Nurbanu Sultan

Afife Nurbanu Sultan (; 1525 of Ottoman sultan Selim II. As the mother of Murad III, she served as valide sultan from 1574 until her death in 1583. She was one of the most prominent figures during the Sultanate of Women.

Nurbanu, who was presumably descended from two noble Venetian families, entered the harem of the future Sultan Selim II sometime between 1542 and 1544, when he was serving as sanjak-bey (provincial governor) of Konya. In 1546, Nurbanu gave birth to Şehzade Selim’s first son, Şehzade Murad III, and until Selim’s accession to the throne she remained the mother of his only heir and probably his only haseki (chief consort).

In 1566, when Selim became sultan, Nurbanu herself assumed leadership of the imperial harem as the mother of the eldest heir. She tried as much as possible to imitate her mother-in-law Hürrem Sultan, who had demonstrated great power and significant influence during the reign of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. She attempted to replicate Hürrem Sultan’s methods; however, she never reached the same level as her predecessor, because Sultan Selim held his sister Mihrimah Sultan in high regard, similar to how he respected his mother. As a result, Mihrimah exercised significant influence over the palace, while he also delegated all state affairs to the capable Grand Vizier Sokollu Mehmed Pasha. Although Sokollu Mehmed was also her son-in-law, Nurbanu could not gain much advantage from this connection. Nurbanu remained in the sultan’s favor throughout the reign of Selim II despite not bearing any more children. As the mother of the heir apparent and later his legal wife, she served as her husband’s advisor and confidante. After Selim’s death in 1574, Nurbanu concealed his body in an ice-filled chest in order to keep his death secret until Murad could return from the province where he was serving as governor.

After Murad’s return, Nurbanu, together with the Grand Vizier, became one of his chief advisors. Murad III ascended the throne and granted his mother the title of Valide Sultan, the most powerful position a woman could attain. Nurbanu was the first holder of this title and the first Valide Sultan during a period known as the “Sultanate of Women.”

During this time, the office was considered semi-independent from the sultan and, after the sultan himself, the second most powerful position in the empire. The most powerful figures of the empire would stand in a ceremonial procession known as the “Valide’s Procession” to pay homage to her alongside the sultan at the main gate of the Bab-ı Âli in the Topkapı Palace, presenting gifts. The Valide Sultan would in turn send robes of honor (khil‘at) and daggers to the Grand Vizier and the Sheikh al-Islam, and even distribute payments as rewards to soldiers, as if she were a co-ruler or a sultan in her own right. This pattern was repeated by several powerful subsequent Valide Sultans.

Besides managing the harem and engaging in charitable works, Nurbanu — thanks to the love and respect of Murad III — actively interfered in her son’s politics and also corresponded with foreign rulers, particularly the Venetian Doge and the French queen mother Catherine de' Medici. During that period, she cooperated more closely with her son-in-law, Grand Vizier Sokollu Mehmed Pasha, in state affairs, as he was an exceptionally professional and influential figure within the government. However, Nurbanu was never fully satisfied with the concentration of power in Sokollu Mehmed Pasha’s hands and did not wish to rely solely on him. As a result, she arranged behind-the-scenes relationships aimed at reducing his influence. Her son, Sultan Murad, was highly impressionable and deeply reclusive; as a result, he would consult her whenever he faced matters he could not decide on quickly or issues of a confidential nature. Moreover, her warnings or requests regarding other people were usually accepted by him. Her influence, which extended beyond the palace, became widely recognized and was both criticized and welcomed. The only real rival to Nurbanu for control of the imperial harem and influence over Murad was his concubine and the mother of his son, Safiye Sultan—a woman who spent many years with him in a monogamous relationship during his years as a prince and in the early years of his reign, and who held considerable influence over him. Murad was generally unwilling to refuse Safiye anything and devoted his attention exclusively to her. This provoked jealousy and a strong reaction from Nurbanu, as she was unwilling to tolerate any rival to her authority as Valide Sultan.

