Great courage and wisdom were in the character of Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska Sultan. The biography of this beautiful Ukrainian girl is full of both festive events and bitter suffering. Behind the mask of inaccessibility was a soft and creative nature, which could support a conversation on any topic. A conversation with such a woman brought tremendous pleasure to men, which bribed the Turkish Sultan in her.
This publication will discuss the most important moments in the life of Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska Sultan. The biography, photos and other materials presented in the article will help you get to know this outstanding personality better.
unknown birth
The place of birth and the very origin of Roksolana is still a controversial issue in the historical context. The most common version is that the beauty was born in Ukraine in the Ivano-Frankivsk region and was the daughter of an Orthodox priest.
Her name at that time was truly in Russian - Alexandra or Anastasia Lisovskaya, but after being captured by the Turks, she acquired a new name - Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska Sultan. The biography, the years of life that are written in it, are also in doubt, but historians still identified the main dates: 1505 - 1558.
There are many disputes about the origin of the girl, but the main events in her fate were captured on parchments in Ukrainian and Polish annals. Thanks to them, it is possible to deduce the further life line of the eminent Turkish captive.
fateful turn
The biography of Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska Haseki Sultan has changed after one event.
When she was only 15 years old, the Crimean Tatars raided the small town of Rogatin, where she lived with her parents. The girl was captured, and some time later, after several resales, she found herself in the harem of the Turkish Sultan. There she acquired her new name - Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska.
Relations between other concubines were very strained and, one might even say, "bloody". The fault was one case, which is openly described in various historical annals.
After arriving in the harem, Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska became the clear leader and earned the Sultan's great favor. Another concubine of Suleiman, Mahidevran, did not like it, and she attacked the beauty, scratching her face and body.
This case became egregious, the ruler was angry, but after that Roksolana became his main favorite.
Submission or love?
The benevolence of the Turkish master enchanted the beautiful Hürrem Sultan, whose biography amazes with its amazing facts.
Having received a special status and having secured the trust of the master, she asked for his personal library, which surprised Suleiman very much. After he returned from military campaigns, Roksolana already knew several languages and could keep up a conversation on any topic, from culture to politics.
She also dedicated poems to her master and danced graceful oriental dances.
If they brought new girls to the harem for selection, she could easily eliminate any competitor, putting her in a bad light.
The attraction of Roksolana and the Sultan was visible to everyone who was somehow familiar with their society directly. But the established canons could not allow marriage between two people in love.
Against everything and everyone
But still, the biography of Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska Sultan was replenished with such a significant event as a wedding. Contrary to all the rules and condemnations, the celebration took place in 1530. This was an unprecedented event in the history of the royal Turkish community. From time immemorial, the Sultan had no right to marry a woman from the harem.
The wedding ceremony had an unprecedented scope. The streets were decorated with bright decorations, musicians played everywhere, and the locals were incredibly delighted with what was happening.
There was also a festive performance, which included numbers with wild animals, magicians and tightrope walkers.
Their love was boundless, and all thanks to the wisdom of Roksolana. She knew what to talk about, what not, where to remain silent, and where to express her opinion.
During the war period, when Suleiman expanded his territories, the beautiful Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska wrote touching letters that conveyed all the bitterness of parting with her beloved.
procreation
After the Sultan lost three children from previous concubines, he persuaded Roksolana that they should have their own children. Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska Sultan, whose biography was already full of difficult events, agreed to such a decisive step, and soon they had their first child named Mehmed. His fate was rather difficult, and he lived only 22 years.
The second son, Abdullah, died at the age of three.
Then Shehzade Selim was born. He is the only heir who survived his parents and became the ruler of the Ottoman Empire.
The fourth son, Bayezid, ended his life tragically. After the death of his mother, he opposed his older brother Selim, who already ruled the empire at that time. This angered his father, and Bayezid and his wife and sons decided to flee, but he was soon found and executed along with his entire family.
The youngest heir, Janhangir, was born with a congenital defect - he was a hunchback. But despite his shortcomings, he developed intellectually well and was fond of poetry. He died at the age of approximately 17-22 years.
The only daughter of Roksolana and Suleiman was the Turkish beauty Mihrimah. The girl's parents adored her, and she had all the luxury of her father's royal estates at her disposal.
Mihrimah received an education and was engaged in charity work. It was thanks to her activities that two mosques were built in Istanbul, the architect of which was Sian.
