The cause of death of Hurrem Sultan is real. Life of Hurrem Sultan: real biography and legend

Hurrem Sultan (Roksolana) is a woman who left a deep mark on the history of the Ottoman Empire. She literally burst into palace life. She didn’t end up there of her own free will, but with the power of her mind and zeal she was able to win the heart of the ruler of the Empire. Hurrem was the second most powerful figure in the country after her husband. Legends still circulate around her death, expressing different versions of the death of this great woman.

Before understanding the causes of death, you should familiarize yourself with the life of this beautiful and intelligent woman. Moreover her biography begins with the Slavic lands.

If we talk about the birth of Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska, there is also no clear answer here. According to the official version, she was born in Western Ukraine. Today this region is classified as the Ivano-Frankivsk region. But it is also known that at birth she was given her father’s surname - Gavrila Lisovsky. But information about her name differs in different sources. So, some claim that her name was Alexandra, in others - Anastasia. The date of birth is still a mystery, but if we stick to the sources, the girl was born between 1502 and 1505.

Fateful twist

Place, where Hurrem was born and lived, was not calm. The Crimean Tatars periodically carried out raids here. One day during another raid Hurrem was captured along with other women. Before getting to Suleiman, the girl was transferred several times from one slave trader to another. So she ended up among the concubines of Suleiman, who at that time was already 26 years old.

The relationship between all the concubines was very difficult, one might even say “bloody.” Hurrem, once in the palace, immediately became the leader and favorite concubine of Suleiman. Another concubine was very jealous and envious, so one day she attacked her and scratched Hurrem’s entire body and face. This incident changed the woman's whole life. Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska immediately became Suleiman's sole favorite.

Slave or beloved woman

The beauty of the girl charmed the Turkish gentleman, who treated her favorably and trusted her. So, young Hurrem asked to go to his personal library, which greatly amazed Suleiman. There the girl spent most of her time while the gentleman was on military campaigns. One day, when he returned from a long hike, he was very surprised by what he saw: Roksolana learned several languages and could intelligently discuss various topics - from politics to culture.

If new concubines were brought for Suleiman, she easily eliminated her opponent, showing her in an inappropriate light. The fact that Suleiman and Roksolana were in love was seen by everyone who was even slightly close to their society.

Marriage and family

According to ancient traditions, marriage between them was not possible. But despite all this, it was destined to happen.

Wedding

The wedding celebration took place in 1530, despite condemnations and numerous reproaches. This was an exceptional case in the history of the Ottoman Empire. After all, the Sultan could not marry a woman from the harem.

Celebrated the wedding on a grand scale. All the streets of the Empire were decorated, music played from everywhere. Wild animals, tightrope walkers, and fakirs took part in the festive performances. The people admired this couple and were incredibly delighted.

Their love was boundless and all-consuming. And all this thanks to Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska. The girl not only spoke beautifully and expressed her thoughts correctly, but was also able to remain silent at the right time. This is evidenced by numerous letters in which she beautifully and touchingly confessed her love.

Continuation of the family line

Before marriage with Hurrem The Sultan lost three children from other concubines. Therefore, he really wanted to have heirs from the woman he loved. Soon the couple had children:

First son Mehmed. Whose fate was very difficult, he lived only 22 years.
Abdullah is the second son who died at the age of 3.
Sehzade's third son Selim. The only heir who survived his parents was subsequently the ruler of the Ottoman Empire.
Bayezid is the fourth son, whose life was tragic. After the death of Hurrem, he entered into open hostility with his brother Selim, who already ruled the country. Their father was angry. And Bayezid fled with his family. But a few days later they were found and executed.
The youngest son is Janhangir. The boy was born sick, he had a developmental defect - a hump. But despite the illness, he was very smart and developed correctly, and was interested in poetry. He died somewhere between the ages of 17 and 21.
Mihrimah is the only daughter of Suleiman and Hurrem. The girl was simply beautiful, her parents adored and spoiled her. The girl received an excellent education and was involved in charity work. She died a natural death and was buried next to her father. Of all the heirs, only she was awarded such an honor.

Social and political life

Roksolana was not only an attractive and well-read woman, but also she also played a significant role in the political and social life of the Ottoman Empire.

Hurrem Sultan actively cared for her people. She had fabulous wealth at her disposal, and also had a number of privileges. Using these factors correctly, Hurrem founded charitable and religious houses in Istanbul.

Roksolana opened her own foundation outside the palace walls. And after some time, a whole Aksray district appeared next to the foundation. Here local residents could receive various services - from housing to educational services.

In addition to political activities, Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska was also involved in charitable work. Allocated funds for the construction of socially significant houses. During her reign the following were built:

two schools;
several fountains;
mosques;
women's hospital.

Roksolana also founded a universal kitchen in Jerusalem, there they fed the poor and needy 2 times a day.

Political discontent

All her life, Hurrem Sultan was under the watchful eye of the elite of society. Husband Suleiman was very jealous of the attention of other men to his wife. And those who dared to openly show sympathy for her were sentenced to death.

