Among the heirs of the great Sultan Selim I, the father of Suleiman the Magnificent, there were no sons who could compete with him. But he had beautiful daughters, each of whom had their own special story. Presumably Selim had 10 daughters, but since there is still no accurate record of all the women of the dynasty, only five of them are remembered to this day.
Hatice Sultan
Hatice was several years younger than Suleiman and stayed with her brother at court longer than all of Selim’s other daughters. The Sultana's first marriage did not work out, since the young girl's husband, the official Iskender Pasha, left her a widow soon after the wedding. After Suleiman's accession to the throne, together with her mother Ayşe, Hafsa Sultan of Manisa Hatice moved to the capital.
This is where it started famous story the love of the ruler's sister and his beloved vizier Ibrahim Pasha. However, historians claim that this marriage has not been documented. The sources do not mention that the sultana was married specifically to the vizier, and Ibrahim is not listed anywhere as the son-in-law of the dynasty. Moreover, another woman is called the pasha’s wife - a certain Mukhsine, the daughter of Ibrahim’s mistress at the time when he was just brought from Greece as a slave.
But it is quite possible that this marriage was real, although it is not a fact that it was for love. It could be concluded for the benefit of both parties. The number of children of the Sultana is also inaccurate - three in common with Ibrahim or two daughters from another spouse. One of the daughters of Hanim Sultan is buried next to the haseki of Suleyman Hurrem in his Suleymaniye Mosque. The other - Fülane Sultan - became the prototype of the heroine of the series "The Magnificent Century" Khurijikhan. The date of Hatice's death is indicated differently by different historians. 1536 (several years after the execution of Ibrahim) or 1582. The sultana was buried in her father's mosque.
Beyhan Sultan
According to some sources, Beykhan was the daughter of another concubine of Selim, so Suleiman was only a half-sister. In 1513, the sultana married the vizier Ferhat Pasha. Ferhat became famous for suppressing the famous Janberdi uprising, which arose under Selim. However, he was executed by order of Suleiman for abuse of power, cruelty and theft in the provinces that were entrusted to him.
The mother of his brother and sister Aishe Hafsa saved him several times, but the official did not stop - they continued to complain about him. So Beykhan became the first victim of her family. Her loyalty to her husband surpassed her loyalty to the dynasty, which was a rare case. Beihan refused remarriages, was expelled from the capital and lived in exile in her palace in Skopje. The Sultana died in 1559. Her tomb is also located in the turban of her father Selim I in the Yavuz Selim Mosque.
Fatma Sultan
First, Fatma Sultan married Mustafa Pasha, the governor of Antalya; however, they divorced when it turned out that Pasha had a slightly different orientation, and he had no interest in his wife. Fatma's second husband was Kara Ahmed Pasha, who was the Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire between 1553 and 1555. They had two daughters.
The official became a victim of a conspiracy between Rustem Pasha and Hurrem Sultan, accused of bribery and executed. In fact, all this was necessary to return Rustem to his post. After her husband's death, the sultana either went to live in Bursa, but returned to the palace after Suleiman's death, or, according to other sources, was forced into marriage to Hadim Ibrahim Pasha, presumably as punishment for her intrigues. Fatma died in 1573 and was buried in the tomb of Kara Ahmed Pasha.
Shah Sultan
Shah Sultan (Shahi Sultan, Devletshahi or Shehzadeshahi) grew up in Manisa and married the future Grand Vizier Lutfi Pasha in 1523. Her husband took this position in 1539 and gained great power in Istanbul. The couple had two daughters named Esmehan Baharnaz Sultan and Neslihan Sultan. In 1541, the Sultana divorced her husband, who was also removed from office. The divorce took place on her initiative, allegedly because her husband punished the woman for adultery.