When Mihrimah died of natural causes, she was buried in a crypt along with her father. Of all the children, only she was awarded such an honor.
The role of Roksolana in culture
The biography of Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska Sultan was full of educational activities. She took care of her people, who were commanded by her beloved husband.
Unlike all other concubines, she received special powers, and also had financial privileges. This led to the fact that religious and charitable houses appeared in Istanbul.
Throughout her activities outside the royal court, she opened her own foundation - Külliye Hasseki Hurrem. Its activity developed actively, and after some time a small Aksrai district appeared in the city, in which residents were provided with a whole range of housing and educational services.
historical footprint
Unsurpassed and indestructible Hürrem Sultan. The biography of this woman shows the world the spirit of the Slavic nation. She was helpless and weak right after her arrival in the harem, but life's troubles made her spirit stronger.
After rising to the "pedestal" in the royal community, Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska was still unable to maintain her status, even after the birth of her first son. Her duties included the birth of a military spirit in the child, because he was to become the next ruler of the empire. Therefore, she went to the provinces in order to focus on raising her first child.
Many years later, when she and the Sultan had other sons, and they came of age, Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska returned to the throne and occasionally visited her children.
A great many negative rumors were spread around her, which created the image of a woman with a steely, tough character.
pernicious sympathies
The beauty and life of Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska Sultan, whose biography hides many interesting facts, has always been under the cruel sight of the local elites of society. Suleiman could not stand any sidelong glances towards his wife, and those who dared to sympathize with her were immediately sentenced to death.
There was also a reverse side of the medal. Roksolana took the most severe measures to those who sympathize with another country. In advance, in her eyes, this man became a traitor to his homeland. She caught a lot of those people. One of the victims was the state entrepreneur of the Ottoman Empire, Ibrahim. He was accused of excessive sympathy for France, and he was strangled by order of the ruler.
But still Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska Sultan, whose biography became the most mysterious in the history of the Ottoman Empire, tried to adhere to the created image - a family woman and a good mother.
Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska Sultan: biography, cause of death
Her exploits and reforms for the state were significant, especially for women and their children, but sometimes cruel punishments spoiled her image of an exemplary and kind woman.
The difficult life of Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska Sultan, whose biography contains many secrets and a tape of bleak events, ended with the fact that at the end of the journey she had a very difficult health.
The children and husband did everything in their power, but the beautiful Roksolana was fading before our eyes.
Everyone hoped for a speedy recovery Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska Sultan. The cause of death actually remains a controversial issue. It is officially said that Roksolana was poisoned. All available medicine was powerless at that time, and on April 15 or 18 in 1558 she died. A year later, the body of the ruler was transferred to a domed mausoleum, the architect of which was Mimar Sinana. The tomb was decorated with ceramic tiles with drawings of the Garden of Eden, as well as texts of poems carved on them, written in honor of Roksolana's charming smile.
Roksolana and Suleiman I the Magnificent.
The whole world knows Roksolana as a person who broke all stereotypes about a woman in Islamic society. And despite the fact that her image has been so popular for almost half a millennium, there is no single true and indisputable thought about either her character or appearance. There are only one assumptions - how a simple captive could win the heart of one of the most powerful rulers of the Ottoman Empire, Suleiman I the Magnificent
... There are a lot of dark spots in her biography. Apparently that is why all her portraits painted by artists in those days are so contradictory.
Poems and poems were written about this extraordinary woman, novels and plays were written; some remembered it with trepidation and enthusiasm, others accused it of destroying the stereotypes of Islamic society and the Ottoman Empire itself. Therefore, it is not at all surprising that for almost five centuries the biography of Roksolana, fraught with many contradictions and mysteries, has become so overgrown with legends and fiction.
Roksolana. Unknown artist. Early 16th century.
Therefore, it is very difficult to speak objectively about this famous woman. Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska Haseki Sultan - as she was called in the Ottoman Empire, in Europe she was known under the name Roksolana. The real name is not known for sure. But, relying on literary traditions and on the main version, she was born in the small town of Rogatin, in Western Ukraine. And since in those days that territory was under the Poles, Roksolana was often called a polka. However, according to official data, she was Ukrainian by nationality.
And she owes her name, which went down in history for centuries, to the ambassador of the Roman Empire, De Busbeck, who called her “Roksolana” in his reports, referring to the name of the places where the Sultana was from - Roksolania, common at the end of the 16th century. The name "Roksolana" sounded like "Russ", "Ross", "Rossana".