Because of this, factions began to form in the Ottoman court, and Nurbanu gathered allies both inside and outside the palace who helped her advance her political objectives. In the middle of her son’s reign, which coincided with the final years of her life, the sultan became increasingly isolated from the outside world. He even participated less and less in major ceremonial events, often attending only briefly or from a distance.

As a result, Nurbanu assumed a more public role in court politics and ceremonies. For example, during the Ottoman–Safavid War, which began in 1578, high-ranking state officials held meetings with Nurbanu regarding the course of the conflict. Similarly, at the highly lavish circumcision ceremony of Prince Mehmed in 1582, Nurbanu was the central figure of the event, while the sultan himself was absent or merely a distant observer. During Nurbanu’s time, bribery and Jewish influence became widespread in the Ottoman court. In particular, Esther Handali, Nurbanu’s kira (a non-Muslim female business agent and intermediary), and the Nasi family were close to the sultan’s mother.

When Nurbanu died in 1583, Murad III personally took part in her funeral, contrary to established tradition. Furthermore, by Murad III’s order, his mother was buried beside his father in the complex of Hagia Sophia. Thus, Nurbanu became the first concubine of a sultan to be buried beside her master, and through this act Murad effectively recognized his valide as a full member of the ruling dynasty.

Theories about her origin

There are several theories about the ethnic origins of Nurbanu. Greek,

Kalē Kartanou

In 1992, historian Benjamin Arbel reassessed an older theory that Nurbanu was a Greek from Corfu named Kalē Kartanou, daughter of Nikolaos Kartanos and abducted from the island in 1537, judging it plausible if not absolutely proven. According to this theory, Venetian senators arbitrarily chose to create a new identity for her as Cecilia Venier-Baffo, This theory has been accepted by Italian historian Maria Pia Pidani, According to the latter historian, the fact that she "forge[d] a trans-imperial link in order to ingratiate herself with the Venetians suggests that the Ottomans, too, considered the common background as a diplomatic asset". as did other Turkish historians.

Early life

Nurbanu who was said to be prominent in the palace with her beauty and extraordinary intelligence, was sent to Manisa as one of the concubines of the harem of Şehzade Selim in 1543, and she bore him a son, Murad, who succeeded his father as the next Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, and at least three daughters.

As the mother of the heir-apparent, she acted as an advisor to her husband, who valued her advice on various subjects because of his respect for her prudent judgment and intelligence. 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." She became a formidable figure, with far-reaching influence during this time. According to some sources (mostly Venetian), her influence was such that Nurbanu Sultan effectively ran the government alongside the Grand Vizier, Sokollu Mehmed Pasha. Selim abrogated much of his power to Sokollu, who was said to have been the "virtual-emperor" as per a Ragusan ambassador in Rome. Nurbanu did not intervene directly in politics, but there is no doubt that she consulted regularly with her son-in-law Sokollu. 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 be massacred along with his entire family 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.

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. In addition, Selim repeatedly, publicly stated that Murad was his heir, thus securing the position of his firstborn son and sentencing his other sons to death.

Valide Sultan

alt=|thumb|The Sultan Validé (Nurbanu Sultan) by [[Nicolas de Nicolay]]

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. Nurbanu first learned the news and then ordered everyone to keep their mouths shut. She did not share the sultan's death with anyone other than Sokollu Mehmed Pasha, the Grand Vizir. Her goal was to enable her son Murad to reach Istanbul in secret before anyone could take advantage of the situation. Security and privacy in the harem were the most strict anywhere, and no one else knew when Selim II had actually died. Nurbanu told no one, hid the dead body of her husband in an icebox, and sent word to Manisa for her son to come to Constantinople immediately. It was not made known publicly until twelve days later when Murad arrived and Nurbanu delivered up Selim's body. Her son became sultan and Nurbanu became valide sultan, the highest position a woman could hold in the Ottoman Empire.