Pasha ordered the adulteress's arms and legs to be cut off, and this led to a quarrel with the Shah Sultan. As the curses continued, the atmosphere became tense, and the unrestrained husband also hit the sultana. After the incident, the sultana reminded her husband that he was actually her servant, complained to her brother and divorced. This led to the complete deposition of Lutfi Pasha from the post of Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire. Afterwards, Shah Sultan became involved in charity work and her spiritual world. With the permission of Suleiman's spiritual mentor, Dervish Merkeza Effendi, the Sultana began to ennoble the dervish monasteries of Mevlevihane.
Shah Sultan's birthplace is Manis. Shah Sultan was born and raised in this city. In 1523 he took her as his wife. In her marriage to Lutfi Pasha, Shah Sultan had two daughters - Esmahan and Nazlyshah. After Grand Vizier Ayaz died in the midst of an epidemic in 1539, Sultan Seleyman I called his husband Shah Sultan to court.
On July 13, 1539, Lufti Pasha was officially appointed Grand Vizier. Pasha held this position until his divorce from Shah Sultan in 1541. Husband Shah Sultan was not distinguished by marital fidelity; as they said, he even allowed himself to raise his hand against the daughter of the Ottomans. Ultimately, Shah Sultan decides to divorce her husband, in 1541 she becomes free from marital obligations, and her husband loses the post of Grand Vizier. Lufti Pasha was exiled to Dimetoku.
Despite the difficult relationship between the spouses, Lutfi Pasha saved his life, this was facilitated by his pilgrimage to the holy places of Mecca and Medina; upon returning, he began to lead a righteous life, which he devoted to charity. A former relative of Sultan Suleiman died of natural causes in 1564.
Shah Sultan did not forgive her husband for his betrayal, but did not remarry; she also devoted her life to good deeds and died in 1572. The Shah Sultan Mosque in Istanbul is named after her, built according to the design of the architect Mimar Sinan.
In 1556, under the leadership of the architect Mimar Sinan, a mosque was built in honor of Shah Sultan. In 1572, Shah Sultan died.
In the series, the role of Shah Khuban Sultan is played by.
The burial site of Shah Khuban Sultan has been discovered
During the restoration of the tomb of Ayşe Sultan, the burial place of Shah Sultan was discovered. This was stated by Assistant to the Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Arinc. The news of the discovery of Shah Sultan's tomb was published on festive events held at the Yavuz Mosque in honor of the death anniversary of Ayşe Hafza Sultan. The Prime Minister's assistant assured that the discovered tomb of Shah Sultan will also be restored. Let us remember that Shah Sultan, the daughter of Yavuz Sultan Selim and Aishe Hafza Sultan and the sister of the great Kanuni Sultan Suleiman, died in 1572.Many believe that Khan Khuban had white hair, which was not typical for women of the Ottoman Empire.
The lady spent her childhood in Manisa. Thanks to Merkez Efendi, she learned a lot, he instilled in her a love for Allah. Merkez Efendi was a very religious man, he took a high position when he healed the Sultan’s wife, Aishe.
When the daughter of Selim I Shah Khuban turned 14 years old, she was immediately married to thirty-five-year-old Lutfi Pasha. The marriage was a profitable match, so the huge age difference did not bother Shah Khuban’s father. In those days, sending daughters to early age getting married, and even to a groom twice her age, was considered the norm.
After the marriage of the little Sultana and Lutfi Pasha, they will immediately head to the city where Lufti Pasha has a new leadership position. The Sultana gave birth to two beautiful daughters: Esma Khan and Nazli Shah.
In 1539, Pasha was called to the role of Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire. He tried with all his might to remain in his position, but could not. He served as Grand Vizier for only 1 year and 9 months. At this time, Shah Sultan lived in Suleiman's palace. There are several speculations as to why Lutfi Pasha was removed from his post so quickly.
They barely had time to appoint Lutfi Pasha to the post of Grand Vizier when he immediately began to restore his order with cruelty. He said that there was chaos going on in the city. And the last straw was that he mocked the genitals of a woman of easy virtue. The woman died in agony.