Roksolana - Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska Sultan.
As for the real name, there are still heated debates among researchers. Indeed, in the primary sources of the 16th century there is no reliable information about him. Only much later, some began to call her Anastasia, the daughter of the clergyman Gavrila Lisovsky. And other historians considered - Alexandra and a Pole by nationality. Now, some researchers often mention the version of the Russian roots of the great sultana, which has no good reason.
At the slave market.
And the most popular version says that around 1520, during the next raid of the Tatars, 15-year-old Anastasia Lisovskaya was taken prisoner, taken to the Crimea, and from there transported to Istanbul. There, the vizier Ibrahim Pasha noticed the fine girl, who presented her to Suleiman I.
Harem of the Turkish Sultan.
It was from that time that her majestic biography began. For Anastasia in the harem, the name "Hürrem" was assigned, which meant "cheerful." And in a very short time, from an ordinary concubine, she will become the beloved wife of Suleiman I the Magnificent, who idolized her, dedicated her to his state affairs and wrote his poems for her.
For the sake of his beloved, he will do what none of the sultans has ever done before him: he will tie the knot with a concubine by official marriage. To do this, Roksolana will convert to Islam and, becoming the main wife, will be an influential person in the Ottoman Empire for about forty years.
Suleiman I the Magnificent. / Khurem Sultan. (1581) Auto R: Melchior Loris.
In fairness, it should be noted that no one has ever described Roksolana as some very beautiful woman, she had an attractive appearance - nothing more. What then bewitched the Slavic girl of the Turkish Sultan? Suleiman the Magnificent loved strong-willed, intelligent, sensual and educated women. And she had no mind and wisdom.
This explains the fact that Roksolana managed to fall in love with the young sultan so easily and become the mistress of his heart. In addition, being a very educated woman, she was well versed in art and politics, so Suleiman, contrary to all the customs of Islam, allowed her to attend the council of the sofa, at the negotiations of diplomatic ambassadors. By the way, Suleiman the Magnificent was the greatest sultan of the Ottoman dynasty, and under his rule the empire reached its apogee.
Roksolana and Suleiman I the Magnificent.
Especially for her, the Sultan introduced a new title at his court - Haseki. And since 1534, Roksolana will become the mistress of the palace and the main political adviser to Suleiman. She had to receive ambassadors on her own, correspond with influential politicians in European states, engage in charity work and construction, and patronize masters of art. And when the spouses had to be separated for some time, they corresponded with beautiful verses in Arabic and Persian.
Suleiman and Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska. (1780). on Hickel.
Roksolana and Suleiman had five children - four sons and a daughter. However, only one of the sons survived Suleiman the Magnificent - Selim. Two died in the process of bloody struggle for the throne, the third - died in infancy.
For forty years of marriage, Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska managed the almost impossible. She was proclaimed the first wife, and her son Selim became the heir. At the same time, two younger sons of Roksolana were strangled. According to some sources, it is she who is accused of being involved in these murders - allegedly this was done in order to strengthen the position of her beloved son Selim. Although reliable data on this tragedy has not been found. But there is evidence that about forty sons of the Sultan, born by other wives and concubines, were searched for and killed by her order.
La Sultana Rossa.
They say that even the Sultan's mother was shocked by the harsh methods by which Roksolana won power for herself. The biography of this extraordinary woman testifies that she was also feared outside the palace. Hundreds of people objectionable to her quickly perished in the hands of the executioners.
Roksolana could be understood, living in constant fear that at any moment the Sultan could be carried away by a new beautiful concubine and make her his lawful wife, and order his old wife to be executed. In the harem, it was customary to put an objectionable wife or concubine alive in a leather bag with a poisonous snake and an angry cat, and then, after tying a stone, throw it into the waters of the Bosphorus. The guilty were considered lucky if they were simply quickly strangled with a silk cord.
Portrait of Hürrem, kept in the Topkapı Palace Museum.
Time passed, but Roksolana continued to remain the best for Suleiman: the farther, the more he loved her. When she was already under 50, the ambassador from Venice wrote about her: “For His Majesty the Sultan, this is such a beloved wife that, they say, after he knew her, he no longer wanted to know a single woman. And none of his predecessors has done this yet, since the Turks have a custom to change women.
