozott, vele együtt az összes rang is. Rabia halálával pedig eltávozott az utolsó Haszeki szultána és a cím örökre eltűnt.

[magnificent-sultana]

Young Mustafas: Muhtesem Yuzyil and Muhtesem Yuzyil: Kosem

Left: Sehzade Mustafa, son of Sultan Suleyman I and Mahidevran Sultan

Right: Sultan Mustafa I, son of Mehmed III and Halime Sultan

They were both so cute when they were young and they both deserved better. 

[fymagnificentwomcn]

So there is a high chance that suleyman and hurrem 's relationship wasn't monogamous right ? But if he really slept with other concubines then why and how didn't they give birth to children just like hurrem who gave him 5 or 6 children in a short period of time ? Also do you think that hurrem didn't sleep with suleyman after giving birth to her youngest sehzade since they didn't have another child for like 25 years+ ?

For this system and this culture I think we may safely call it monogamous. There’s nothing to indicate that he had any longer, even purely sexual, relationship with another woman. However, we obviously weren’t under his bed and since he had a harem full of women, we can’t be certain whether e.g. he didn’t quarrell with Hürrem once or twice and then had a one-night stand with one of the concubines for consolation… Even though Hürrem became his legal wife, there wasn’t a concept of marital fidelity there… And if he had any sexual encounters with any other women, he obviously most likely never produced any more children.

Here’s a quote from The Empress of the East by Leslie Peirce discussing the issue: (long, so under Read More)

Cihangir would be the last of Suleyman’s children. The sultan turned forty inAugust 1533, five months after he placed Mustafa in the field. The timing of the prince’s political inauguration was not coincidental. Forty was a number replete with religious, mythical, and historical significance for the Ottomans. For men, it was universally thought to be the threshold of full maturity. In Islamic tradition, the Prophet Muhammad was forty when he received the first of the revelations brought to him by the archangel Gabriel. In premodern times, the realities of the average person’s life span meant that a forty-year-old man was probably head of an extended family in which he and his wife were counting their own children’s children. Suleyman’s age was easy for his subjects to calculate if they remembered the year of his birth, 900, in the Islamic calendar. The beginning of a new Islamic century was thought to be a moment when a great leader might emerge.

Roxelana herself was still relatively young in 1533, probably in her late twenties at Cihangir’s birth two years earlier, almost certainly no more than thirty. But it would not be seemly to make a man who could now anticipate his first grandchild a father all over again. If decorum brought an end to her childbearing career, Roxelana may not have regretted leaving behind a phase of her life during almost half of which she had been pregnant. With five royal children to prepare for adulthood, she had her hands more than full. The end of childbearing did not spell the end of a sexual relationship between Roxelana and Suleyman, however. The sultan had apparently been unable to stay away from his favorite, and nothing suggests that their intimacy did not continue. And now it would be freed of the physical encumbrance of pregnancy. 

But how did the couple keep from conceiving more children? It is fair to say that without the practice of birth control, the Ottoman sultanate could not have evolved the highly engineered politics of reproduction that it sustained. In the opinion of the majority of Muslim jurists, abortion in the first trimester was acceptable if the birth of a child would bring physical harm to the mother or hardship to the family. The Old Palace midwives and female doctors were doubtless experts not only in conception and childbirth but also in forms of birth control that were compatible with the needs of the imperial household.

A variety of abortifacients and contraceptive techniques were known and had been catalogued already in medieval times. Use of suppositories and tampons by females predominated. Among the prescriptions of Al-Razi were five for intravaginal suppositories that used oil from cabbage flowers, pepper, juice of peppermint, leaves of pennyroyal, and dill. Known to western tradition as Rhazes, the great Persian philosopher was also head of the Baghdad hospital, cutting-edge for its time, and a practicing physician. Roxelana herself was by now probably familiar with the palace’s recommended techniques, or so her slower rate of childbirth from 1526 on suggests. 

Dynastic family planning was political planning. The personal decision of how many children to have and when was fraught with political consequence in the Ottoman dynastic family. Too many sons was a liability, as Suleyman had observed all too closely in the bitter rivalry between his uncles and his father. Even before their deadly showdown, he had watched Selim chafing at his confinement in Trabzon while his seven brothers and then their sons gained princely posts closer to the capital.