Nurbanu's real influence began at this time. She enjoyed significant power from 1574 to 1583, although she apparently did not live in the palace after Selim II's death. Although in the past she also had influence over many things as haseki, she mostly just supported Selim from the background and gradually built up her own circle for the future. However, as valide, she immediately started to work and put her own trusted people in ever higher positions to strengthen herself and her son through them. She was revered as Valide-i Atik Sultan ("the first strong mother of the reigning sultan") during her son's reign until her death.

Nurbanu became the first woman to hold both the rank of haseki and valide. Although the Valide Sultan rank had existed since the reign of Bayezid II, it was Murad III who, for the sake of his mother, transformed it into a legally recogniseed position. This means that previously the Valide Sultan was only listed as "Mother of Sultan," in every list. But thanks to Murad, the mother of the sultan acquired a formal title, that of valide sultan. And with this change, not only did valide carry out the usual responsibilities according to tradition, but its tasks and possibilities also increased significantly.

Nurbanu did not seek to rule through her son, but merely helped him to become a just and worthy sultan, who was loved, accepted and respected by the people. In this way, valide became a high status and became an important and powerful position of the dynasty. Nurbanu's pocket money, which reached 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.

The rivalry with Safiye

Of all the sultans, Murad was the most devoted to his mother. However, Nurbanu's monopoly and superiority was still threatened.

Murad did not keep many consorts, and was committed to a single woman, Safiye. Safiye Sultan was given the rank of haseki as soon as Murad became sultan. Safiye herself wanted to have a say in state affairs, so she tried to influence Murad, which in turn provoked Nurbanu's dislike. Her attempts were in vain, as Murad never listened to any woman but his mother. The details of the struggle between Safiye and Nurbanu are not known, but they probably had conflicts within the harem, for in 1582 their hostility peaked.

To avoid the danger of dynastic extinction, it would have been logical for Safiye to gave birth to more children, but she had been unable to become pregnant for years at that time. In the cases where she had become pregnant, she had a miscarriage or the child was born premature and subsequently died. Murad, however, refused to accept new concubines due to the fact that he loved Safiye greatly — so much so that he was not able to have sex with anyone else. Nurbanu then devised a plan and accused Safiye of using black magic to make the sultan impotent. The rumor began to spread throughout the city, and Murad eventually exiled Safiye to the Old Palace due to his self-esteem. Doctors eventually solved Murad's impotence, who then had dozens of children in the following years.

Nurbanu may have felt that she had finally got rid of Safiye, but she could not win this fight so easily. Her grandson, Mehmed, openly disagreed with both her and the Sultan for the sake of his mother, Safiye. As a matter of fact, the sources clearly suggest that Nurbanu was afraid that Mehmed would anger Murad until Murad executed him. Although Nurbanu did not like Safiye, she loved Mehmed, as she did all her grandchildren. This is clearly indicated by a follow-up report from 1582. According to this, after Mehmed's circumcision, he impregnated one of Nurbanu's servants, which was forbidden, since the girl was a member of Murad's harem, not Mehmed's. Since Mehmed already had a very bad relationship with his father, Nurbanu killed the girl to hide the news from Murad. Murad seemingly never realised what had happened and was able to finally restore his relationship with Mehmed.

Nurbanu died suddenly in 1583, and less than two years later, in early 1585, Safiye regained her husband's trust and love. She and her exiled daughters returned to the royal harem. Thus Safiye regained enough power and influence, or far more than before, to protect her son and prepare for his reign. Safiye, like Nurbanu and her predecessor Hürrem Sultan, was able to build a circle of supporters and drive out the opposition. Even after Murad's death in January 1595, Safiye, like her late mother-in-law Nurbanu, hid the death of the Sultan until the arrival of her son to Constantinople.

Foreign politics

Her intermediary to the world outside the harem was her "Kira", Esther Handali. She corresponded with the French queen Catherine de' Medici.

