Real pictures of the sultanas of the Ottoman Empire. Rulers of the Ottoman Empire

Here they are - 35 heads, hanging on the wall in the Istanbul bath (!)

The bathhouse in the historical center, apparently on the site of the old Roman-Byzantine one, is fully functional, 30 euros for entry, attendant / services - separately ...

dressing room

But back to the sultans, in order, from left to right, top to bottom (the top photo, of course, is clickable - to better see the characters):

1) Osman I (1299-1326) Gazi - "Fighter for the Faith"
The founder of the dynasty (and the state on the basis of a small feudal possession of the collapsed Seljuk Sultanate of Rum), "collector of lands", son Ertogrula . Bay

2) Orhan I (1326-1359)
Married to the daughter of a Byzantine emperor John VI . He "invented" the Janissaries (young Christian captives - later they acted in the form of a tax / tribute - were converted to Islam and raised warriors from them). Under him, the Turks crossed into Europe and occupied Gallipoli. Bay

3) Murad I (1359-1389)
Significantly expanded the European possessions of the Turks. He was the first to take the title of Sultan. In the struggle for the throne, he defeated his brothers. Killed by a Serb M.Obilic (I crept up to the Sultan under the guise of a defector; apparently the Serbs have such fun - in 1914, something similar will lead to the 1st World War ...) during the Battle of Kosovo. Byzantium became the de facto vassal of the Turks

4) Bayezid I (1389-1402) - Yildirim - "Lightning"
Introduced preventive fratricide. Married to the daughter of a Serbian prince captured in Kosovo and executed Lazarus . He defeated the crusaders near Nikopol (1396), executed most of the noble prisoners (instead of ransom!). Completed the conquest of Serbia and Bulgaria. Besieged Constantinople. Was defeated by Timur , captured, lived in an iron cage (did not last long), "worked" as a footstool

5) Mehmed I (1413-1421) - Celebi - "Scientist"
Gathered the empire after it fell apart due to Timur's campaign, defeated his brothers, minimized losses from 10-year civil strife. As a hostage at his court, for some time he was Vlad Dracul - son of Mircea of Wallachia

6) Murad II (1421-44, 1446-51)
Besieged Constantinople. He defeated the crusaders at Varna (1444) and on the Kosovo field (2nd battle, 1448), deciding the fate of the Balkans. In Albania, he fought G.K. Skandenberg . For 2 years "resigned" in favor of his son.

7) Mehmed II (1444-46, 1451-81) Fatih - "Conqueror"
Captured Constantinople, took the title "Kaiser a-Rum" - Roman Caesar. Captured the Empire of Trebizond. Under him, the Crimean Khanate became a Turkish vassal. Raided southern Italy (1480-81)

8) Bayezid II (1481-1512)
Under him, clashes began with the Persian Shiites (and their supporters within the empire) and the Mamluks. Brother Jem fled to the West, they tried to use him in the fight against the Turks. The most significant wave of Spanish Jewish immigration occurred during his reign. Renounce the throne.

9) Selim I (1512-1520) Yavuz - "Fierce"
He rebelled against his father, after the defeat he fled to the Crimea. He returned, poisoned the renounced father (according to rumors) and killed all male relatives (brothers, nephews, etc.). Arranged an ethno-religious purge of Shiites in the districts bordering Persia (approximately 45,000 corpses). He conquered Syria, Palestine and Egypt (1516-17, in Cairo approximately 50,000 corpses, including 800 Mamluk beys). He was the first to take the title of caliph, received the keys to Mecca and Medina (and Jerusalem - to the heap).

10) Suleiman I (1520-66) Eve - "Fair"
Captured Rhodes, divided Hungary with the Habsburgs (the beginning of the confrontation). Unsuccessful rivalry with the Portuguese in the Indian Ocean (up to Sumatra, for which the admiral was executed Piri Reis ). Besieged Vienna and Malta. Captured Mesopotamia (with Baghdad, 1534), Tripolitania (1541), Sudan (1557). Invaded Morocco and Ethiopia. He planned to build a canal from the Nile to the Red Sea. Under him he was captured and executed Dm.Vishnevetsky (Bayda). The Ottoman fleet was based at Marseille (under the command H. Barbarossa) . Beloved wife - Roksolana from Southern Russia (the era of intervention in the politics of the Sultan's wives and mother-in-law begins with it). Issued a general code of laws of the empire. With him Sinan built the Suleymaniye Mosque. The main character of the series "The Magnificent Century" (if I haven't watched it!)