In 1533, Suleyman had four sons eligible to succeed him: Mustafa, Mehmed,Selim, and Bayezid. We can safely presume that Suleyman and Roxelanadeliberated the question of whether or not to have more children. Both wouldrecognize that the birth of yet another boy would only add more grief to thespectacle of their sons combating one another, let alone Mustafa. Four healthy sons was sufficient dynastic insurance, one more than Mehmed the Conqueror had provided. The public introduction of the three eldest princes at the 1530 circumcision celebration may have been intended in part to signal that the sultan considered his reproductive obligation to the empire fulfilled. A late baby, Cihangir was perhaps unanticipated or an afterthought — the result of a decision by Roxelana and Suleyman to have one last child.

- Joanna

It seems that Suleiman made a conscious decision not to have ANY more children, even with Hürrem. Still, judging by sources, I don’t think he had any long-term sexual relationship with any other woman.

[istanbulpalaces]

Mihrimah Mosque

Mimar Sinan built this extremely beautiful mosque on the highest point of the city for Mihrimah Sultan, the daughter of Suleyman the Magnificent in 1560. The mosque is one of the dazzling late-period masterpieces of the master. The significant form of the construction is lively and original: A cube, a 37m high dome on it, and a thin and long minaret next to it. The light passing through the curves of the walls with three rows of windows enlighten the area and increases feeling of relief. Edimekapi

Ortakoy Mosque

The mosque, built for Sultan Abdulmecit in the 19th, century right at the seashore, is one of the stunning examples of the late period Ottoman architecture with its elegance.

Rustem Pasa Mosque

A few steps away from the Egyptian Bazaar (Misir Qar§ist) a genuine example of the Ottoman Istanbul is hidden: The mosque of Rustem Pasa, Grand Vezir and son-in-law of Suleyman the Magnificent. Mimar Sinan built this mosque in Z561 after completing The Suleymaniye as the sultan demanded.

One should absolutely spare some time to see this mosque not much visited by the tourists, but perhaps the most attractive mosque in the city, and enjoy the old carpets and the elegant patterns on the tiles from the greatest period of Ottoman ceramics art. After the chaos and noise of the neighborhood where the marketplaces have gathered, the time feels as if it stopped.

Sehzade Mehmed Mosque

The mosque, built between 1544-1548 is the first great work of the master; Sehzade Mosque stands at the crossroads of Haghia Sophia and the first steps of the great master on the way to become the brilliant head architect of Ottoman Empire. Sinan had examined the dome and the area understanding of Haghia Sophia thoroughly. He took the meaning of the domed area one step further by adding four semi domes to the main one i nstead of two and adding a series of semi domes to each of I hose. Thus the whole structure became a great area that is full square and sharpening upwards. It has a large, plain and light look inside; while has a dynamic look outside due to its < lecorative form, the significant division of the outer wall and the rhythmic structure of the domes. The tiled decoration in Mehmet’s tomb in the garden is very beautiful.

Sokullu Mehmet Pasa Mosque

None of the mosques in Istanbul are as well-settled and proportional as Sokullu Mehmet Pa§a Mosque. As Mimar Sinan had formerly built a smaller mosque for Sokullu Mehmet Pa§a, one of the most important vezirs of the empire between 1571-T572, he reached the perfect solution for building hexagon domes. He managed to place the main dome on the rectangular with four small semi domes that the pedestal of the dome joined with the rectangle of the community area so that the area is open and spacious.

Source: Mihrimah Mosque

[istanbulsguide]

Mihrimah Mosque

Mimar Sinan built this extremely beautiful mosque on the highest point of the city for Mihrimah Sultan, the daughter of Suleyman the Magnificent in 1560. The mosque is one of the dazzling late-period masterpieces of the master. The significant form of the construction is lively and original: A cube, a 37m high dome on it, and a thin and long minaret next to it. The light passing through the curves of the walls with three rows of windows enlighten the area and increases feeling of relief. Edimekapi

Ortakoy Mosque

The mosque, built for Sultan Abdulmecit in the 19th, century right at the seashore, is one of the stunning examples of the late period Ottoman architecture with its elegance.