Fortunately, not only deceit and cold calculation glorified Hürrem Sultan. She managed to do a lot for the prosperity of Istanbul: she built several mosques, opened a school, organized a home for the mentally retarded, and also opened a free kitchen for the poor, and established contacts with many European countries.
Suleiman I.
At the age of 55, the biography of the most influential woman ends. Roksolana was buried with all the honors that no woman of Islam knew. After her death, the Sultan did not even think about other women until the last days. Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska remained his only beloved. After all, he once disbanded his harem for her sake.
Sultan Suleiman died in 1566, having outlived his wife by only eight years. Their tombs still stand side by side, near the mosque of Suleiman. It is worth noting that in the 1000-year history of the Ottoman state, only one woman, Roksolana, was awarded such an honor.
For about 5 centuries, the spouses rest in peace in neighboring turbas in Istanbul. On the right is the turbe of Suleiman, on the left is Hürrem Sultan.
After the death of the Sultan, the throne was taken by the beloved son of Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska Sultan Selim. During his eight-year reign, the decline of the empire began. Contrary to the Koran, he loved to “take on his chest,” which is why he remained in history under the name Selim the Drunkard. Fortunately, Roksolana did not live to see this.
Hurrem.
The life and rise of Roksolana so excited creative contemporaries that even the great painter Titian (1490–1576) painted a portrait of the famous sultana. The painting by Titian, written in the 1550s, is called La Sultana Rossa, that is, the Russian sultana.
One of the likely images of Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska. Unknown artist.
The German artist Melchior Loris was in Turkey during the years when Suleiman the Magnificent ruled. He painted portraits of Suleiman himself and his courtiers. The probability that this portrait of Roksolana, made on a tablet, belongs to the brush of this master is quite probable.
There are many portraits of Roksolana in the world, but among researchers there is no consensus on which of these portraits is the most reliable.
Roksolana.
This mysterious woman still excites the imagination of artists who interpret her image in a new way.
Descendants today Ottoman empires live in Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, as well as in European countries and in the USA. After the collapse of the empire 30 years the family spent in exile.
The last reigning prince of the ruling dynasty was Osman Ertugrul Osmanoglu. Aged 12 years he had to leave the palace, he lived in Austria And USA rather return to the main residence Osmanov could only through 68 years old.
Posta.com.tr
Osman Ertugrul Osmanoglu and his second wife Zeynep Tarzi
Osman Ertugrul Osmanoglu died at home 2009 year. However Imperial House of the Ottomans has not ceased to exist, members of a large dynasty maintain relations, gather for annual meetings in Bodrum and keep the hope of becoming one family again, as befits those in whose veins royal blood flows.
Osman Salahaddin Osmanoglu- a direct descendant of the Sultan Murad V- reacted to the appearance on the air of the series "Magnificent century" At once. To the questions of journalists, how he relates to criticism of historical errors and inconsistencies of the film with facts, Osman Salahaddin answered with the wisdom characteristic of the Sultan's heir: This is a series, not a historical documentary. It is necessary to distinguish between these two genres. If it were a documentary, it would garner even more critical acclaim, but it's a series."
In the same time Osman also pointed out what he strongly disagreed with. Of course, in preparation for filming, the creators of the series studied a lot of historical materials, but in terms of awareness, they still cannot compete with the real descendants of the Sultan's family. Suleiman. "As you know, the Sultan ruled 46 years old, - comments Osman Salahaddin Osmanoglu.- If you calculate the total distance that he covered in campaigns, the figure comes out in 48,000 km. These 48,000 km Sultan overcame not on "Mercedes" with air conditioning, but on horseback, and these trips still took him a lot of time. I want to say that the Sultan simply physically could not spend so much time in his harem. 
tarihvemedeniyet.org
Orhan Murad on a walk with his family
Son Osman prince Orhan Murad lives in England. He owns an investment company and has two sons. Orhan Murad also watched a few episodes "Magnificent Age" According to him, now he is even a little jealous, because at the mention Ottoman empires are now the first thing they remember the film. However, these feelings do not prevent him from remaining fair, like his great ancestor: “Thanks to this film, hundreds of people feed their families. Whether we like the film or not, we have no right to take someone's bread from someone."