11) Selim II (1566-74) Sarkhosh - "Drunkard"
The first unsuccessful clash with Russia was over Astrakhan, he planned to build the Volga-Don Canal (1569). Captured Cyprus (1571). Suffered a naval defeat at Lepanto (1571, exaggerated in the West). Reconquered Tunisia (1574). He gave the monopoly of the alcohol trade to his close Jew - Joseph Nasi (according to rumors, he wanted to become the king of Cyprus, but the sultan decided that the income from the "shinks" was enough). He carried out a total confiscation of the real estate of the Orthodox Church (with the right to buy at auctions, a few rich monasteries and parishes survived). With him Sinan built the Selimiye mosque in Adrianople (the dome is almost equal in diameter to St. Sophia, which Selim II repaired). Drowned in the pool.

12) Murad III (1574-1595)
He conquered all of Transcaucasia (another war with Persia). Campaign to the coast of Mozambique (1585 and 89). He ordered to execute his brothers dumb, passing them silk scarves for strangulation with tears in his eyes (as his Jewish doctor writes - well, how can you not remember The Simpsons - Africa, on the poster is a man, a taxi driver: "this is our new president, a good man - came to power without shedding a single drop of blood - he strangled everyone!"). Under him, the harem grows and acquires the features of a "shadow" royal palace (hundreds of living and employees). The Ecumenical Patriarchate is deprived of the temple of Pammakaristos and moved to the church of St. George in the Fener region (where it remains to this day). Corruption of money due to the price revolution (Discovery of America).

13) Mehmed III (1595-1603)
The last sultan, who passed the practice of public administration before taking the throne, leading the province.

14) Ahmed I (1603-17)
Lost Azerbaijan. He did not engage in fratricide - he simply kept relatives locked up in a harem. With him a student Sinana built the Blue Mosque (the only one with 6 minarets and the first imperial mosque not funded by conquests) and overhauled Hagia Sophia.

Since the creation of the Ottoman Empire, the state has been continuously ruled by the descendants of Osman in the male line. But despite the fecundity of the dynasty, there were those who ended their lives childless.

The founder of the dynasty Osman Gazi (ruled 1299-1326) was the father of 7 sons and 1 daughter.

The second ruler was the son of Osman Orhan Gazi (pr.1326-59) had 5 sons and 1 daughter.

God did not deprive Murad 1 Khyudavendigyur of offspring (son of Orkhan, pr. 1359-89) - 4 sons and 2 daughters.

The famous Bayazid the Lightning (son of Murad 1, born in 1389-1402) was the father of 7 sons and 1 daughter.

Bayazid's son Mehmet 1 (1413-21) left behind 5 sons and 2 daughters.

Murad 2 the Great (son of Mehmet 1, pr. 1421-51) - 6 sons and 2 daughters.

The conqueror of Constantinople Fatih Mehmet 2 (r. 1451-1481) was the father of 4 sons and 1 daughter.

Bayazid 2 (son of Mehmet 2, born 1481-1512) - 8 sons and 5 daughters.

The first Caliph from the Ottoman dynasty, Yavuz Sultan Selim-Selim the Terrible (prob. 1512-20) had only one son and 4 daughters.

2.

The famous Suleiman the Magnificent (Legislator), the husband of the no less famous Roxola (Hyurrem Sultan, 4 sons, 1 daughter), was the father of 8 sons and 2 daughters from 4 wives. He reigned so long (1520-1566) that he outlived almost all of his children. The eldest son Mustafa (Makhidervan) and the 4th son Bayazid (Roksolana) were strangled on the orders of Suleiman 1 on charges of plotting against their father.

The third son of Suleiman and the second son of Roksolana Selim 2 (Red Selim or Selim the Drunkard, pr.1566-1574) had 8 sons and 2 daughters from 2 wives. Despite his love for wine, he was able to expand his holdings from 14.892.000 km2 to 15.162.000 km2.

And now let's welcome the record holder - Murad 3 (project 1574-1595). He had one official wife Safiye Sultan (Sofia Baffo, daughter of the ruler of Corfu, was kidnapped by pirates) and many concubines, from whom 22 sons and 4 daughters survived (they write that at the time of his death, the heir Mehmet 3 ordered to strangle all his pregnant wives). But despite the love for the weaker sex, he was able to expand his possessions to 24.534.242 km2.

Mehmet 3 (pr.1595-1603) was a champion in another part - on the night of his father's death, he ordered all his brothers and sisters to be strangled. In terms of fertility, he was much inferior to his father - only 3 sons from 2 wives

The eldest son of Mehmet 3 Ahmet 1 (pr.1603-1617, died of typhus at the age of 27), having ascended the throne, introduced a new dynastic law, according to which the eldest son of the deceased ruler became the ruler.

Mustafa1, who sat on the throne due to the infancy of his son Ahmet 1 (r. 1617-1623, d. fall into madness, and according to the fatwa of Sheikh-ul-Islam was removed from the throne.

Little-known facts from the life of the sultans ...

When people start talking about the Ottoman rulers, then people automatically have in their heads the image of formidable, cruel conquerors who spent their free time in a harem among half-naked concubines. But everyone forgets that they were mere mortal people with their own shortcomings and hobbies...