Rustem Pasa Mosque

A few steps away from the Egyptian Bazaar (Misir Qar§ist) a genuine example of the Ottoman Istanbul is hidden: The mosque of Rustem Pasa, Grand Vezir and son-in-law of Suleyman the Magnificent. Mimar Sinan built this mosque in Z561 after completing The Suleymaniye as the sultan demanded.

One should absolutely spare some time to see this mosque not much visited by the tourists, but perhaps the most attractive mosque in the city, and enjoy the old carpets and the elegant patterns on the tiles from the greatest period of Ottoman ceramics art. After the chaos and noise of the neighborhood where the marketplaces have gathered, the time feels as if it stopped.

Sehzade Mehmed Mosque

The mosque, built between 1544-1548 is the first great work of the master; Sehzade Mosque stands at the crossroads of Haghia Sophia and the first steps of the great master on the way to become the brilliant head architect of Ottoman Empire. Sinan had examined the dome and the area understanding of Haghia Sophia thoroughly. He took the meaning of the domed area one step further by adding four semi domes to the main one i nstead of two and adding a series of semi domes to each of I hose. Thus the whole structure became a great area that is full square and sharpening upwards. It has a large, plain and light look inside; while has a dynamic look outside due to its < lecorative form, the significant division of the outer wall and the rhythmic structure of the domes. The tiled decoration in Mehmet’s tomb in the garden is very beautiful.

Sokullu Mehmet Pasa Mosque

None of the mosques in Istanbul are as well-settled and proportional as Sokullu Mehmet Pa§a Mosque. As Mimar Sinan had formerly built a smaller mosque for Sokullu Mehmet Pa§a, one of the most important vezirs of the empire between 1571-T572, he reached the perfect solution for building hexagon domes. He managed to place the main dome on the rectangular with four small semi domes that the pedestal of the dome joined with the rectangle of the community area so that the area is open and spacious.

Source: Mihrimah Mosque

[istanbul-day]

Mihrimah Mosque

Mimar Sinan built this extremely beautiful mosque on the highest point of the city for Mihrimah Sultan, the daughter of Suleyman the Magnificent in 1560. The mosque is one of the dazzling late-period masterpieces of the master. The significant form of the construction is lively and original: A cube, a 37m high dome on it, and a thin and long minaret next to it. The light passing through the curves of the walls with three rows of windows enlighten the area and increases feeling of relief. Edimekapi

Ortakoy Mosque

The mosque, built for Sultan Abdulmecit in the 19th, century right at the seashore, is one of the stunning examples of the late period Ottoman architecture with its elegance.

Rustem Pasa Mosque

A few steps away from the Egyptian Bazaar (Misir Qar§ist) a genuine example of the Ottoman Istanbul is hidden: The mosque of Rustem Pasa, Grand Vezir and son-in-law of Suleyman the Magnificent. Mimar Sinan built this mosque in Z561 after completing The Suleymaniye as the sultan demanded.

One should absolutely spare some time to see this mosque not much visited by the tourists, but perhaps the most attractive mosque in the city, and enjoy the old carpets and the elegant patterns on the tiles from the greatest period of Ottoman ceramics art. After the chaos and noise of the neighborhood where the marketplaces have gathered, the time feels as if it stopped.

Sehzade Mehmed Mosque

The mosque, built between 1544-1548 is the first great work of the master; Sehzade Mosque stands at the crossroads of Haghia Sophia and the first steps of the great master on the way to become the brilliant head architect of Ottoman Empire. Sinan had examined the dome and the area understanding of Haghia Sophia thoroughly. He took the meaning of the domed area one step further by adding four semi domes to the main one i nstead of two and adding a series of semi domes to each of I hose. Thus the whole structure became a great area that is full square and sharpening upwards. It has a large, plain and light look inside; while has a dynamic look outside due to its < lecorative form, the significant division of the outer wall and the rhythmic structure of the domes. The tiled decoration in Mehmet’s tomb in the garden is very beautiful.