Roxane Kunter named after her famous progenitor
But women of the kind Osmanov in relation to "Magnificent Age" much more loyal. Despite the hot temperament, they remain women and are not averse to observing the relationship in the harem with curiosity. Sultan's heiress Abdul-Hamid II - Roxane Kunter- known in Turkey TV presenter of sports news. Roxanne like the game Meryem Uzerli, although the role Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska the producers of the series considered her candidacy.
kelebekgaleri.hurriyet.com.tr
Fatma Nazlishah Osmanoglu Sultan was married to the Prince of Egypt
Granddaughter of the last Sultan Ottoman empire Mehmed VI Fatma Nazlishah Osmanoglu Sultan was born before the fall of the Ottoman Empire. Grandfather Fatma Mehmed was deposed, accused of treason and fled the country. Fatme Nazlishah at that time it was 4 years, and return to Turkey she only succeeded in 1957 year. The title of the oldest member of the dynasty passed to her in 2009 year, but in 2012 year she died. Son Fatma Abbas Hilmi bears the title of prince Egyptian.
Recall that in the first five years of Suleiman's reign, the "laughing" Roksolana gave birth to five children, and one more - the last - after some time.
Mehmed (1521–1543)
Mihrimah (1522–1578)
Abdallah (1523–1526)
Jahangir (1532–1553)
All these children were welcome. Parents together more than once discussed their weaknesses and achievements, their successes and aspirations, planned their future fate.
When Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska learned to correctly and colorfully express her feelings on paper, she began to write amazing messages to her lover, full of love and passion. Do not forget to tell or mention the children. Here is one of the messages of the Ruthenian La Rossa to Suleiman:
« My sultan, how boundless is the burning pain of separation. Have mercy on this unfortunate woman and do not withhold your wonderful letters. May my soul draw some comfort from the letter. When your beautiful letters are read, your servant and son Mehmed and your slave and daughter Mihrimah cry and sob, missing you. Their crying drives me crazy and it feels like we're in mourning. My Sultan, your son Mehmed and your daughter Mihrimah and Selim and Abdallah send you their best wishes and shower their faces with the dust from under your feet.”
In the chambers of the Sultan
Many of their letters were written in poetic form.
One of the poems written by Roksolana in response to Suleiman's messages begins with the lines:
Fly, my gentle breeze, and tell my sultan: she cries and languishes;
Without your face she is like a nightingale in a cage
And all your power will not overcome the pain that gnaws at the heart when you are not around.
No one can heal her suffering, tell him:
The right hand of sadness pierces her heart with a sharp arrow,
In your absence, she falls ill and groans over her fate like a flute.
And in the first lines of Suleiman's letter to his Haseki there are these words:
My beloved goddess, my dearest beauty,
My beloved, my brightest moon
My innermost desires companion, my only one,
You are dearer to me than all the beauties of the world, my Sultan.
In 1531, Roksolana gave birth to Suleiman's last son, Jahangir. One can imagine her horror when the newborn turned out to be a hunchback. Nevertheless, Suleiman became very attached to the cripple, who became his constant companion.
The eldest son Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska Mehmed was Suleiman's favorite. It was Mehmed Suleiman and Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska who prepared for the succession to the throne. Mehmed, whom Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska always dreamed of enthroning, suddenly died either from a severe cold, or from the plague, which was then a frequent guest in all countries of the world. He just turned 22 years old. The young man had a beloved concubine, who shortly after his death gave birth to a daughter, Hyuma Shah Sultan. Mehmed's daughter lived for 38 years and had 4 sons and 5 daughters.
"My beloved goddess, my dearest beauty..."
The death of his beloved son plunged Suleiman into inconsolable grief. He sat for three days at the body of Mehmed and only on the fourth day woke up from oblivion, and allowed the deceased to be buried. In honor of the deceased, on the orders of Sultan Suleiman, a huge mosque, Shahzade Jami, was erected. Its construction was completed by the most famous architect of that time, Sinan, in 1548.
You can tell a little about this outstanding architect of the Ottoman Empire. Sinan (1489-1588) is the most famous of the 16th century Turkish architects and engineers. From 1538, he supervised the construction work under Sultan Suleiman I, erecting mosques, fortifications, bridges and other buildings. He came from an Armenian or Greek family. Participated in the last military campaign of Selim I on the island of Rhodes, which ended with the death of the Sultan. Together with the Janissary corps of the new Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, he participated in the campaign against Austria as part of the reserve cavalry. During his service, Sinan, shooting fortresses and buildings, studied their weaknesses as an architect. In all military companies, Sinan proved to be a capable engineer and a good architect. In 1538, when Cairo was taken, the sultan appointed him chief court architect of the city and granted him the privilege of demolishing any buildings not reflected in the main plan of the city.