OSMAN 1.

They describe that when he stood, his lowered hands reached his knees, based on this, it was believed that he had either very long arms or short legs. Another distinguishing feature of his character was that he never put on outerwear again. And not because that he was a dude, he just liked to give his clothes to commoners. If someone looked at his caftan for a long time, he took it off and gave it to that person. Osman was very fond of listening to music before a meal, was a good wrestler and skillfully wielded weapons. The Turks had a very interesting old custom - once a year, ordinary members of the tribe took everything that they liked in this house from the leader's house. Osman and his wife left the house empty-handed and opened the doors for their relatives.

ORHAN.

Orkhan's reign lasted 36 years. He owned 100 fortresses and spent all his time driving around them. He did not stay in any of them for more than one month. He was a big fan of Mevlana-Jalaleddin Rumi.

MURAD 1.

In European sources, a brilliant ruler, a tireless hunter, a very gallant knight and was a symbol of honesty. He was the first Ottoman ruler to create a private library. He was killed in the Battle of Kosovo.

BAEZIT 1.

For the ability to quickly cover long distances with his army, and to appear in front of the enemy at the most unexpected moment, he received the nickname Lightning. He was very fond of hunting and was an avid hunter, often participated in wrestling competitions. Historians also note his mastery of weapons and horsemanship. He was one of the first rulers to compose poetry. He was the first to besiege Constantinople, and more than once. He died in captivity with Timur.

MEHMET CHELEBI.

It is considered the revival of the Ottoman state as a result of the victory over the Timurils. When he was with him, he was called the wrestler Mhemet. During his reign, he introduced the custom of sending gifts to Mecca and Medina every year, which was not abolished even in the most difficult times until the First World War. Every Friday evening he cooked food with his own money and distributed it to the poor. Like his father, he loved to hunt. While hunting for a boar, he fell off his horse and broke his hip bone, which is why he soon died.

And tell us how it happened that there are portraits, because Islam forbids images of a person.
Did you find Italian infidels to perpetuate yourself, the great ones?

Bayezid 1 Lightning, the 4th ruler ruled from 1389 to 1403. His father was Murat 1, and his mother was Bulgarian Maria, after the adoption of Islam Gulchichek Khatun.

- Mehmet 1 Celebi, 5th Sultan. His mother was also Bulgarian, Olga Khatun.
  1382-1421
  
  Murat 2 (1404-1451) was born from the marriage of Mehmet Celebi and the daughter of the ruler of the beylik Dulkadiroglu Emine Hatun. According to some unconfirmed sources, his mother was Veronica.
  
  Mehmet 2 the Conqueror (1432-1481)
  
  Son of Murat 2 and Hyum Khatun, daughter of a bey from the Jandaroglu clan. It was believed that his mother was Serbian Despina.
  
  Bayezid 2 was also no exception - his mother was also a Christian Cornelia (Albanian, Serbian or French). After the adoption of Islam, her name was Gulbahar Khatun. Father was Fatih Sultan Mehmet 2.
  
  SELIM 1.(1470-1520)
  
  Selim 1 or Yavuz Sultan Selim, the conqueror of Egypt, Baghdad, Damascus and Mecca, the 9th padish of the Ottoman state and the 74th Caliph was born from Bayezid 2nd and the daughter of an influential bey in western Anatolia from the Dulkadiroglu clan Gulbahar Khatun.
  
  SULEMAN 1 (1495-1566).
  
  Suleiman Kanuni was born on April 27, 1495. He became sultan when he was 25 years old. An uncompromising fighter against bribery, Suleiman won the favor of the people with good deeds, built schools. Suleiman Kanuni patronized poets, artists, architects, wrote poetry himself, was considered a skilled blacksmith.
  
  Suleiman was not as bloodthirsty as his father, Selim I, but he loved conquest no less than his father. In addition, neither kinship nor merit saved him from his suspicion and cruelty.
  
  Suleiman personally led 13 campaigns. A significant part of the wealth received from military booty, tribute and taxes was spent by Suleiman I on the construction of palaces, mosques, caravanserais, and tombs.
  
  Also under him, laws (qanun-name) were drawn up on the administrative structure and position of individual provinces, on finances and forms of land tenure, the duties of the population and attaching peasants to the land, and on the regulation of the military system.
  
  Suleiman Kanuni died on September 6, 1566 during the next campaign in Hungary - during the siege of the fortress of Szigetvar. He was buried in a mausoleum at the cemetery of the Suleymaniye Mosque along with his beloved wife Roksolana.
  
  The 10th Ottoman ruler and the 75th Caliph of Muslims, Suleman the Magnificent, also known for being the husband of Roksolana, was born from Selim 1 and a Polish Jewess Helga, later Khavza Sultan.
  