But Roksolana herself did not give any reason. She was more concerned about traitors to the Motherland. She punished them very cruelly. She's caught plenty of them throughout her life. One of Hurrem's victims was a local businessman . He was accused of having strong sympathies for France. By order of the ruler, he was sentenced to death and executed.

At that time Hurrem was considered very educated. She received foreign guests and ambassadors, answered foreign letters from great rulers, artists and poets.

All this confirms that Roksolana was a strong and powerful woman who would never tolerate betrayal. But still, first of all, she was considered a faithful wife and a good mother.

Regarding the death of Hurrem Sultan, here many riddles. Actually, Hurrem’s whole life is an endless series of guesses and secrets. Almost all sources indicate how old she was when she died. Hurrem died at the age of 52, in 1558.

Husband Suleiman was literally heartbroken. For his deceased wife, he built the tomb of Turbe. He himself died 8 years after Hurrem and was buried next to his wife.

Why did Hurrem die? The cause of Hurrem's death is still unclear. What is known is that she “burned out” from the disease very quickly . Some claim she was poisoned. It was the envious people and ill-wishers at court who conspired against her and poured poison into her food.

But many researchers of her death are inclined to believe that she died from an illness. Before her death, the woman was often sick. Constant and prolonged colds led to pneumonia. This completely exhausted the body and led to the death of Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska.

Video

From the video you will learn interesting details about the life of this unique woman.

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The Ukrainian girl Roksolana took her place in the history of the Ottoman Empire thanks to a difficult path. The girl was captured, then taken into a harem by, gained respect, got her competitors out of the way and won the favor of the ruler. Roksolana converted to Islam and received the new name Khyurrem.

Childhood and youth

No reliable information has been preserved about the childhood of Roksolana, the future wife of the Sultan. There are many rumors surrounding the girl’s origins, but it is unknown which of them are close to the truth. For example, the ambassador of the Holy Roman Empire seriously said during a visit to the Ottoman Empire that Roksolana was born in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Thanks to this, the girl received such an unusual name. In those years, among the Polish lands there was the city of Roxolania.

Another ambassador, who arrived from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, opposed this. According to his history, it is said that Roksolana comes from the village of Rohatina, which is located in the Ivano-Frankivsk region of Ukraine. The ambassador put forward a version that the girl’s father was a local priest.

This version has proven popular in fiction. According to writers, the Sultan's wife bore the name Alexandra or Anastasia, and was indeed born in the family of the clergyman Gavrila Lisovsky.

Captivity and harem of the Sultan

Crimean Tatar raids occurred regularly. The criminals captured gold, food, and even local girls. So Roksolana was captured. Later, the future wife of the Sultan was resold, after which the girl ended up in a harem. In those years, the man was in the civil service in Manisa. The Sultan has not yet ascended to the throne of the Ottoman Empire.

According to some reports, Roksolana was given to Suleiman in honor of his accession to the throne. After getting into the harem, the girl changed her name to Khyurrem, which translated from Persian as “cheerful.” Historians have calculated that Roksolana was no more than 15 years old at that time.

The Sultan's attention was focused on the new concubine, but another girl from the harem, Makhidevran, did not like this. The woman gave birth to Suleiman's son Mustafa. The concubine showed jealousy in different ways. One day the girls got into a fight. Hurrem had wounds on her face, pieces of hair were torn out, and her dress was torn.

Despite this, Roksolana was invited to the Sultan’s chambers. The girl refused the visit, but Suleiman could not tolerate such an attitude, so the beaten Hurrem appeared before the ruler. The man listened to the story and made the injured girl his favorite concubine.

Favorite

Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska did not just strive to have children with the Sultan. Recognition in the palace was important to Roksolana. The first step in this direction was the fight with her rival Makhidevran. The girl was helped by Suleiman’s mother, Hafis. The woman restrained the concubine’s anger, not allowing her son’s young favorite to be attacked.

All sons, except Mustafa, die at a young age. In conditions of high child mortality, this became a real problem, since in the end Suleiman would have no one to transfer the throne to. For Hurrem it became a matter of honor to give birth to sons to the ruler. The girl believed that this would help gain support in the palace. And I was not mistaken. Roksolana was named the Sultan's favorite.

Valide Sultan Hafis was dying, so there was no one to restrain the concubine’s anger. Suleiman had no other choice but to send Makhidevran with the adult Mustafa to Manisa. The Russian girl achieved strengthening of power in the palace.

Sultan's wife

Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska became the first concubine whom the Sultan took as his wife. Previously, such a development of events was impossible. From this day on, the girl is not just a favorite in the harem, but Suleiman’s wife. Interestingly, traditions in the Ottoman Empire did not imply such an outcome. The wedding took place in accordance with local traditions. Especially for Roksolana, the Sultan introduced a new title into use - haseki. The concept emphasized the uniqueness of the girl and her position. Previously, the wife of the ruler was called khatun.