Sokullu Mehmet Pasa Mosque

None of the mosques in Istanbul are as well-settled and proportional as Sokullu Mehmet Pa§a Mosque. As Mimar Sinan had formerly built a smaller mosque for Sokullu Mehmet Pa§a, one of the most important vezirs of the empire between 1571-T572, he reached the perfect solution for building hexagon domes. He managed to place the main dome on the rectangular with four small semi domes that the pedestal of the dome joined with the rectangle of the community area so that the area is open and spacious.

Source: Mihrimah Mosque

[istanbulsurf]

Mihrimah Mosque

Mimar Sinan built this extremely beautiful mosque on the highest point of the city for Mihrimah Sultan, the daughter of Suleyman the Magnificent in 1560. The mosque is one of the dazzling late-period masterpieces of the master. The significant form of the construction is lively and original: A cube, a 37m high dome on it, and a thin and long minaret next to it. The light passing through the curves of the walls with three rows of windows enlighten the area and increases feeling of relief. Edimekapi

Ortakoy Mosque

The mosque, built for Sultan Abdulmecit in the 19th, century right at the seashore, is one of the stunning examples of the late period Ottoman architecture with its elegance.

Rustem Pasa Mosque

A few steps away from the Egyptian Bazaar (Misir Qar§ist) a genuine example of the Ottoman Istanbul is hidden: The mosque of Rustem Pasa, Grand Vezir and son-in-law of Suleyman the Magnificent. Mimar Sinan built this mosque in Z561 after completing The Suleymaniye as the sultan demanded.

One should absolutely spare some time to see this mosque not much visited by the tourists, but perhaps the most attractive mosque in the city, and enjoy the old carpets and the elegant patterns on the tiles from the greatest period of Ottoman ceramics art. After the chaos and noise of the neighborhood where the marketplaces have gathered, the time feels as if it stopped.

Sehzade Mehmed Mosque

The mosque, built between 1544-1548 is the first great work of the master; Sehzade Mosque stands at the crossroads of Haghia Sophia and the first steps of the great master on the way to become the brilliant head architect of Ottoman Empire. Sinan had examined the dome and the area understanding of Haghia Sophia thoroughly. He took the meaning of the domed area one step further by adding four semi domes to the main one i nstead of two and adding a series of semi domes to each of I hose. Thus the whole structure became a great area that is full square and sharpening upwards. It has a large, plain and light look inside; while has a dynamic look outside due to its < lecorative form, the significant division of the outer wall and the rhythmic structure of the domes. The tiled decoration in Mehmet’s tomb in the garden is very beautiful.

Sokullu Mehmet Pasa Mosque

None of the mosques in Istanbul are as well-settled and proportional as Sokullu Mehmet Pa§a Mosque. As Mimar Sinan had formerly built a smaller mosque for Sokullu Mehmet Pa§a, one of the most important vezirs of the empire between 1571-T572, he reached the perfect solution for building hexagon domes. He managed to place the main dome on the rectangular with four small semi domes that the pedestal of the dome joined with the rectangle of the community area so that the area is open and spacious.

Source: Mihrimah Mosque

[istanbultea]

Mihrimah Mosque

Mimar Sinan built this extremely beautiful mosque on the highest point of the city for Mihrimah Sultan, the daughter of Suleyman the Magnificent in 1560. The mosque is one of the dazzling late-period masterpieces of the master. The significant form of the construction is lively and original: A cube, a 37m high dome on it, and a thin and long minaret next to it. The light passing through the curves of the walls with three rows of windows enlighten the area and increases feeling of relief. Edimekapi

Ortakoy Mosque

The mosque, built for Sultan Abdulmecit in the 19th, century right at the seashore, is one of the stunning examples of the late period Ottoman architecture with its elegance.

Rustem Pasa Mosque

A few steps away from the Egyptian Bazaar (Misir Qar§ist) a genuine example of the Ottoman Istanbul is hidden: The mosque of Rustem Pasa, Grand Vezir and son-in-law of Suleyman the Magnificent. Mimar Sinan built this mosque in Z561 after completing The Suleymaniye as the sultan demanded.

One should absolutely spare some time to see this mosque not much visited by the tourists, but perhaps the most attractive mosque in the city, and enjoy the old carpets and the elegant patterns on the tiles from the greatest period of Ottoman ceramics art. After the chaos and noise of the neighborhood where the marketplaces have gathered, the time feels as if it stopped.