  Khavza Sultan.
  
  SELIM 2. (1524-1574)
  
  The son of the famous Roksolana (Hyurrem Sultan) Selim 2 ascended the throne after her death. Her real name was Alexandra Anastasia Lisovska, she was Suleiman's beloved wife.
  
  MURAT 3 (1546-1595).
  
  Born from Selim the 2nd and the Jewess Rachel (Nurbanu Sultan) Murat 3, was their eldest son and heir to the throne.
  
  MEHMET 3 (1566-1603).
  
  He ascended the throne in 1595 and ruled until his death. His mother was no exception either, she was also kidnapped and sold into the harem. She was the daughter of a wealthy Baffo family (Venice). She was taken prisoner while traveling on a ship when she was 12 years old. In the harem, the father of Mehmet III fell in love with Cecilia Baffo and married her, her name became Safie Sultan.
  Palace intrigues of the wives of the padishahs
  
  Khyurem Sultan (Roksolana 1500-1558): thanks to her beauty and intelligence, she not only managed to attract the attention of Suleiman the Magnificent, but also became his beloved woman. Her struggle with Suleiman's first wife, Mahidervan, was the most famous intrigue of that time, such a struggle was not for life, but for death. Roksolana bypassed her in all respects and finally became his official wife. As her influence on the ruler increased, her influence in state affairs also increased. Soon she succeeded in deposing both the viziri-i-azam (prime minister) Ibrahim Pasha, who was married to Suleiman's sister. He was executed for adultery. She married the next vizier and azam Rustem Pasha to her daughter and with the help of which she managed to discredit, by substituting letters, to accuse Suleiman's eldest son Shahzade Mustafa of hostile relations with the main enemies of the Iranians. For his intelligence and great abilities, Mustafa was predicted to be the next padishah, but on the orders of his father, he was strangled during a campaign against Iran.
  
  Over time, during the meetings, being in the secret department of Khyurem Sultan, she listened and shared her opinion with her husband after the advice. From the poems dedicated by Suleiman to Roksolana, it becomes obvious that his love for her was dearer to him than anything in the world.
  
  Nurbanu Sultan (1525-1587):
  
  At the age of 10, she was kidnapped by corsairs and sold at the famous market of Pera in Istanbul to slave traders. Merchants, noting her beauty and intelligence, sent her to the harem, where she managed to attract the attention of Khyurem Sultan, who sent her to Manisa for education. From there she returned a real beauty and managed to win the heart of her son Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska Sultan Selim 2, who soon married her. Poems written by Selim in her honor entered as excellent examples of lyrics. Selim was the youngest son, but as a result of the death of all his brothers, he becomes the sole heir to the throne, to which he ascended. Nurbanu became the only mistress of his heart and, accordingly, the harem. There were other women in Selim's life, but none of them could win his heart like Nurbanu. After the death of Selim (1574), her son Murat 3 became padishah, she became Valide Sultan (royal mother) and for a long time held the threads of government in her hands, despite the fact that this time her rival was Murat 3's wife Safiye Sultan.
  
  Safiye Sultan
  
  A life of intrigue became the subject of many novels after her death. Just like Nurbanu Sultan, she was kidnapped by corsairs and sold to a harem, where Nurbanu Sultan bought her for a lot of money for her son Murat 3.
  
  The son's ardent love for her shook the mother's influence over her son. Then Nurbanu Sultan begins to introduce other women into the life of the son, but the love for Safiye Sultan was unshakable. Soon after the death of her mother-in-law, she actually ruled the state.
  
  Kosem Sultan.
  
  Murad's mother 4 (1612-1640) Kosem Sultan became a widow when he was still small. In 1623, at the age of 11, he was enthroned and Kosem Sultan became regent under him. In fact, they ruled the state.
  
  As her son grew older, she faded into the shadows, but continued to influence her son until his death. Her other son, Ibrahim (1615-1648), was elevated to the throne. The beginning of his reign was the beginning of the struggle between Kosem Sultan and his wife Turhan Sultan. Both of these women sought to establish their influence in public affairs, but over time this struggle became so obvious that it served as the formation of opposing factions.
  
  As a result of this long struggle, Kosem Sultan was found strangled in her room, and her supporters were executed.
  
  Turhan Sultan (Hope)
  
  She was kidnapped in the steppes of Ukraine and donated to a harem. Soon she became the wife of Ibrahim, after whose death her young son Menmet 4 was placed on the throne. Although she became regent, her mother-in-law Kosem Sultan was not going to let go of the threads of government from her hands. But soon she was found strangled in her room, and her supporters were executed the next day. The regency of Turhan Sultan lasted 34 years and it was a record in the history of the Ottoman Empire.

Suleiman I - the tenth sultan of the Ottoman Empire - endowed his state with unprecedented power. The great conqueror also became famous as a wise author of laws, the founder of new schools and the initiator of the construction of architectural masterpieces.