And two years after the construction of the mosque in memory of the son of Mehmed, at the behest of the Sultan and at the suggestion of Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska, Sinan built another grandiose mosque, the largest in Istanbul, called Suleymaniye. During his life, Mimar Sinan built about 300 buildings - mosques, schools, charity canteens, hospitals, aqueducts, bridges, caravanserais, palaces, baths, mausoleums and fountains, most of which were built in Istanbul. His most famous buildings are the Shahzade Mosque, the Suleymaniye Mosque and the Selimiye Mosque in Edirne (built in 1575).
Mimar Sinan (left) supervises the construction of the Mausoleum of Suleiman the Magnificent
His work was greatly influenced by the architecture of the Hagia Sophia, and Sinan managed to achieve his dream - to build a dome larger than the dome of Hagia Sophia. The great architect, close to the Ottoman rulers, died on February 7, 1588, was buried in his own mausoleum (turba) near the wall of the Suleymaniye mosque.
They say that of the surviving sons of the padishah, the youngest Jahangir had a brilliant mind, but he was a hunchback and suffered from epilepsy, and Bayezid was very cruel. Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska chose Selim, the most gentle in character, which, according to her mother, should have been a guarantee that he would spare his brothers in the future. She was not embarrassed by the fact that Selim was terribly afraid of death and drowned out this fear with wine. It is not at all strange that among the people he received the nickname Selim the Drunkard.
However, the younger one also had negative addictions: Jahangir, who was trying to drown out constant pain, became addicted to drugs. Despite his age and illness, he was married. Rumor has it that the terrible death of Mustafa so impressed the impressionable prince Jahangir, who loved his brother, that he fell ill and soon died. His body was brought for burial from Aleppo to Istanbul. Grieving for his unfortunate hunchbacked son, Suleiman instructed Sinan to erect a beautiful mosque in the quarter that still bears the name of this prince. The Jahangir Mosque, built by the great architect, was destroyed by fire and nothing has survived from it to our time.
As they say: everyone will have to go through what is written in the family. Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska did not have a chance to become a valid and know the taste of real government and reverence. She did not live, fortunately, until that fateful moment when the brother turned on the brother, and the father turned on the son. Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska did not become a witness to the struggle between Selim and Bayezid for the throne, as a result, the latter was forced to seek refuge at the court of the Persian Shah. She did not see how Suleiman the Magnificent forced the Shah to give him his son, how he killed him, and then all his young sons. Roksolana died in 1558.
The Selimiye Mosque in Edirne is one of the mosques designed by Sinan
Selim and Bayezid, after the death of their mother, entered into an open confrontation with each other. Everyone wanted to be the sole heir to the throne. Such impudent behavior of Bayezid began to irritate his father, and the Sultan sent Selim a large detachment of Janissaries to help. In the battle near Konya, which took place in May 1559, Selim defeated the troops of his brother, after which he was forced to flee and, together with 12,000 of his soldiers, seek refuge at the court of the Persian Shah Tahmasib (1514-1576) - the second Shah of the famous Safavid dynasty. His flight was equated with treason, because the Ottoman Empire at that time was at war with Persia.
Historians argue that Shahzade Bayazid was a more worthy successor than Selim. Moreover, Bayazid was a favorite of the Janissaries, by whom he resembled his fearless and successful father, and from whom he inherited the best qualities. But he was not lucky in the confrontation with Selim.
After lengthy negotiations, Suleiman managed to convince Tahmasib to execute Bayezid and his four sons, his grandsons, who followed their father into exile. Bayazid also had a fifth son, who was barely three years old, the baby stayed in Bursa with his mother. But Suleiman Kanuni gave a cruel order to execute this child as well.