Sehzade Mehmed Mosque

The mosque, built between 1544-1548 is the first great work of the master; Sehzade Mosque stands at the crossroads of Haghia Sophia and the first steps of the great master on the way to become the brilliant head architect of Ottoman Empire. Sinan had examined the dome and the area understanding of Haghia Sophia thoroughly. He took the meaning of the domed area one step further by adding four semi domes to the main one i nstead of two and adding a series of semi domes to each of I hose. Thus the whole structure became a great area that is full square and sharpening upwards. It has a large, plain and light look inside; while has a dynamic look outside due to its < lecorative form, the significant division of the outer wall and the rhythmic structure of the domes. The tiled decoration in Mehmet’s tomb in the garden is very beautiful.

Sokullu Mehmet Pasa Mosque

None of the mosques in Istanbul are as well-settled and proportional as Sokullu Mehmet Pa§a Mosque. As Mimar Sinan had formerly built a smaller mosque for Sokullu Mehmet Pa§a, one of the most important vezirs of the empire between 1571-T572, he reached the perfect solution for building hexagon domes. He managed to place the main dome on the rectangular with four small semi domes that the pedestal of the dome joined with the rectangle of the community area so that the area is open and spacious.

Source: Mihrimah Mosque

[foodistanbul]

Mihrimah Mosque

Mimar Sinan built this extremely beautiful mosque on the highest point of the city for Mihrimah Sultan, the daughter of Suleyman the Magnificent in 1560. The mosque is one of the dazzling late-period masterpieces of the master. The significant form of the construction is lively and original: A cube, a 37m high dome on it, and a thin and long minaret next to it. The light passing through the curves of the walls with three rows of windows enlighten the area and increases feeling of relief. Edimekapi

Ortakoy Mosque

The mosque, built for Sultan Abdulmecit in the 19th, century right at the seashore, is one of the stunning examples of the late period Ottoman architecture with its elegance.

Rustem Pasa Mosque

A few steps away from the Egyptian Bazaar (Misir Qar§ist) a genuine example of the Ottoman Istanbul is hidden: The mosque of Rustem Pasa, Grand Vezir and son-in-law of Suleyman the Magnificent. Mimar Sinan built this mosque in Z561 after completing The Suleymaniye as the sultan demanded.

One should absolutely spare some time to see this mosque not much visited by the tourists, but perhaps the most attractive mosque in the city, and enjoy the old carpets and the elegant patterns on the tiles from the greatest period of Ottoman ceramics art. After the chaos and noise of the neighborhood where the marketplaces have gathered, the time feels as if it stopped.

Sehzade Mehmed Mosque

The mosque, built between 1544-1548 is the first great work of the master; Sehzade Mosque stands at the crossroads of Haghia Sophia and the first steps of the great master on the way to become the brilliant head architect of Ottoman Empire. Sinan had examined the dome and the area understanding of Haghia Sophia thoroughly. He took the meaning of the domed area one step further by adding four semi domes to the main one i nstead of two and adding a series of semi domes to each of I hose. Thus the whole structure became a great area that is full square and sharpening upwards. It has a large, plain and light look inside; while has a dynamic look outside due to its < lecorative form, the significant division of the outer wall and the rhythmic structure of the domes. The tiled decoration in Mehmet’s tomb in the garden is very beautiful.

Sokullu Mehmet Pasa Mosque

None of the mosques in Istanbul are as well-settled and proportional as Sokullu Mehmet Pa§a Mosque. As Mimar Sinan had formerly built a smaller mosque for Sokullu Mehmet Pa§a, one of the most important vezirs of the empire between 1571-T572, he reached the perfect solution for building hexagon domes. He managed to place the main dome on the rectangular with four small semi domes that the pedestal of the dome joined with the rectangle of the community area so that the area is open and spacious.

