Kösem Sultan

Her name was Mahpeyker. She shone with innocence and an unadulterated
beauty that stood out in the harem. A native intelligence sparkled in her
pure-black eyes as she walked in the palace garden, her waist-length,
jet-black hair reflecting the sunlight back towards the sky. But, she knew
that beauty alone would not suffice to elevate her status in the harem. She
needed to prove that she was worthy of more than serving simply as a
concubine. She dedicated herself to her lessons, until she had memorized everything
she was taught, making it her own, and at only fifteen years-old she was
deemed ready to meet the Emperor. She conquered the heart of Sultan Ahmet
immediately. He embraced this extraordinary girl and dignified her with a
preferred status, treated her like the precious jewel that she was, and
married her without further ado. The influence of the young bride grew as the
Sultan’s infatuation turned to undying love. By the second year of her
marriage she had already become the most famous woman in the household. The
Sultan’s nickname for her was “Kösem”, and this soon became her official
name. And like other successful concubines before her, she attained great
wealth. Her understanding of human nature and her grasp of politics made her
a favourite with Western ambassadors in Istanbul. They called her “Sultana
Kösem” and deferred to her on matters of State. She became the talk of the
Courts of Europe before she was twenty, she had the world in her palm, but
her happiness was not to last. She was widowed at the age of twenty-eight.
She was devastated at first, filled with terror and a tremendous sense of
loss. But she overcame her weaknesses for the sake of her son, the Crown
Prince Murat, who was only twelve at the time. As his mother, she had the
right to rule until he came of age. But the palace was fraught with intrigue,
and holding onto power required much strength and skill and perseverance.
Kösem proved her mettle, she chose her allies well, she used her immense
power compassionately, and has come down in history as one of the most
influential Sultanas of the Ottoman Empire. She also attained property across
the Bosphorus in Üsküdar, where she commissioned mosques and schools and
fountains and blue-tiled baths to be built for the glory of her son, Sultan
Murat.