Shah Khuban found out about this incident and decided to talk to her husband, but in response she received only Pasha’s fists. The Sultan immediately found out about this and removed him from office. For Shah Khuban, this was an excellent reason to file for divorce, which she did.
Suleiman's sister Shah Khuban died in 1572. She was buried next to her mother Aishe Hafsa Sultan.
Not an easy life women of the Ottoman Empire had one, you wouldn’t wish it on anyone.
> Mosques of Istanbul >
Unusually modest in size Shah Sultan Mosque in Istanbul is located in the Eyup region, on the shores of the Golden Horn Bay. The Shah Sultan Mosque was built by the architect Mimar Sinan in 1556 shortly before the death of the Sultana.
Some history facts about Shah Sultan
Shah Sultan - the daughter of Sultan Selim I and his wife Ayşe Hafse Sultan was born in 1499. At the age of twenty-four, Shah Sultan was married to Lutfi Pasha, but scandalously divorced him eighteen years later. The reason for the divorce was the beatings and insults inflicted on his wife by Lutfi Pasha during a family dispute about the draft law on adultery, involving severe “surgical punishments” for lewd women. Shah Sultan lived until 1572, outliving her rival, the famous Hurrem Sultan, by fourteen years.
According to various types of research conducted in 2016, the graves of Shah Sultan and Ayşe Hafse Sultan were discovered in a burial in the courtyard of the Yavuz Sultan Selim Mosque.
About Shah Sultan Mosque
The small-sized building of the Shah Sultan Mosque was erected fifty meters from the Golden Horn Bay. This territory was purchased by Shah Sultan, probably to lay not only a mosque, but also mausoleums for his family, however, time decreed otherwise.
The rectangular mosque building (16m * 13m) was built of natural stone, covered with red baked clay tiles. Inside the mosque, the prayer area is almost square (11m * 10m). 
After a series of earthquakes, the most destructive of which occurred in 1766, the mosque was restored several times. In the twentieth century, repairs were made four times, and the last one was in 2005. Therefore, most of the finishing elements that were previously made of wood were replaced with marble or iron. Moreover, as part of the latest reconstruction of the mosque, the roof was completely replaced, replacing the wooden floors with reinforced concrete ones, and re-tiled. The only minaret of the mosque is low and devoid of any decorations.
Of course, the Shah Sultan Cami Mosque - such mundane architecture, completely devoid of the flight of fancy of the great master Sinan, somewhat surprises tourists. Apparently, Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, who ordered the construction, had some good reasons for this. Visit Shah Sultan Mosque in Istanbul It is reasonable to combine it with a walk to the romantic cafe Pierre Lotti, which is located very nearby.
Suleiman had many sisters. And Shah Sultan was one of his favorites.
There are two versions of her date of birth. According to one, she was born in 1494, according to the second year of her birth, 1509. Last date turned out to be more common, so it stuck.
Many believe that Shah Sultan and Suleiman are half brother and sister. As we were shown in the Magnificent Century series, perhaps Aishe Havsa Sultan was not her mother at all. Because Selim had two wives named Aishe. And some sources are inclined to believe that Shah was born from Selim’s concubine, who was also named Aishe.
The full name of the Sultana is Shah Khuban. It is also called Shah-i Khuban. And her Turkish name in Russian means – Bright Lady. And Huban points out that her hair was very light - yellow or white. Which is not at all typical for Turkish girls.
Princess Shah was born in Manisa. And she spent her entire childhood there, with her mother. Merkez Effendi was in charge of her upbringing and education. He was able to teach her a lot. He instilled love for Allah, since he himself was very pious. Sultan Selim appreciated him and rewarded him with appointment to a high post when he saved his beloved wife Aishe from illness.
As soon as the girl turned 14 years old, Selim decides to marry her to Lutfi Pasha, who was then about 30-35 years old. This was a marriage of convenience and was beneficial for the Sultan, so this age difference did not bother him at all. And in those days such marriages were the norm.