In 1494 (according to some reports - in 1495) the son of the Turkish Sultan Selim I and the daughter of the Crimean Khan Aisha Hafsa was born, who was destined to conquer half the world and transform his native country.

The future Sultan Suleiman I received a brilliant education at that time in the palace school in Istanbul, spent his childhood and youth reading books and spiritual practices. From an early age, the young man was trained in administrative matters, appointing him governor of three provinces, including in the vassal Crimean Khanate. Even before ascending the throne, young Suleiman won the love and respect of the inhabitants of the Ottoman state.

Beginning of the reign

Suleiman took the throne when he was barely 26 years old. The description of the appearance of the new ruler, written by the Venetian ambassador Bartolomeo Contarini, was included in the book of the English Lord Kinross, famous in Turkey, “The Rise and Decline of the Ottoman Empire”:

“Tall, strong, with a pleasant expression. His neck is slightly longer than usual, his face is thin, his nose is aquiline. The skin tends to be excessively pale. They say about him that he is a wise ruler, and all people hope for his good rule.

And Suleiman at first lived up to expectations. He started with humane actions - he returned freedom to hundreds of chained captives from noble families of states captured by his father. This helped to resume trade relations with countries.

The Europeans were especially happy about the innovations, hoping for a long-term peace, but, as it turned out, it was too early. Balanced and fair at first glance, the ruler of Turkey still harbored a dream of military glory.

Foreign policy

By the end of his reign, the military biography of Suleiman I included 13 major military campaigns, 10 of which were campaigns of conquest in Europe. And that's not counting the small raids. The Ottoman Empire has never been so powerful: its lands stretched from Algeria to Iran, Egypt and almost to the doorstep of Vienna. At that time, the phrase "Turks at the gate" became a terrible horror story for Europeans, and the Ottoman ruler was compared to the Antichrist.

A year after ascending the throne, Suleiman went to the borders of Hungary. Under the pressure of the Turkish troops, the Shabats fortress fell. Victories flowed like from a cornucopia - the Ottomans established control over the Red Sea, took Algeria, Tunisia and the island of Rhodes, conquered Tabriz and Iraq.

The Black Sea and the eastern part of the Mediterranean also took a place on the rapidly growing map of the empire. Hungary, Slavonia, Transylvania, Bosnia and Herzegovina were subordinate to the Sultan. In 1529, the Turkish ruler swung at Austria, storming its capital with an army of 120 thousand soldiers. However, an epidemic helped Vienna survive, which claimed a third of the Ottoman army. The siege had to be lifted.

Suleiman did not seriously encroach only on Russian lands, considering Russia a remote province that is not worth the effort and money spent. The Ottomans occasionally raided the possessions of the Muscovite state, the Crimean Khan even reached the capital, but a large-scale campaign never happened.

By the end of the reign of an ambitious ruler, the Ottoman Empire had become the greatest and most powerful state in the history of the Muslim world. However, military measures depleted the treasury - according to estimates, the maintenance of an army of 200 thousand soldiers, which also included janissary slaves, ate two-thirds of the state budget in peacetime.

Domestic politics

It was not for nothing that Suleiman received the nickname the Magnificent: the life of the ruler is filled not only with military successes, the Sultan also succeeded in the internal affairs of the state. On his behalf, Judge Ibrahim of Aleppo updated the code of laws, which was in force until the twentieth century. Mutilation and the death penalty were reduced to a minimum, although criminals caught on forgery of money and documents, bribery and perjury, still lost their right hand.

The wise ruler of the state, where representatives of different religions coexisted, considered it necessary to ease the pressure of Sharia and made an attempt to create secular laws. But part of the reforms did not take root due to constant wars.

The education system also changed for the better: elementary schools began to appear one after another, and graduates, if desired, continued to receive knowledge in colleges, which were located within the eight main mosques.

Thanks to the Sultan, the architectural heritage was replenished with masterpieces of art. According to the sketches of the beloved architect of the ruler - Sinan, three chic mosques were built - Selimiye, Shehzade and Suleymaniye (the second largest in the capital of Turkey), which became an example of the Ottoman style.

Suleiman was distinguished by his poetic talent, so he did not ignore literary work. During his reign, Ottoman poetry with Persian traditions was polished to perfection. At the same time, a new position appeared - a rhythmic chronicler, it was occupied by poets who clothed current events in poems.

Personal life

Suleiman I, in addition to poetry, was fond of jewelry, was known as a skilled blacksmith and even personally cast cannons for military campaigns.

How many women were in the Sultan's harem is unknown. Historians know only about the official favorites who gave birth to Suleiman's children. In 1511, Fulane became the first concubine of the 17-year-old heir to the throne. Her son Mahmud died of smallpox before he was 10 years old. The girl disappeared from the forefront of palace life almost immediately after the death of the child.

