Hümaşah Sultan (; "''Şah's phoenix''"; 1630 – after 1676) was the Eighth Haseki and only legal wife of Sultan Ibrahim of the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

Marriage

Hümaşah married Ibrahim in 1647, and was given the title of "Eighth Haseki". After her marriage she became known as "Telli Haseki" because of the silver and gold threads (tels) that are traditionally used to adorn a bride's hair. Her marriage was described by the historian

Mustafa Naima Mustafa Naima (; ''Muṣṭafā Na'īmā''; Aleppo, Ottoman Syria 1655 – 1716) was an Ottoman bureaucrat and historian who wrote the chronicle known as the ''Tārīḫ-i Na'īmā'' (''Naima's History''). He is often considered to be the f ...

: After marrying her, Ibrahim gave her the treasury of

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

dowry A dowry is a payment such as land, property, money, livestock, or a commercial asset that is paid by the bride's (woman's) family to the groom (man) or his family at the time of marriage. Dowry contrasts with the related concepts of bride price ...

and ordered the

palace A palace is a large residence, often serving as a royal residence or the home for a head of state or another high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome whi ...

of Ibrahim Pasha to be carpeted in sable furs and given to her. Ibrahim subjected his sisters, Kösem's daughters Ayşe, Fatma and Hanzade, and his niece

Kaya Kaya may refer to: People *Kaya (given name) * Kaya (surname) Places *Kaya, Burkina Faso, a town in Burkina Faso, capital of the department * Kaya Airport, serving the town * Kaya Department, a department or commune of Sanmatenga Province in cen ...

to the indignity of subordination of his concubines. He took away their lands and jewels, and made them serve Hümaşah, by standing at attention like servants while she ate and by fetching and holding the soap, basin and the pitcher of water with which she washed her hands. Because of what he believed was failure to serve her properly, the Sultan then banished them to

Edirne Palace Edirne Palace (), or formerly New Imperial Palace (), is a former palace of the Ottoman Empire, Ottoman sultans in Edirne (then known in English as Adrianople), built during the era when the city was the capital of the empire. Few of the palace bu ...

. She was described as intelligent and smart, but also sweet and caring. Hümaşah while pregnant, settled in the Old Palace, after Ibrahim's deposition and death in August 1648. Two months later, in October 1648, she gave birth to a son named Şehzade Orhan, who died at the age of one in January 1650.Other historians, however, report that the child was born between the end of 1647 and the first half of 1648 and died between December 1648 and January 1649. It is however likely that they mistake Orhan for Cihangir, son of

Şivekar Sultan Şivekar Sultan (; died 1693) was the seventh Haseki of Sultan Ibrahim I (reign 16401648) of the Ottoman Empire. Life She was of Armenian descent. Her real name was Maria, and she was the daughter of a wealthy Armenian merchant. Şivekar Sul ...

, who was born and died in the period reported.

Death

The records of the Old Palace record the presence of Hümaşah for the last time in

1672 Events January–March * January 2 – After the government of England is unable to pay the nation's debts, Charles II of England, King Charles II decrees the Stop of the Exchequer, the suspension of payments for one year "up ...

. It was initially believed that she died in that year, but the discovery of the report, dated 1676, by the Venetian ambassador Giacomo Querini, proves instead that Hümaşah, except for the normal harem protocol for the consort of deceased sultans, especially if they were mothers of children, she had remarried, with the

Kaymakam Kaymakam, also known by #Names, many other romanizations, was a title used by various officials of the Ottoman Empire, including acting grand viziers, governors of provincial sanjaks, and administrators of district kazas. The title has been reta ...

(vice governor) of Constantinople, Ibrahim Paşah. The 1672 was therefore probably the year in which the wedding was held and she left the Palace.

"... Ibrahim Pasha, Caimacan overnorof Constantinople for the fifth time, a man of considerable presence, of sweet genius and placid costume. He holds in marriage the Telì Sultana, the King’s stepmother...", '' Giacomo Querini, Venetian ambassador, 1676

It is therefore not known when she died or where she was buried.

In popular culture

In the Turkish series, '' Muhteşem Yüzyıl: Kösem'', Hümaşah is portrayed by actress Müge Boz.

References

Sources

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Humasah Sultan 17th-century consorts of Ottoman sultans 1630s births Georgians from the Ottoman Empire Royal favourites Haseki Sultan 17th-century slaves in the Ottoman Empire Concubines of Ottoman sultans Circassian women

Marriage

Death

In popular culture

See also

References

Sources