Shah Sultan did not love her husband
The life of the Ottoman princesses was not so fabulous and sweet. And all because they were destined for one fate - to marry someone they didn’t love. And these marriages were political, that is, they were concluded for the sake of state benefit. And there could be no talk of love here.
So Shah Sultan was married to an unloved man, like the rest of her sisters. If the quiet Beikhan was somehow able to come to terms with her situation and live peacefully with her husband. Then Shah Sultan, who differed from her sister in her stubbornness, could not accept her fate. She was cold towards her husband.
After the wedding, the young Shah Sultan and her husband left Manisa to live in another city. Lyuty Pasha in a new place receives a new appointment to a high post.
In this marriage, Shah Khuban gave birth to two daughters - Esmehan Baharnaz Sultan and Neslihan Sultan. She didn’t let her husband near her anymore.
In 1539, when Grand Vizier Ayaz Pasha died during an epidemic, Sultan Suleiman summoned her husband, Lutfi Pasha, to the Topkapi Palace. At the same time, Shah Sultan herself was able to move to the capital. Her husband became a member of the Sultan's council. And despite her dislike for her husband, Shah helped him move up the career ladder.
On July 13, 1539, Lutfi Pasha officially became Grand Vizier. But despite all his efforts and hard work, he did not last long in this position. Only 1 year and 9 months.
They say that Lutfi Pasha was a rather cruel vizier. And in his uncontrollable impulses, he committed many terrible acts that the lady could not tolerate.
If you believe the rumors, then the most egregious case was that the vizier terribly mocked lung woman behavior, which died in agony. Shah decided to talk to her husband about this. But he did not listen to her and even raised his hand to her, which was the last straw of her patience. The Shah complained to her brother Sultan Suleiman and her marriage was dissolved. In 1541, Shah Sultan divorced Lutfi Pasha. After which he was removed from the post of chief vizier and exiled to Dimetoku. His life was spared for the sake of his daughters.
Shah Sultan was glad that she was able to break ties with her husband. She firmly decided for herself that it was better to be lonely than the wife of an unloved pasha.
In 1556, the architect Mimar Sinan built the Shah Sultan Mosque in Istanbul.
Shah Khuban died in 1572. She asked to be buried next to her mother. But for a long time no one knew where she was buried. And only 400 years later, in 2013, her grave was found in Fatih, next to the Yavuz Selim mosque. Before this, everyone believed that she was buried in the tomb of Aishe Hafsa Sultan.
In the series, the creators hint that Shah was very jealous of her sister Khatice all the time. It is likely that this was also in real life. After all, most likely, their mothers are different. And as you know, Hatice’s mother, Aishe Havsa Sultan, was the beloved wife of Sultan Selim. And she entered the harem as a mistress, and the second Aishe as a slave. Perhaps this was what played a big role in the fact that Hatice was more surrounded by care and love than Shah Sultan. But this is just my guess.
That's all the truth and short story O Shah Sultan. And if it weren’t for the Magnificent Century series, we would never have known this woman. The role of Shah-Khuban in this series was wonderfully performed by Deniz Chakir.
Shah Khuban in the series The Magnificent Century
Our first meeting with Shah Sultan takes place in the third season of the series The Magnificent Century.
When Valide Sultan dies, Hatice is left alone without the support of her mother. She calls her sister to Istanbul so that together with her she can deal with the hated Hurrem. But the two sisters could not defeat their rival. And only after the death of Ibrahim Pasha they still manage to get rid of Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska for a while. After this, Hatice commits suicide, and Mihrimah Sultan forces Shah Sultan to leave the capital in a short time.
The image and character of Shah Sultan in the series
Shah Khuban is an unapproachable, cold and calculating sultana. She is very observant. Closely monitors all events in the harem. He immediately takes control of everything and doesn’t let go. Outwardly, she is calm and at the same time skillfully dominates people. Similar to snow queen with an icy heart, with a penetrating and flaming gaze. She is not touched by ordinary human weaknesses. It is difficult to drive her into a dead end, because Shah Sultan is able to find a way out of any situation.