It is understood that Nurbanu Sultan used Esther Handali, who was of Jewish origin, for her own personal affairs and had a financial relationship with the Duke of Naxos, Joseph Nasi. Perhaps due to this network of relationships, the rumour was spread that she was of Jewish origin. Among her close men were Bâbüssaâde Ağası Gazenfer Ağa, the priest Şemsi Pasha, and the strong figures of the harem who had been with her since Manisa, Canfeda Hatun and Raziye Hatun. Extensive information is available in the envoy reports about Nurbanu Sultan's close political diplomatic contact with the Venetians. In 1583, the Venetian Senate agreed to send her a gift worth 2,000 Venetian gold pieces for her services. According to another report, she prevented a possible Ottoman attack on Crete by Kapudan Pasha Uluç Ali and warned him to not declare war on Venice.

Patroness of architecture

thumb|right|200px|Atik Valide Mosque constructed by Nurbanu Sultan

right|thumb|Entrance to [[Çemberlitaş Hamam, constructed on the orders of 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.

The Darüşşifa is an integral part of the mosque complex constructed by Mimar Sinan, between 1570 and 1579. The landed properties that she 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. The administration of revenues was also included in the complex.

During her nine years of her tenure as Valide Sultan, she 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 her demise.

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.

Nurbanu Sultan has also constructed imaret and bathhouse, which she built in Mercan, Alemdağ and Langa, in Istanbul, she was the first Ottoman woman to build 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, and wood from Sapanca and Iznik. She was buried next to Selim II in his türbe (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.

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.

Preceding Nurbanu's death, the Venetian ambassador in the Ottoman palace, Paolo Contarini had stated When Nurbanu died in December 1583, the successor of Contarini reported the following:

Issue

With Selim, Nurbanu had three daughters and a son:

Şah Sultan (, Karaman, – 3 November 1580, Constantinople, buried with her last husband in their own mausoleum, Eyüp), married firstly in 1562 to Çakırcıbaşı Hasan Pasha, married secondly in 1574 to Zal Mahmud Pasha.
Gevherhan Sultan (, Manisa – ,

It was earlier disputed whether she was also the mother of Fatma Sultan but considering that Nurbanu accompanied her son, Murad to his province to which he was appointed by his grandfather, Suleiman the Magnificent in 1558 and Fatma was born in 1559, Peirce had debunked this possibility. That Fatma was born with an unknown concubine is further proved by the provision made by her for her mother for 40 aspers, which was definitely not required by a woman paid 1,100 aspers by the end of Selim II's reign as haseki sultan and 2,000 aspers in her son, Murad III's reign as valide sultan and who had died in 1583, predating Fatma's will.

In literature and popular culture

A fictionalized version of the life and death of Nurbanu Sultan appeared in Marina Fiorato's the Venetian Contract, in which she was depicted as the niece of Doge Sebastiano Venier and the mother of Freya, who is the protagonist in the novel.
Nurbanu Sultan is the protagonist in The Mapmaker's Daughter by Katherine Nouri Hughes, which takes the form of Nurbanu Sultan's memoirs.
She was portrayed by Turkish actress Merve Boluğur in television series Muhteşem Yüzyıl.

References

Bibliography

A.D. Alderson, The Structure of the Ottoman Dynasty. Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1956.
Burke's Royal Families of the World, Volume II: Africa & The Middle East, Burke's Peerage Ltd., London, 1980.
A.H. de Groot, s.v. in Encyclopaedia of Islam vol.8 p. 124
Yılmaz Öztuna, Devletler ve Hanedanlar, Turkiye 1074-1990, Ankara, 1989.
Osman Selâheddin Osmanoğlu, Osmanli Devleti'nin Kuruluşunun 700. Yılında Osmanlı Hanedanı, Islâm Tarih, Sanat ve Kültür Araştırma Vakfı (ISAR), Istanbul, 1999.
Emine Fuat Tugay, Three Centuries: Family Chronicles of Turkey and Egypt, Oxford, 1963.