Haseki Hürrem Sultan. (GL)
Origin and Rise Birth: She is believed to have been born around 1505 in Ruthenia (present-day Ukraine), probably as Alexandra or Anastasia Lisowska. Captivity: She was captured by Crimean Tatars during a raid and sold into slavery in Istanbul, ending up in the harem of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. Name: She was given the name Hürrem ( "the cheerful" one) because of her lively and charismatic personality. Breaking Traditions Hürrem transformed Ottoman laws and customs permanently: Legal Marriage: Suleiman broke a centuries-old tradition by freeing her and officially marrying her in 1533. Haseki Sultan: The title of Haseki Sultan (chief consort) was created for her, granting her a status superior to any other woman in the palace except the Sultan's mother. De facto monogamy: Unlike other sultans, Suleiman remained loyal to Hürrem, and she was the mother of five of his sons (including the future Selim II) and a daughter, Mihrimah.
About Haseki Hürrem Sultan. (GL)
Origin and Rise Birth: She is believed to have been born around 1505 in Ruthenia (present-day Ukraine), probably as Alexandra or Anastasia Lisowska. Captivity: She was captured by Crimean Tatars during a raid and sold into slavery in Istanbul, ending up in the harem of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. Name: She was given the name Hürrem ( "the c...Read more