Gulfem-khatun, the second concubine, also gave the ruler a son, who was also not spared by the smallpox epidemic. The woman, excommunicated from the Sultan, remained his friend and adviser for half a century. In 1562, Gulfem was strangled by order of Suleiman.

The third favorite, Mahidevran Sultan, approached to gaining the status of the official wife of the ruler. For 20 years she had great influence in the harem and in the palace, but she also failed to create a legitimate family with the Sultan. She left the capital of the empire with her son Mustafa, who was appointed governor of one of the provinces. Later, the heir to the throne was executed for allegedly planning to overthrow his father.

The list of women of Suleiman the Magnificent is headed by Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska. The favorite of Slavic roots, a captive from Galicia, as she was called in Europe, charmed the ruler: the Sultan granted her freedom, and then took her as a legal wife - a religious marriage was concluded in 1534.

Nickname Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska ("laughing") Roksolana received for a cheerful disposition and smiling. The creator of the harem in the Topkapi Palace, the founder of charitable organizations inspired artists and writers, although she did not have an ideal appearance - her subjects valued intelligence and worldly cunning.

Roksolana skillfully manipulated her husband, on her orders the Sultan got rid of the sons born by other wives, became suspicious and cruel. Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska gave birth to a daughter Mihrimah and five sons.

Of these, after the death of his father, the state was headed by Selim, who, however, did not differ in the outstanding talent of the autocrat, he liked to drink and take a walk. During the reign of Selim, the Ottoman Empire began to fade. Suleiman's love for Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska did not fade over the years, after the death of his wife, the Turkish ruler never went down the aisle.

Death

The Sultan, who brought powerful states to their knees, died, as he himself wished, in the war. It happened during the siege of the Hungarian fortress Sigetavr. Suleiman, 71, had long been tormented by gout, the disease progressed, and even riding a horse was already difficult.

He died on the morning of September 6, 1566, never having lived a couple of hours before the decisive assault on the fortress. The doctors who treated the ruler were immediately killed so that information about the death would not reach the army, which, in the heat of disappointment, could raise an uprising. Only after the heir to the throne, Selim, established power in Istanbul, did the soldiers learn about the death of the ruler.

According to legend, Suleiman felt the approaching end and voiced his last will to the commander in chief. A request with a philosophical meaning is known to everyone today: the Sultan asked not to close his hands on the funeral procession - everyone should see that the accumulated wealth remains in this world, and even Suleiman the Magnificent, the great ruler of the Ottoman Empire, leaves empty-handed.

Another legend is connected with the death of the Turkish ruler. Allegedly, the body was embalmed, and the removed internal organs were placed in a vessel of gold and buried at the place of his death. Now there is a mausoleum and a mosque. The remains of Suleiman rest in the cemetery of the Suleymaniye mosque built by him, near the mausoleum of Roksolana.

Memory

Several feature films and documentaries tell about the life of Suleiman I. A vivid adaptation of harem intrigues was the series "The Magnificent Century", which was released in 2011. The role of the Ottoman ruler is played, whose charisma is felt even from the photo.

The image created by the actor is recognized as the best embodiment of the Sultan's power in cinema. He plays the concubine and wife of the ruler, the actress with German-Turkish roots also managed to convey the main features of Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska - spontaneity and sincerity.

Books

Suleiman the Magnificent. Greatest Sultan of the Ottoman Empire. 1520-1566, G. Lamb
Suleiman. Sultan of the East, G. Lamb
Sultan Suleiman and Roksolana. Eternal love in letters, poems, documents...» Prose of the greats.
A series of books "The Magnificent Age", N. Pavlishcheva
"The Magnificent Age of Suleiman and Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska Sultan", P. J. Parker
The greatness and collapse of the Ottoman Empire. Rulers of the boundless horizons, Goodwin Jason, Sharov M
"Roksolana, Queen of the East", O. Nazaruk
"Harem", B. Small
"The Rise and Fall of the Ottoman Empire", L. Kinross

Films

1996 - "Roksolana"
2003 - Hurrem Sultan
2008 - “In Search of Truth. Roksolana: a bloody path to the throne"
2011 - "The Magnificent Century"

Architecture

Hurrem Sultan Mosque
Shehzade Mosque
Selimiye Mosque

P The last sultan of Ottoman origin was the mother of Suleiman I the Magnificent, her name was Aishe Sultan Hafsa (December 5, 1479 - March 19, 1534), according to sources, she was from the Crimea and was the daughter of Khan Mengli Giray. However, this information is controversial, has not yet been fully verified.

After Aisha, the era of the "women's sultanate" (1550-1656) begins, when women influenced state affairs. Naturally, they cannot be compared with European rulers (Catherine II, or Elizabeth I of England), because these women had disproportionately less power, personal freedom and were further from absolutism. It is believed that this era began with Anastasia (Alexandra) Lisovskaya, or Roksolana known to us. She was the wife of Suleiman I the Magnificent and the mother of Selim II, and she became the first sultana taken from the harem.

