Mihrimah Sultana. (Ottoman Turkish: مهر ماه سلطان, Turkish pronunciation (mihɾiˈmah suɫˈtan) was the daughter of the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent and his wife Hürrem Sultan. Her name in Turkish means Sun and Moon.
Summary
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- 1 Biographical synthesis
- 1 Political work
- 2 Charitable works
- 2 Offspring
- 3 Death
- 4 In popular culture
- 5 Legend
- 6 Internal links
- 7 Sources
Biographical synthesis
He was born in Istanbul on March 21, 1522, just the day of the equinox. He traveled throughout the Ottoman Empire with his father as he surveyed the lands and conquered new ones. Accompanying him even in battles such as that of Gizah in northern Egypt, outside Alexandria, in which, according to what appears in Persian literature, he traveled on a horse called Batal.
When she reached the age of seventeen, she married the Grand Vizier Rüstem Pasha (1500-1561) on November 26, 1539, with whom she would have three children. Mihrimah flourished as a patron saint of the arts and continued to travel with her father until her husband’s death.
She held the position of Valide Sultan or Director of the Harem, for her father after the death of her mother, Sultana Hurrem, from 1558 to 1566.
During this period Mihrimah encouraged his father to launch the campaign against Malta, promising to build 400 galleys with his own money; holding direct correspondence with King Sigismund II of Poland.
Political work
Mihrimah together with his mother Hürrem sultan and her husband Rüstem the Ottoman Grand Vizier, made an alliance and became the power that dominated the divan (cabinet) and the inner circle of the palace. Unfortunately for Mustafa, this condition became a major obstacle for him to access the throne, although he was supported by the Janissaries.
Ottoman and foreign sources indicate that it was widely believed that the three worked first to eliminate Prince Mustafa to secure the throne to Hürrem’s son and Mihrimah’s older brother, Prince Bayezid. The rivalry ended with Mustafa’s execution at the hands of his own father’s envoys in 1553 during the campaign against Safavid Persia due to fear of a rebellion by the Sultan.
Charities
As Valide Sultana had access to abundant resources they financed so he financed different charitable centers such as the Üsküdar and Edirne Mosques, both bear his name and were built by the imperial architect Mimar Sinan.
The Mihrimah Mosque at the Edirne Gate was built between 1562 and 1565 located on the western wall of the old city of Constantinople (Istanbul), it was one of Sinan’s most imaginative designs, using new support systems and lateral spaces to increase the area available for windows. While the Mihrimah Sultan Mosque in Üsküdar also known as also known as İskele Mosque was built between 1546 and 1548, considered one of the most outstanding monuments of the city of Üsküdar. After his father’s death, he loaned his brother Sultan Selim II 50,000 gold coins to cover his immediate needs.
Offspring
Together with her only husband Rüstem Paşa she had three children:
- Ayşe Hümaşah Hanimsultan
- Sultanza by Osman Bey
- Sultanza by Mehmed Bey
Sultana Mihrimah played by Turkish actress Pelin Karahan in the series “Muhteşem Yüzyıl”
Death
The life of Mihrimah sultana is uncertain after the death of Selim II in 1574. retiring to the Old Palace or Esky Saray. He died in Constantinople on January 25, 1578 during the reign of his nephew Murad III, surviving all his brothers. She was buried in the Süleymaniye Mosque complex with her family.
In popular culture
In the television series Muhteşem Yüzyı or Suleiman, the Grand Sultan the character of Mihrimah Sultan is played by Turkish actress Vildan Pelin Karahan during the 2012-2014 seasons.
Legend
There is a legend that talks about these two mosques. It is said that Mimar Sinan fell in love with Mihrimah and built the mosque in Edirnekapı without the approval of the palace, on his own, dedicated to his love. It is said that on March 21 (equinox day) at the time of sunset behind the only minaret of the mosque in Edirnekapı, the moon rises between the two minarets of the mosque in Üsküdar.