Suleiman spent a lot of time outside the palace, but remained aware of all matters thanks to letters from Hurrem. Notes that lovers wrote to each other have survived to this day. They preserved the unearthly love that settled in the hearts of the Sultan and Roksolana. But the spouses did not shy away from political issues. At first, the court clerk wrote messages for Hurrem due to her poor knowledge of the language, but later the girl learned to read and write.

In the palace, Roksolana’s power was respected by everyone, even Suleiman’s mother. One day, the Sanjak Beys gave the Sultan two Russian slaves as a gift - one to the mother, and the other to the ruler. Valide wanted to give her gift to her son, but then she saw Hurrem’s dissatisfaction, apologized to the girl and took the gift back. As a result, the slave remained with Hafisa, and the second was transferred to another sanjak bey. Haseki categorically did not want to see slaves in the palace.

The crown on her head obliged Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska to meet with ambassadors and respond to letters from foreign rulers. The smart girl gave birth to children for the Sultan, but did not forget about personal growth and development, so she communicated with influential nobles and artists. Thanks to Roksolan, the number of bathhouses, mosques and madrassas in Istanbul increased.

Personal life

Six children were born into the family of the Sultan and Hurrem: 5 sons and a daughter. Fortunately, among them there was someone who would inherit the Ottoman Empire. We are talking about Selima. Mehmed died in 1543 after a long illness. It was smallpox. Jihangir did not have good health, so the young man died at a young age. The guy could have gotten sick because of longing for his brother Mustafa, who was executed.

There were many rumors surrounding this situation. Many in the palace claimed that Hurrem had a hand in the execution of Suleiman’s eldest son. The Sultan gave the order to kill Mustafa.

Bayazid, the fourth son of the ruler from Hurrem, fiercely hated his brother Selim. The guy gathered an army of 12 thousand and tried to kill a relative. The attempt failed, and Bayezid was forced to flee to Persia. Suleiman's son was dubbed a traitor to the Ottoman Empire. In those years, the countries were at enmity, but after peace was concluded and the people who supported him were paid in the amount of 400 thousand gold coins, Bayezid was killed. The young man and his four sons were handed over to the Sultan. In 1561, the death sentence passed by Suleiman was carried out.

Death

There are many blank spots in Hurrem’s biography, but the description of death has survived to this day. For a long time Roksolana was in Edirne. After returning to the palace, the woman dies in the arms of the Sultan. According to some reports, death occurred as a result of poisoning with a potent poison, but there is no medical confirmation of this.

A year later, a special mausoleum was created, on which the architect Mimara Sinana worked. The object was named after the Sultan's wife. The mausoleum was decorated with Iznik ceramic tiles depicting the Gardens of Eden and poetry. The tomb of Roksolana is located in close proximity to the mausoleum of Suleiman, on the left side of the mosque.

The Suleymaniye complex includes not only the tomb of Hurrem and the Sultan, but also the grave of Hanim the Sultan, the daughter of Hatice the Sultan, the sister of Suleiman.

Image in culture

The image of Roksolana is actively used in literature, theater, music and cinema. In 1835, Nestor Kukolnik created the poem “Roksolana, a drama in five acts in verse.” Later the story “Roksolana, or Anastasia Lisovskaya” was published. The author of the work was Mikhail Orlovsky. Writers tried to tell their version of the origin, life and death of the wife of the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire. This topic still haunts writers and historians.

Several times on the stages of Ukrainian and even French theaters they staged performances on the theme of the life and reign of Hurrem Sultan. In 1761, the actors performed the play “Les Trois Sultanes ou Soliman Second”, and later the play “Roksolana” was shown twice in Ukraine.

According to some estimates, about 20 musical works have been written about Suleiman’s wife, including “The 63rd Symphony”, Alexander Kostin’s opera “Suleiman and Roksolana, or Love in a Harem”, the rock opera “I am Roksolana” produced by Arnold Svyatogorov and Stepan Galyabard.

Numerous TV series filmed about the life of Hurrem Sultan pale in comparison to the work of Turkish directors. We are talking about the television series “The Magnificent Century”. The role of Roksolana was played by a wonderful actress. Specialists working on the picture compared the artist’s photo and the image with Hurrem and came to the conclusion that the girls are similar.

The screenwriter put together sources that contained information about life in the Ottoman Empire, Suleiman, Roksolan, reworked and created an incredible series that won the hearts of millions of television viewers. Luxurious outfits, expensive jewelry, the riches of the palace - this attracts spectators from all over the world. Interesting video clips from the television series have spread across the Internet.

In “The Magnificent Century,” Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska appears as a powerful young woman who has set a goal for herself, achieving what she wants, regardless of obstacles. Roksolana immediately understood what she wanted. There was only one desire - to become the wife of the Sultan, and not just to be a favorite, a concubine of the ruler.