After Roksolana, two relatives, two beautiful Venetians from the Baffo family, Cecilia and Sofia, became the main women of the country. And one and the other came to the top through the harem. Cecilia Baffo became Roksolana's daughter-in-law.

So, Cecilia Vernier-Baffo, or Nurbanu Sultan, was born on the island of Paros around 1525. Her father was a noble Venetian, the governor of the island of Paros, Nicolo Venier, and her mother was Violanta Baffo. The girl's parents were not married, so the girl was named Cecilia Baffo, giving her mother's surname.

According to another, less popular version based on Ottoman sources, Nurbanu's real name was Rachel, and she was the daughter of Violanta Buffo and an unknown Spanish Jew.

Little is known about Cecilia's history.

It is known that in 1537 the pirate and admiral of the Turkish flotilla Khair ad-din Barbarossa captured Paros and 12-year-old Cecilia was enslaved. She was sold to the Sultan's harem, where Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska Sultan was noticed for her intelligence. . Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska gave her the name Nurbanu, which means "Queen exuding divine light" and sent her into the service of her son, Prince Selim.

According to the chronicles, having reached the age of majority in 1543, Selim was sent to Konya to take the post assigned to him as heir, Cecilia-Nurbanu accompanied him. At this time, the young prince burned with love for his beautiful accompanying odalisque.

Soon, Nurbanu had a daughter, Shah Sultan, and later, in 1546, a son, Murad, who at that time was the only son of Selim. Later, Nurbanu Sultan gave birth to Selim four more daughters. And after Selim's accession to the throne, Nurbanu becomes Haseki.

Selim in the Ottoman Empire itself was nicknamed "The Drunkard", because of his passion for wine, but he was not a drunkard in the literal sense of the word. And yet, Mehmed Sokollu (Grand Vizier of Bosnian origin Boyko Sokolovic), who fell under the influence of Nurbanu, was engaged in state affairs.

As a ruler, Nurbanu corresponded with many ruling dynasties, pursued a pro-Venetian policy, for which the Genoese hated her and, judging by the rumors, the Genoese ambassador poisoned her.

In honor of Nurbanu, the Attik Valide mosque was built near the capital, where she was buried in 1583, bitterly mourned by her son Murad III, who often relied on her mother in her politics.

Safiye Sultan (translated from Turkish as "Clean"), born Sophia Baffo, was a Venetian by birth, and was related to her mother-in-law, Nurbanu Sultan. She was born around 1550, was the daughter of the ruler of the Greek island of Corfu and a relative of the Venetian senator and poet Giorgio Baffo.

Sophia, like Cecilia, was captured by corsairs, sold into a harem, where she then attracted Crown Prince Murad, for whom she became the only favorite for a long time. It was rumored that the reason for such constancy was the problems in the intimate life of the prince, which only Safiye knew how to somehow overcome. These rumors are very close to the truth, because before Murad became Sultan (in 1574, at the age of 28, after the death of his father, Sultan Selim II), he had children only from Safiye.

Having become the ruler of the Ottoman Empire, Murad III apparently recovered after some time from his intimate illness, since he switched from forced monogamy to sexual excesses, and practically devoted his future life exclusively to the pleasures of the flesh, to the detriment of state affairs. So 20 sons and 27 daughters (however, one should not forget that in the 15th-16th centuries infant mortality was very high and out of 10 newborn babies 7 died in childhood, 2 - in youth and youth, and only one had any chances to live at least to 40 years old), which Sultan Murad III left after his death is a completely natural result of his lifestyle.

in the XV-XVI centuries, infant mortality was very high and out of 10 newborn babies, 7 died in childhood, 2 - in youth and youth, and only one had any chance of living at least up to 40 years

Despite the fact that Murad never married his beloved Safiye, this did not prevent her from becoming one of the most influential women of that time.

For the first nine years of his reign, Murad completely shared Nurban with his mother, obeyed her in everything. And it was Nurbanu who played an important role in his attitude towards Safiye. Despite family ties, both in state affairs and in the affairs of the harem, Venetians constantly fought each other for leadership. Nevertheless, as they say, youth won.

In 1583, after the death of Nurbanu Sultan, Safiye Sultan began to strengthen the position of her son Mehmed as the heir to Murad III. Mehmed was already 15 years old and he was very popular with the Janissaries, which greatly frightened his father. Murad III even prepared conspiracies, but Safiyya always managed to warn his son. This struggle continued for 12 years, until the death of Murad.