Source: Mihrimah Mosque

[ottomanladies]

THE LIFE AND DEATH OF HÜRREM SULTAN | day 3: Hürrem and her children

There are no certain dates of birth for Hürrem's children, sometimes not even a specific year. Her first child, Şehzade Mehmed, was born in late 1521. In his case, only the year of his birth was recorded - 972 in Islamic calendar - which ended on 30 November 1521. Şehzade Mehmed was the first child of Süleyman I's to be born after his accession, around a year later, which could confirm the theory that Hürrem had been presented to him as a congratulatory gift. After Mehmed's birth, Hürrem's status rose, and in harem registers she started to be referred to as "the mother of Prince Mehmed". Her only daughter, Mihrimah, was born in autumn 1522, therefore breaking a centuries-old rule that mothers of a son could not have any more sexual encounters with the sultan. Süleyman was far from Istanbul at the time of the birth: he was at war against the Knights Hospitallers and returned to the capital only in February 1523. The future Selim II was born on 28 May 1524 - the only child to have a sure date of birth - and was followed in 1525 or 1526 by another prince, Şehzade Abdullah, who died of smallpox at a young age. Şehzade Bayezid was born in 1527, and Hürrem's youngest child - Şehzade Cihangir - was born in 1531, unusually distanced from his elder brother Bayezid. Peirce thinks he may have been "unanticipated or an afterthought—the result of a decision by Roxelana and Suleyman to have one last child", since his birth had arrived after the magnificent circumcision fest that Süleyman had organised for his three eldest princes, which could have symbolised that "the sultan considered his reproductive obligation to the empire fulfilled"

sources: Leslie Peirce, Empress of the East: How a European Slave Girl Became Queen of the Ottoman Empire; Leslie Peirce, The Imperial Harem: Women and Sovereignty in the Ottoman Empire

[istanbulhistorical]

Mihrimah Mosque

Mimar Sinan built this extremely beautiful mosque on the highest point of the city for Mihrimah Sultan, the daughter of Suleyman the Magnificent in 1560. The mosque is one of the dazzling late-period masterpieces of the master. The significant form of the construction is lively and original: A cube, a 37m high dome on it, and a thin and long minaret next to it. The light passing through the curves of the walls with three rows of windows enlighten the area and increases feeling of relief. Edimekapi

Ortakoy Mosque

The mosque, built for Sultan Abdulmecit in the 19th, century right at the seashore, is one of the stunning examples of the late period Ottoman architecture with its elegance.

Rustem Pasa Mosque

A few steps away from the Egyptian Bazaar (Misir Qar§ist) a genuine example of the Ottoman Istanbul is hidden: The mosque of Rustem Pasa, Grand Vezir and son-in-law of Suleyman the Magnificent. Mimar Sinan built this mosque in Z561 after completing The Suleymaniye as the sultan demanded.

One should absolutely spare some time to see this mosque not much visited by the tourists, but perhaps the most attractive mosque in the city, and enjoy the old carpets and the elegant patterns on the tiles from the greatest period of Ottoman ceramics art. After the chaos and noise of the neighborhood where the marketplaces have gathered, the time feels as if it stopped.

Sehzade Mehmed Mosque

The mosque, built between 1544-1548 is the first great work of the master; Sehzade Mosque stands at the crossroads of Haghia Sophia and the first steps of the great master on the way to become the brilliant head architect of Ottoman Empire. Sinan had examined the dome and the area understanding of Haghia Sophia thoroughly. He took the meaning of the domed area one step further by adding four semi domes to the main one i nstead of two and adding a series of semi domes to each of I hose. Thus the whole structure became a great area that is full square and sharpening upwards. It has a large, plain and light look inside; while has a dynamic look outside due to its < lecorative form, the significant division of the outer wall and the rhythmic structure of the domes. The tiled decoration in Mehmet’s tomb in the garden is very beautiful.

Sokullu Mehmet Pasa Mosque

None of the mosques in Istanbul are as well-settled and proportional as Sokullu Mehmet Pa§a Mosque. As Mimar Sinan had formerly built a smaller mosque for Sokullu Mehmet Pa§a, one of the most important vezirs of the empire between 1571-T572, he reached the perfect solution for building hexagon domes. He managed to place the main dome on the rectangular with four small semi domes that the pedestal of the dome joined with the rectangle of the community area so that the area is open and spacious.

Source: Mihrimah Mosque