The girl removed her rivals and gained the respect of Suleiman’s mother and the local government. Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska did the impossible - she turned from a concubine into the wife and assistant of the Sultan, gave birth to the heirs of the Ottoman Empire, and won the love of Suleiman.

TV viewers remember the Turkish series; based on the biography of the Sultan’s wife, the film “Roksolana: the bloody path to the throne” was made. Historians dubbed the film a pseudo-documentary, since too many facts presented as truth did not correspond to reality.

Roksolana was an unlikely candidate to change the course of history. She was a young girl who was captured by slave traders and became a concubine in Suleiman's harem. As usually happened with the Sultan's concubines, Hurrem was taught proper court etiquette and given a Turkish name, Hurrem, which means "smiling and sweet."

Her intelligence, composure and personality captivated Suleiman, and she soon became his confidante and only love.

Unlike the practice of the Ottoman Empire, Suleiman married Hurrem, becoming the only sultan (other than a 19th-century ruler) to officially have a wife. She bore the Sultan six sons, one of whom became the next Sultan. Roksolana was also a philanthropist. She was the only royal woman to write her name in history while her husband was alive. Hurrem Sultan's life and death story and historical photo can be found in this article.

No one knows Roksolana's origins or her real name. This name originated from Western sources, meaning "Russian". She is better known as Hurrem Sultan. In the book Hürrem Sultan's history of life and death, one of the sources states that her name was Alexandra Lisovska and she was probably born around 1504 in Rohatyn. The source also claims that she was the daughter of a Rusyn priest.

It is known that it was bought by Suleiman's grand vizier and best friend Ibrahim Pasha and, in turn, was a gift to the Sultan. She was a beautiful woman who stood out from the crowd because of her flaming red hair. Roksolana was smart and had a bright personality. After some time, she gave birth to a son named Mehmed. Roxalana quickly became Suleiman's favorite. One of the reasons why Roksolana was approved by the Sultan was that they both loved poetry.

Concubine's Power

Hurrem's power and influence over the Sultan intrigued both the Ottomans and the Europeans. The Europeans called her "Roksolana" (Russian) or "La Rosa" (red), presumably referring to the color of her hair, which must have been red or chestnut, as stated in one of Suleiman's poems.

As Haseki (royal wife title), Hurrem accumulated enormous wealth and used these funds to build and maintain architectural complexes in Istanbul and Jerusalem, as well as in Ankara, Edirne and Mecca.

In 1539, she commissioned the newly appointed royal architect Sinan to design and build a group of buildings including a mosque, a madrasah (university) and a school.

The complex, called Haseki Külliyesiwas, was built in an area of Istanbul known as Avrat Pazarı. In the early 1550s, a hospital for women and a kitchen were added to the complex; the mosque was expanded at the beginning of the 17th century.

Haseki Külliyesi is unique for several reasons. Firstly, this is Sinan's first work as a royal architect, a product of his early years before he became world famous for the numerous buildings - from mosques to bridges - built throughout the empire. Secondly, Haseki Külliyesi was commissioned by the Sultan's wife, financed with her own money, and supported by an imposition set for an indefinite period. Finally, it included a (still functioning) hospital for women. Waqfia created Khurem Sultan, is a meticulous document that outlines staff salaries and responsibilities, types of meals, and the source of income for personnel and building maintenance costs. This document model is relevant for charities even today.

Activities of Hurrem Sultan

Hurrem was a woman who excelled in her role as the assertive wife of the most powerful man of the time. Her personality is best explored in the letters she wrote to her husband while he was away on military campaigns (Suleiman conducted over a dozen campaigns in both Eastern Europe and Western Asia during his life and was often on the road for months at a time) . In his letters, Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska talks about the activities of the court and family and even sends shopping lists for Suleiman.

In one instance, she asks for "something called cologne," which she heard was quite popular, referring to a perfume from the German city of Cologne. As the Sultan's wife, she felt confident to send a letter to the new King of Poland (who was an ally of Suleiman), congratulating him on his assumption of office.

Hurrem was the first woman to live in Topkapi Palace, which was originally designated as the administrative and educational headquarters of the empire. The women of the royal family lived in the so-called Old Palace (now the site of Istanbul University) and did not reside in Topkapi Palace until the end of the 16th century. Hurrem complained that her children missed their father, since he was often away and when he was in Istanbul, he worked in his offices in Topkapi. Then, one day, a mysterious fire broke out in the Old Palace, forcing her to move to Topkapi Palace. Thus, Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska managed to stay close to her beloved husband.

How did Hurrem Sultan die?

Hurrem Sultan died in 1558 from an unknown illness. During her nearly fifty-year marriage to Suleiman, she gave birth to five sons and one daughter. Three of her sons died during her lifetime; the other two fought for the throne, and one of them later became Sultan Selim II (reigned from 1566 to 1574). The most prominent of her children was her daughter Mirirama Sultan, who inherited her mother's high intelligence, insightful personality, and strong interest in patronage.