In historical works we find how the events developed: “At first, a diplomatic exchange of letters followed between the ambassadors of the Sultan, who demanded the extradition or, at choice, the execution of his son, and the shah, who resisted both, based on the laws of Muslim hospitality. At first, the shah hoped to use his hostage to bargain for the return of lands in Mesopotamia that the sultan had seized during the first campaign. But it was an empty hope. Bayezid was taken into custody. By agreement, the prince was to be executed on Persian soil, but by the people of the Sultan. Thus, in exchange for a large amount of gold, the Shah handed over Bayezid to an official executioner from Istanbul. When Bayazid asked to be given the opportunity to see and embrace his four sons before his death, he was advised to "pass on to the work ahead." After that, a string was thrown around the prince's neck, and he was strangled. After Bayezid, four of his sons were strangled. The fifth son, only three years old, met, on the orders of Suleiman, with the same fate in Bursa, being given into the hands of a trusted eunuch assigned to carry out this order.
Janissary armor
And here is what the secretary of the Venetian ambassador Mark Antonio Donini reports about the result of that crime committed by the will of the "loving father": that day when I saw that the Muslims were no longer in danger of the troubles that would fall upon them if my sons began to fight for the throne. Now I can spend the rest of my days in peace, instead of living and dying in despair…”
So later Selim will become the eleventh sultan of the Ottoman Empire. Ruled from 1566 to 1574. Selim gained the throne largely thanks to his mother Roksolana. During his reign, Sultan Selim II did not appear in military camps, did not participate in military campaigns, but willingly spent time in the harem, enjoying the benefits of a luxurious and carefree life.
During the reign of Selim II (state affairs were led by the Grand Vizier Mehmed Sokollu), the Ottoman Empire waged wars with Persia, Hungary, Venice (1570–1573) and the Holy League (Spain, Venice, Genoa, Malta), completed the conquest of Arabia and Cyprus.
Sultan Selim II - one of the sons of Suleiman and Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska
It is known that neither the Janissaries nor the common people loved Selim and called him a "drunkard". Only this addiction was supported in him by a wealthy Jewish merchant in the hope of getting the throne of the island of Cyprus. Historians and chroniclers report that Joseph Nasi (formerly known as Joao Micuetza), a wealthy Portuguese Jew who appeared in Istanbul in the last years of the reign of Suleiman I, quickly became a bosom friend of the future Sultan Selim II. The chief vizier Mehmed Sokollu constantly fought against this fiend, but Nasi did not spare gold and jewelry for gifts to the shah-zade. Having ascended the throne, Selim rewarded the “friend” by making the island of Naxos, conquered from Venice, the lifelong ruler. However, Nasi lived in Istanbul, and obtained from the Sultan a monopoly on the wine trade throughout the Ottoman Empire. Nasi had a network of informants in Europe and supplied the Sultan with important political news, and at the same time sent Selim the best wines as a gift. Even the Venetian ambassador wrote: "His Highness drinks a lot of wine, and from time to time Don Joseph sends him many bottles of wine, as well as all kinds of delicious food." Once, in a moment of weakness, Selima Nasi suggested to him the idea of the need to capture Cyprus due to the fact that the island ... was famous for its excellent wines. Selim, in joy, promised Nasi to make him king of Cyprus, but, fortunately for the Cypriots, he did not keep his promise. Vizier Sokoll finally managed to convince the Sultan to part with his favorite. They say that Nasi died in 1579, still resentful of Selim II.
The beloved drunkard padishah was Nurbanu Sultan. Even when Selim, having matured, became the governor of the province, Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska Sultan, breaking the tradition, did not go with him, but stayed with her husband in the Topkapi Palace, occasionally visiting her son. Nurbanu's concubine quickly became the favorite of young Selim, who needed the support of a loving soul. When Selim ascended the throne, this woman took over the harem, since at that time the great Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska Sultan was no longer alive. Nurbanu, being the mother of her eldest son, Shahzade Murad, had the title of Selim's first wife. They say that the Sultan also loved her dearly.
Sultan Murad III - grandson of Suleiman and Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska
Of all the sons of Suleiman I the Magnificent, only Selim survived his father-sultan.
Selim died on December 15, 1574 in the harem of the Topkapı Palace. After that, power in the country passed to his son Murad III.
The grandson of Sultan Suleiman and Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska Murad III (1546-1595) - the twelfth sultan of the Ottoman Empire, the son of Sultan Selim II and Nurbanu, ruled from 1574 to 1595. Upon accession to the throne, he ordered the death of five of his younger brothers, which, as we have already understood, was the usual practice of Turkish sultans. Murad III did little public affairs, preferring, like his father, harem pleasures. Under him, women from the Sultan's harem began to play an important role in politics, in particular, Valide Sultan Nurbanu and his beloved Safiye.