Unprincipled and successful in intrigue. She knows how to turn the situation in her favor. It is impossible to hurt her because she has no attachment to anyone. Cunning and hypocrisy are her traits. But no matter how hard she tried to destroy Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska, her machinations sometimes backfired on her. Because Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska was also very cunning and even the complex strategies of Shah Sultan could not drive her into a corner.
The Shah is a true lady who perfectly understands her position. Arrogant and does not recognize anyone in whose veins the Sultan’s blood does not flow. He likes to put everyone in their place, constantly emphasizing his title. She reminded even her husband every day that she was a member of the Ottoman dynasty. This eventually bores Lutfi Pasha. They quarrel and the Sultana divorces him.
But despite all her outward composure, Shah is not so insensitive. As a child, deprived of parental love and affection, married early to an unloved pasha, the lady simply closed in on herself. Her heart turned to stone and became hard. Behind the mask of greatness and arrogance lies the humane and merciful Shah. At the request of her daughters Esmahan, she asks for mercy on Lutfi Pasha. And the way she warmly treats her faithful servant Merjan-aga once again confirms that she is not such a snow queen after all.
Family ties
The Shah respects Suleiman very much and treats him with respect. She loves her brother the Sultan and will not contradict him. But she also does not miss the opportunity to use it in her games against Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska. And Suleiman himself treats his sister well and therefore fulfilled her request regarding the former Grand Vizier Lutfi Pasha.
Relationships with sisters are somewhat different. She is clearly jealous of Hatice, who has been surrounded by love and care since childhood. Shah herself admitted to Beyhan that she had always dreamed of the life that Hatice lived. And as soon as the Shah arrives in the capital, she quickly begins to make up for lost time. He settles in the palace, which previously belonged to Khatice and Ibrahim, and changes the furniture and interior there to suit himself. Along the way, he helps his husband become Grand Vizier. She becomes the closest sister to the Sultan, as Hatice once was. In general, she took into her hands everything that once belonged to her sister.
In the past, Shah sympathized with Ibrahim, this also becomes a stumbling block for the two sisters. The Shah refuses to help Hatice in the fight against Hurrem, accusing her of weakness and inability to cope with her even earlier.
The relationship between the sisters is quite strained at the very beginning. They unite only to eliminate Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska. Between them there was an alliance between two sultanas, but not two sisters. Shah could never understand the depth of love feelings, the unbearable pain of Hatice, unlike Beykhan. By the way, her relationship with Beikhan doesn’t really work out either. Beykhan sees through Shah and does not hide it. With her sisters she does not have any tenderness and warm relationships that sisters should have.
Speaking of nephews, it is worth noting that among all the shehzadehs, Shah singles out Mustafa, the son of Mahidevran. She has no obvious disdain for her other nephews. She communicates warmly with Hurrem's children. But they consider Shehzade Mustafa to be the rightful heir to the throne. Just like Mahidevran, in conversations with Hurrem she often emphasizes the status of Suleiman’s first son. Mustafa even unwittingly became a key figure in her intrigue against Hurrem. Thus, she exposed the prince to serious danger.
Husband and children
The Shah did not love her husband Lutfi Pasha at all. And she helped him become Grand Vizier only in order to gain more power and become closer to Suleiman. The only person she truly loved was her daughter, Esmahan.
Feud with Hurrem
At first, the relationship between the sister and the Sultan's wife went well. There was even some semblance of friendship between them. But when Ibrahim Pasha was executed, the Shah swore an oath to Hatice that they would get rid of Hurrem.
Merjen-aga
Another person involved who was constantly next to his mistress. Merjan is her faithful slave. He cared about the well-being of his sultana. He the only person in the Topkapi Palace, who was very upset by her departure from the capital. Merjan begged the lady to take him with her. But since he was the main one who kept order in the harem, she left him in the palace.
Shah Sultan leaves the capital and we don’t see her anymore.