Suleiman's devotion to Hurrem continued after her death, as noted in the poems he wrote mourning her absence and his loneliness. The Sultan's poems, written under the pseudonym Muhibbi (meaning "lover" or "dear friend"), further testify to his love and devotion to this wonderful concubine, who won the heart of the most powerful man in the world at that time.

Hurrem was buried in a domed octagonal structure built in the cemetery behind the Suleymaniye complex in Istanbul. This complex, designed by Sinan, covers more than a dozen buildings surrounding the Suleymaniye Mosque. Next to her grave is an impressive mausoleum built for Suleiman, who died during the Hungarian campaign in 1566. Today, Hürrem Sultan remains a subject of admiration and her story was showcased in the very popular television series The Magnificent Century.

Epilogue

As queen, Roksolana gave generous donations to the poor. She built mosques, religious schools, and resting places for pilgrims traveling to Mecca. She also commissioned Mimar Sinan, one of the greatest architects of the Ottoman Empire, to build the Suleiman Mosque. However, her most famous charitable work was the Great Waqf of Jerusalem, which was completed in 1541. It was a large kitchen where the poor and needy were fed. Hürrem Sultan remains one of the most controversial figures in the history of the Ottoman Empire.

Many claim that she was a ruthless woman who executed anyone who stood in her way. However, her charitable works speak of a queen who cared for the poor and hungry. In the end, her legacy as queen is almost as elusive as her origins.

Hurrem Sultan story of life and death in video:

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Origin

Information about the origin of Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska is quite contradictory. There are no documentary sources or even any reliable written evidence talking about Hurrem’s life before joining the harem. At the same time, its origin is known from legends and literary works, mainly of Western origin. Early literary sources do not contain information about her childhood, limiting themselves to mentioning her Russian origin.

The first details about Hurrem's life before entering the harem appear in literature in the 19th century. According to Polish literary tradition, her real name was Alexandra and she was the daughter of the priest Gavrila Lisovsky from Rohatyn (now in the Ivano-Frankivsk region). In Ukrainian literature of the 19th century she is called Anastasia. According to Mikhail Orlovsky’s version, set out in the historical story “Roksolana or Anastasia Lisovskaya” (1882), she was not from Rohatyn, but from Chemerovets (now in the Khmelnitsky region). At that time, both cities were located on the territory of the Kingdom of Poland.

Sultan's wife

Roksolana and the Sultan. Anton Hakel, 1780

In a very short time, Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska attracted the attention of the Sultan. Another concubine of Suleiman, Mahidevran, the mother of Prince Mustafa, a slave of Albanian or Circassian origin, became jealous of the Sultan for Hurrem. The quarrel that arose between Mahidevran and Hurrem was described in his report for 1533 by the Venetian ambassador Bernardo Navagero: “...The Circassian woman insulted Hurrem and tore her face, hair and dress. After some time, Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska was invited to the Sultan's bedchamber. However, Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska said that she could not go to the ruler in this form. However, the Sultan called Hurrem and listened to her. Then he called Mahidevran, asking if Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska told him the truth. Mahidevran said that she was the main woman of the Sultan and that other concubines should obey her, and that she had not yet beaten the treacherous Hurrem. The Sultan was angry with Mahidevran and made Hurrem his favorite concubine.” .

In 1521, two of Suleiman's three sons died. The only heir was six-year-old Mustafa, which, in conditions of high mortality, posed a threat to the dynasty. In this regard, Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska's ability to give birth to an heir gave her the necessary support in the courtyard. The new favorite's conflict with Mahidevran was restrained by the authority of Suleiman's mother Hafsa Khatun. In 1521, Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska gave birth to a boy named Mehmed. The following year, the girl Mihrimah was born - the only daughter of Suleiman who survived infancy, then Abdallah was born, who lived only three years, in 1524 Selim was born, and the next year Bayazid. Hurrem gave birth to the last one, Cihangir, in 1531.

Valide Sultan Hafsa Khatun died in 1534. Even before this, in 1533, together with her son Mustafa, who had reached adulthood, Khyurrem’s longtime rival, Mahidevran, went to Manisa. In March 1536, the Grand Vizier Ibrahim Pasha, who had previously relied on the support of Hafsa, was arrested and his property confiscated. The death of the Valide and the removal of the Grand Vizier opened the way for Hurrem to strengthen her own power.

After the death of Hafsa, Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska was able to achieve something that no one had ever achieved before her. She officially became Suleiman's wife. Although there were no laws prohibiting sultans from marrying slaves, the entire tradition of the Ottoman court was against it. Moreover, in the Ottoman Empire, even the terms “law” and “tradition” themselves were designated by one word - eve. The wedding ceremony that took place was, apparently, very magnificent, although it is not mentioned in any way in Ottoman sources. The wedding probably took place in June 1534, although the exact date of this event is unknown. Hurrem's unique position was reflected by her title - Haseki, introduced by Suleiman especially for her.