Safiye Sultan received almost unlimited power at the age of 45, simultaneously with the title of valid sultan, after the death of Sultan Murad III in 1595. Her son, the bloodthirsty Mehmed III, immediately after his accession to the throne, the Ottomans ordered to kill not only his 20 younger brothers, but also all his father's pregnant concubines. It was he who introduced the pernicious custom in the Brilliant Porte not to allow the princes to take part in government during the life of their father, but to keep them locked up in the seraglio, in the Kafes pavilion (cage).

"The Magnificent Age" was marked by another twist of the plot: the former groom Luka paints a portrait of Alexandra with a new lover - the Sultan. Unkind oriental artists, painting lovely miniatures, treat portraiture with quiet indignation - Islam forbids portraying people and animals. At the same time, lifetime portraits of the ruling elite, starting from the conquest of Constantinople, have been preserved in the museums of Turkey.

Suleiman and Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska pose for Luka in the TV series "The Magnificent Century"

In an eastern country, a woman has been limited to the harem for centuries, that is, not public. But the unique Lady Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska was interested not only in children and charity, she was a wife and co-ruler, with her Suleiman received foreign ambassadors, instructed the sweet clever girl to conduct diplomatic conversations. The sultana was an adornment of palace festivities and embassy receptions, in addition to her native language, she spoke Polish, Greek, Italian, French, Turkish, Persian, and Arabic. She accepted Islam sincerely, but she did not wear a veil, and many lucky ones could see the “Russian sultana”.

The bag on her head is Roksolana's usual attire, but where are the decorations?

Haseki corresponded not only with foreign sovereigns and influential nobles, but also with philosophers and artists. And they did not dare to perpetuate her image?

Records of the Venetian ambassadors who saw the Sultana with their own eyes have been preserved. With a share of true respect, it was reported: the wife of Suleiman the Magnificent is not the most dazzling beauty, but at the same time incredibly sweet, graceful, elegant. It is worth considering that Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska was over fifty at that time (for the 16th century - a mature-overripe age), she had lived next to the Sultan for more than thirty years.

An exhibition of portraits of the nobility of the Ottoman Empire was held in the Art Gallery of Florence.

Among the padishahs crowned with turbans and their courtiers, there was the only female image - Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska. Rumor has it, with the permission of Suleiman the Magnificent, his wife posed for a painter from Venice.

Tintoretto, Portrait of a Woman in Oriental Dress, circa 1550

There was clearly an artist in the Venetian delegation whose sketches Tintoretto could use. Around 1560, the “Portrait of a Woman in an Oriental Costume” came out from under the brush of the master, it is believed by the same Roksolana. The artist Jacopo Robusti (1518/19–1594), nicknamed Tintoretto, was a student of Titian, a contemporary of Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska, never left Italy, and the Russian sultana spent her married years within her second homeland.

The harem was closed to artists, but Haseki regularly attended embassy receptions. Painters at that time were often part of diplomatic delegations, because cameras and movie cameras had not yet been invented. The sultana stayed at state ceremonies officially, without covering her face. Why not be born her portrait? And this happened. A lifetime portrait of Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska in a graphic style is known. Authorship is attributed to an unknown Matthew Pagani (Mathio Pagani). Nearby is the same portrait of Suleiman the Magnificent - the work of one hand. But the black and white gamma keeps the secret of Haseki's hair color: red or brunette?

Melchior Lorck was a Danish painter and engraver, architect, cartographer and diplomat born (1526/27) into an aristocratic family in Flensburg. In 1543, the young Lorc became an apprentice to a jeweler in Lübeck. Then he studied abroad for four years, receiving a scholarship from the Danish King Christian III. In 1553, after working for Count Palatine, Lorca was sent with a diplomatic delegation by Emperor Ferdinand I to Turkey, where he spent three and a half years sketching portraits and genre scenes. Not all of the drawings created in the Ottoman Empire survived, most of the work was completed by the artist in Vienna based on early sketches. The portrait of the beloved wife of Suleiman the Magnificent was created by Lorck in 1581, twenty-three years after the death of Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska (1558). But the artist obviously made sketches for the portrait from life. Melchior Lorca portrayed the sultana with a rose in her hand - a symbol of royal power and a luxurious headdress embroidered with precious stones. I did not forget to sign: Russian sultana.

Melchior participated in the preparations for the triumphal coronation of Emperor Maximilian II, for which the painter and his three brothers were granted nobility. In November 1564, the artist received the title of "gentleman of the imperial court." Melchior Lorca died in 1583, leaving a book on Turkey unpublished. An abridged version of the memoirs will be published in Hamburg by Michel Goering in 1626.

Necklaces and earrings jingle on Turkish miniatures, but paintings by Western artists who visited Istanbul give a better idea of the Ottoman jewelry tastes. They had a chance to see real Ottoman jewelry (even if painters were not allowed in the harem).

Unknown artist, Roksolana, 17th century, British Royal Collection

Portal for the student. Self-training

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