An even more bloodthirsty monster in history was his son, the great-grandson of the great Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska, who ascended the throne as the 13th Ottoman Sultan Mehmed III (1568–1603). Having barely gained power in 1595, he immediately executed 19 of his brothers, fearing a conspiracy on their part. This panic fear was the reason for Mehmed's introduction of the custom not to allow the princes to take part in the government during the life of his father (as was done until the sons went to rule in the provinces), but to keep them locked up in the harem, in the pavilion "kafes" ("cage "). It is also known that at the beginning of his reign in Constantinople, the Russian ambassador Danilo Isleniev was detained, and then disappeared without a trace. At the same time, this ruler, terrible in the eyes of a modern person, like his famous great-grandfather, loved literature and wrote talented poems.
Sultan Mehmed III - great-grandson of Suleiman and Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska
In 1494, the 10th ruler of the Ottoman Empire, Sultan Suleiman I the Magnificent, was born, during whose reign one of the most popular Turkish TV series “The Magnificent Age” is dedicated. His release on the screens caused an ambiguous reaction from the public: ordinary viewers followed the twists and turns of the plot with interest, historians indignantly commented on the large number of deviations from historical truth. What was Sultan Suleiman really like?
The main characters of the series *The Magnificent Age*
The series is designed primarily for a female audience, so the relationship between the Sultan and the numerous inhabitants of the harem became the central storyline in it. A descendant of the 33rd Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, Murad V, Osman Salahaddin objects to this emphasis: “He ruled for 46 years. Over the years, I have traveled almost 50,000 kilometers on campaigns. Not in a Mercedes, but on horseback. This took a lot of time. Therefore, the Sultan simply physically could not visit his harem so often.
Francis I and Sultan Suleiman
Of course, the film initially did not claim the status of documentary historical cinema, so the share of fiction in it is really large. The consultant of the series, Doctor of Historical Sciences E. Afyonci explains: “We shoveled a lot of sources. They translated records of Venetian, German, French ambassadors who visited the Ottoman Empire at that time. In The Magnificent Century, events and personalities are taken from historical sources. However, due to lack of information, the personal life of the padishah had to be thought out by ourselves.”
Sultan Suleiman receives the ruler of Transylvania, Janos II Zapolya. antique miniature
It was no coincidence that Sultan Suleiman was called the Magnificent - he was the same figure as Peter I in Russia: he initiated many progressive reforms. Even in Europe he was called the Great. The empire during the time of Sultan Suleiman conquered vast territories.
Engraving fragment *Turkish Sultan's Bath*
The series softened the true picture of the mores of that time: society is shown to be more secular and less cruel than it really was. Suleiman was a tyrant, according to G. Weber, neither kinship nor merit saved him from suspicion and cruelty. At the same time, he fought against bribery and severely punished officials for abuse. At the same time, he patronized poets, artists, architects and wrote poetry himself. 
Left - A. Hickel. Roksolana and the Sultan, 1780. On the right - Halit Ergench as Sultan Suleiman and Meryem Uzerli as Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska
Of course, screen heroes look much more attractive than their historical prototypes. The surviving portraits of Sultan Suleiman captured a man with delicate features of a European type, who can hardly be called handsome. The same can be said about Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska, known in Europe as Roksolana. Women's outfits in the series reflect European fashion rather than Ottoman - there were no such deep necklines during the "Magnificent Age".
Meryem Uzerli as Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska and traditional Ottoman outfit
Intrigues and squabbles between Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska and the third wife of the Sultan Mahidevran, who are given great attention in the film, took place in real life: if the heir to the throne, the son of Mahidevran Mustafa came to power, he would have killed Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska's children to get rid of competitors. Therefore, Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska was ahead of her rival and was not slow to give the order to kill Mustafa.
S. Oreshkova, an employee of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, draws attention to the fact that the harem is shown not quite the way it really was: “It is surprising that in the series the concubines and wives of Suleiman roam so freely. There was a garden at the harem, and only eunuchs could be with them! In addition, the series does not show that the harem in those days was not only the place where the sultan's wives with children, servants and concubines lived. Then the harem was partly like an institution of noble maidens - it contained many pupils who were not marked as the wife of the ruler. They studied music, dance, poetry.” Therefore, it is not surprising that some girls dreamed of getting into the harem of the Sultan.