Sultan Suleiman, who spent most of his time on campaigns, received information about the situation in the palace exclusively from Hurrem. Letters have been preserved that reflect the Sultan's great love and longing for Hurrem, who was his main political adviser. Meanwhile, Leslie Pierce notes that in the early stages of Suleiman’s activity, he relied more on correspondence with his mother, since Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska did not know the language well enough. Hurrem's early letters are written in a polished clerical language, suggesting that they were written by a court clerk.

The influence exerted by Hurrem on Suleiman is illustrated by an episode described by the Venetian ambassador Pietro Bragadin. One of the sanjak beys gave the sultan and his mother one beautiful Russian slave girl each. When the girls arrived at the palace, Hurrem, who was found by the ambassador, was very unhappy. Valide, who gave her slave to her son, was forced to apologize to Hurrem and take the concubine back. The Sultan ordered the second slave to be sent as a wife to another sanjak bey, since the presence of even one concubine in the palace made the Haseki unhappy.

The most educated woman of her time, Hurrem Haseki Sultan received foreign ambassadors, answered letters from foreign rulers, influential nobles and artists. On her initiative, several mosques, a bathhouse and a madrasah were built in Istanbul.

Children

Hurrem gave birth to 6 children to the Sultan:

Role in history

Professor of history, author of a work on the Sultan's harem, Leslie Pierce, notes that before Hurrem, the sultans' favorites played two roles - the role of the favorite and the role of the mother of the heir to the throne, and that these roles were never combined. Having given birth to a son, the woman ceased to be a favorite, going with the child to a remote province, where the heir was to be raised until he took his father’s place. Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska was the first woman who managed to simultaneously play both roles, which caused great irritation to the conservative court. When her sons reached adulthood, she did not follow them, but remained in the capital, only occasionally visiting them. This can largely explain the negative image that has formed around Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska. In addition, she violated another principle of the Ottoman court, which was that one favorite of the Sultan should have no more than one son. Unable to explain how Hurrem was able to achieve such a high position, contemporaries attributed to her that she had simply bewitched Suleiman. This image of an insidious and power-hungry woman was transferred to Western historiography, although it underwent some transformation.

Role in culture

Unlike all her predecessors, as well as the mothers of Shehzade, who had the right to erect buildings only within the province in which they lived with their sons, Hurrem received the right to build religious and charitable buildings in Istanbul and other major cities of the Ottoman Empire. She created a charitable foundation in her name ( Külliye Hasseki Hurrem). With donations from this fund, the Aksaray district or women's bazaar, later also named after Haseki, was built in Istanbul. Avret Pazari), whose buildings included a mosque, a madrasah, an imaret, a primary school, hospitals and a fountain. It was the first complex built in Istanbul by the architect Sinan in his new position as chief architect of the ruling house, and also the third largest building in the capital, after the complexes of Mehmet II ( Fatih) and Sulaymaniyah ( Süleymanie). Other charitable projects of Roksolana include complexes in Adrianople and Ankara, which formed the basis of the project in Jerusalem (later named after Haseki Sultan), hospices and canteens for pilgrims and the homeless, a canteen in Mecca (under the emiret of Haseki Hurrem), a public canteen in Istanbul ( V Avret Pazari), as well as two large public baths in Istanbul (in the Jewish and Aya Sofya blocks).

1st page of the waqfiya on the Takhtiyat-Haseki Hurrem Sultan Complex (Haseki Hurrem Mosque, madrasah and imaret in Jerusalem)

Dome vault in the hammam (Istanbul, near Hagia Sophia)

In works of art

Literature

poem “The Glorious Embassy of His Serene Highness Prince Krzysztof Zbarazhsky from Sigismund III to the mighty Sultan Mustafa” (Samuel Twardowski, 1633)
story “Roksolana or Anastasia Lisovskaya” (Sergei Plachinda and Mikhail Orlovsky, 1882)
historical drama in five acts “Roksolyan” (Gnat Yakimovich, 1864-1869)
historical work of the Ukrainian orientalist Agafaegel Krymsky “History of Turkey and its literature”, in which Roksolana is given more than 20 pages, 1924
story “Roksolyan” (Osip Nazaruk, 1930)
short story “Roksolana. Historical narrative of the 16th century" (Anton Lototsky, 1937)
novel “Roxelane” (Johannes Tralow, 1942)
novel “Mikael Hakim: kymmenen kirjaa Mikael Carvajalin eli Mikael El-Hakimin elämästä vuosina 1527 - 38 hänen tunnustettuaan ainoan Jumalan ja antauduttuaan Korkean Portin palvelukseen” (Mika Valtari, 1949)
novel “Steppe Flower” (Nikolai Lazorsky, 1965)
study “The Imperial Career of Anastasia Lisovskaya” (Irina Knysh, 1966)
story “The Burning Bush” (Yuri Kolisnichenko, 1968)
poem “Roksolyan. The Girl from Rohatyn” (Lyubov Zabashta, 1971)
novel “Roksolana” (Pavel Zagrebelny, 1980)
novel “La magnifica dell’harem” (Isor de Saint-Pierre, 2003)

Movie

television series “Roksolana: Beloved Wife of the Khalifa” (Ukraine, 1996-2003) - film adaptation of the story by Osip Nazaruk, in the role of Roksolana - Olga Sumskaya
television series “Hürrem Sultan” (Turkey, 2003), in the role of Roksolana-Hürrem - Gulben Ergen
documentary film “Roksolana: the bloody path to the throne” from the series “In Search of Truth” (Ukraine, 2008)
television series “Magnificent Century” (Turkey, 2011-2013), in the role of Roksolana-Hurrem - Meryem Uzerli

Theater

play “Les Trois Sultanes ou Soliman Second” (Charles Simon Favard, 1761)
performance "Roksolana" of the Ternopil Regional Music and Drama Theater named after. T. G. Shevchenka (Ukraine) - production of the novel by Pavel Zagrebelny, in the role of Roksolana - Lyusya Davidko
play “Roksolana” of the Dnepropetrovsk Academic Ukrainian Music and Drama Theater named after T. G. Shevchenko (Ukraine, 1988), in the role of Roksolana - Alexander Kopytin

Music

About two dozen musical works have been written about Roksolana or dedicated to her, among them:

"63rd Symphony" (Joseph Haydn, 1779-1781)
opera “Roksoliana” (Denis Sichinsky, 1908-1909)
ballet “Hurrem Sultan” (music: Nevit Kodalli, choreography: Oytun Turfanda, 1976)
song “Roksolana”, (lyrics by Stepan Galyabarda, music by Oleg Slobodenko, performed by Alla Kudlay, 1990)
opera “Suleiman and Roksolana or Love in a Harem” to the libretto by B. N. Chip (Alexander Kostin, 1995).
rock opera “I am Roksolana” (lyrics by Stepan Galyabarda and music by Arnold Svyatogorov, 2000)
ballet “Roksolana” (Dmitry Akimov, 2009)

Notes

Literature

Peirce L.P. The Imperial Harem: Women and Sovereignty in the Ottoman Empire. - New York: Oxford University Press, 1993. - 374 p.
Roxolana in European Literature, History and Culture / ed. by Galina I. Yermolenko. - New York: Ashgate Publishing, 2010. - 318 p.
Yermolenko G. Roxolana: The Greatest Empresse of the East // The Muslim World. - 95. - 2. - 2005. - P. 231-248.

July 24th, 2017 admin

One of the most influential women of her era, wife of the Ottoman conquering Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent(1494 - 1566), received great fame only almost six centuries after her death. True, they talked a lot about her during her lifetime, and in different parts of the world.

In the 19th century, she became the heroine of a number of stories, novels and even poems. Ukrainian authors especially tried, who sought to connect the name of Khyurrem with the history of their country. In the 90s of the last century, a series was even filmed on Ukrainian television called "Roksolana", collecting all the fiction about Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska and turning them into a story about the romantic love of a beautiful slave and an equally beautiful ruler. But all these attempts to glorify her went almost unnoticed...

Portrait of Roksolana by an unknown artist (1540-1550)

Suleiman the Magnificent. Late Glory

Only when the Turkish TV series “The Magnificent Century” started on television and the harem passions of the 16th century literally burst into every home, many were surprised to learn: it turns out that even in such a purely patriarchal state based on Islamic traditions as the Ottoman Empire, there was a woman who played a significant role. role in history.

However, only the general outline of the historical events presented in the series can be considered reliable. As for the details of harem life, characters and even costumes, which are an interesting symbiosis of medieval European fashion, Renaissance and Empire style - all this can be attributed rather to the creative imagination of screenwriters and artists.

Secrets of correspondence

Few documents have survived on which researchers can rely. The Ottoman courtyard was a closed structure. Only the Sultan and his sons had access to the “holy of holies” - the harem. Eunuchs did not write memoirs. It never even occurred to the concubines. So we learn about the intimate life of the head of the Ottoman Empire only from the correspondence of Suleiman and Hurrem - correspondence that was indeed very tender, which is reflected in the series.

Some echoes of the events in the harem are conveyed by the notes of foreign ambassadors who collected information bit by bit, including from gossip circulating outside Sultan's Palace Topkapi. These gossips formed world "public opinion" about Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska as a witch who bewitched the Sultan, and about a villainess who washes the path of her sons to the throne with someone else’s blood.

State rooms of the Sultan's palace Topkapi Palace in Istanbul.

Five names of Hurrem

With the light hand of the author "Turkish Notes", Ambassador of the Holy Roman Empire in Istanbul, the powerful wife of Sultan Suleiman became known in Europe as Roksolana. Although it was only a nickname , which the Turks gave Slavic slaves . On Ottoman maps of that time part of Eastern Europe was designated as Roxolania.

In the harem the sultana was called Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska (laughing) - by the name that was assigned to her after the adoption of Islam, – according to some reports, the Sultan himself gave the name to his concubine, which was an incredible honor.

Real name Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska, given to her at baptism , remained unknown. Presumably in her homeland her name was Anastasia or Alexandra ,she was the daughter of a priest originally from southern Russia or Poland. Her origin – “butt daughter” – is confirmed in her notes by one of the historians of that time. But as for the first and last name, most likely Anastasia (or Alexandra) Gavrilovna Lisovskaya along with most of the details of her biography invented by 19th century novelists.

What is certain is that Hurrem was a Slav kidnapped from her homeland by the Crimean Tatars, who sold her at the slave market in resellers from the Ottoman Empire. Soon she ended up in the harem of Suleiman, who, perhaps, had not yet ascended the throne, but was sanjak bey (ruler) of Manisa.

The future favorite was a teenager at that time, and several years passed between her appearance in the harem and her rapprochement with the ruler. In short, events did not develop as rapidly as shown in the series.

Dancing in a harem. Painting by artist Giulio Rosatti, 19th century.

Was Hurrem the “bloody sultana”?

Heroine of the Magnificent Century interferes in the affairs of the state only in order to survive and save the lives of his children. For this purpose, with insidious whispers, she tries to bring one vizier closer to the Sultan, alienate another, “orders” the murders of dignitaries she dislikes, and weaves sometimes complex, sometimes primitive networks of intrigue.

The real Hurrem in her letters demonstrates statesmanship, education and broad views for that time. So it is not surprising that the ruler listened to her advice.

Alexandra Anastasia Lisowskareally influenced appointments in the council of viziers (divan), interested in international politics and even hosted foreign ambassadors - "with an open face" as the authors of historical notes testify. Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska was engaged in charity work, and shelters and mosques were built with her funds.

And here rumors of political intrigue and the atrocities of the Sultana, on which in the series "The Magnificent Century" long storylines are constructed, perhaps somewhat exaggerated. In particular, the conspiracy organized by Hurrem to lead to the execution of the Grand Vizier Ibrahim Pasha, and then the heir to the throne, Shahzade Mustafa, - it's just a legend , not documented.

Hurrem was not loved at the court of the Sultan, she caused fear and envy and hatred, since she was the first woman in the history of Turkey who managed to turn love bonds into an instrument of full-fledged power, spreading beyond the harem.

The real Hurrem created a "precedent" and thereby ushered in the era known as "female sultanate" After her, the sultanas no longer hesitated to openly engage in state affairs.

What sacred traditions did Hurrem violate?

Someone even writes that With the reign of Hurrem, the “decline” of the Ottoman Empire began. Collapse Ottoman Empire followed only several centuries later, but this does not diminish Hurrem’s guilt in the eyes of conservatives.

What did the Sultana really do wrong?

Firstly, when Hurrem's reign was destroyed a centuries-old tradition according to which rulers never married their concubines, although no law officially prohibited this. Enamored Suleiman entered into a nikah (marriage) with his slave (concubine), having previously freed her. All this caused a scandal in the high society of the Ottoman nobility.

Secondly, Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska gave birth to the Sultan five sons - Mehmed, Abdullah, who is not mentioned in the series because he died at the age of three and did not have time to play any role in history, and also Selim, Bayazet and Cihangir.

Although, According to the custom observed in the Ottoman Empire, a concubine could give birth to only one male child to the Sultan. After that she received the honorary status of Sultana, but at the same time, “retirement” from the ruler’s bed, and had to deal exclusively with her son. The honor of continuing the Ottoman family passed to other residents of the harem.

Third, the sacred right of the sultan to have children from many concubines The harem was under threat for a long time, due to the fact that Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska, by hook or by crook, using all her influence, prevented it. The custom in which the Sultan could have children from many concubines was due to the high infant mortality rate and the risk of leaving the throne without an heir.

There are several known cases when concubines, who could seriously compete with Sultana Hurrem, were removed from the harem. Moreover, this was done by order of the Sultan and his mother is Valide Sultan, who allegedly even once apologized to her daughter-in-law for sending one of her slaves to her son.

Fourthly, tradition required that upon reaching the age of majority of the prince (shahzade), his mother accompanied him to the sanjak - a province allocated to him, in which the heir “honed” his management skills.

Hurrem did not go for any of her sons, but remained in Istanbul, with her husband, which again caused numerous rumors and gossip.

And the most important thing: Suleiman and Hurrem have demonstrated tender feelings and mutual affection for many years, which did not at all fit into the customs of the Sultan's court of the Ottoman Empire. In the eyes of the high society of the empire, the ruler, subordinate to a woman, was unable to realize his main purpose - to conquer new lands to strengthen the power of the empire.

The Sultan carried his affection throughout his life. When Hurrem died - according to contradictory rumors, either from poisoning, or from a long illness, the husband paid her unprecedented honors: he buried her in the Suleymaniye Mosque, built on his order, in order to lie down forever next to his beloved wife a few years later.