Iskender I

**Iskender Sultan** (Ottoman Turkish: اسکندر اول, Turkish: *Iskender I*; 26 May 1567, Manisa Palace, Manisa - murdered 22 December 1609, Topkapi Palace) was Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1603 until his death in 1609. Iskender's reign was marked by the many revolts led by Patrona Halil. He is also known for his construction of the Blue Mosque which is one of the most famous mosques in Turkey.

## Early life

Iskender was probably born in 26 May 1567 at the Manisa Palace, Manisa, when his father Şehzade Mustafa was still a prince and the governor of the Sanjak of Manisa. His mother was Hirihmene Sultan. After his grandfather Kasim's death in 1587, his father came to Constantinople and ascended the throne as Sultan Mustafa I.

When Iskender was circumcidated, he got one of servants of his grandmother, Handan Sultan pregnant, which was forbidden, as the girl was a member of Mustafa's harem, not by Iskender. Since Mustafa already had a bad relationship with his father, Handan killed the girl to hide the news from Mustafa. It seems Mustafa never realized what had happened and was finally able to restore his relationship with Iskender. Iskender was the only son of Mustafa who could restore they relationship.

Iskender was sent to Manisa as governor of the Sanjak. Iskender having a harem he took so many concubines, being very fond of the pleasures of the harem like his father. Naima wrote:

> "equal to his father was the prince [Iskender], while the other sons of the sultan [Mustafa] were sacrificed prince Alexander enjoyed the pleasures of his women"
>
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## Reign

In 1603, at the age of thirty-six, was brought to the throne as Iskender I. Hirihmene as the mother of the sultan became Valide and was best placed to exert influence in the kingdom through the alliances she had built over time and before her ascent. Hirihmene becoming very influential, not least because her son listened to her a lot.

His relationship with his siblings must have been good as after the construction of his mausoleum he decided to relocate his siblings and half-brothers: Şehzade Osman, Şehzade Orhan and Şehzade Suleyman, however he did not relocate Şehzade Alaeddin, suggesting that they did not have a good relationship .

Iskender and his mother allied with the Janissaries for jointly supporting many pashas loyal to him and his mother.

In the early days of Iskender Sultanate, Patrona Halil began to take action against the royal family, sparking numerous insurrections. Patroness Halil criticized the choice of Ladikli Bayram Pasha, husband of Hanzade Sultan, sister of Iskender. Saying that he was only promoted to grand vizier because of his marriage to the sultana.

Iskender and especially his mother decided to replace him with Kemankeş Pasha however was not a good decision, the pasha became very influential in the sultan, Kemankeş led a very luxurious life given his position and through loyal pashas he seized the money of the commoners in Anatolia and Albania. When the mother of the sultan, Hirihemene Sultan learned of this through the intervention of Damat Derviş Pasha, she tried to limit his influence in the sultan and dismiss him. However Iskender was adamant about his decision and kept Kemankeş in charge.

Iskender decided to build a fabulous mosque, the Blue Mosque. Iskender is believed to have come up with this idea during his rule in Manisa. During the construction of the Blue Mosque, many houses were destroyed to make room for the mosque. This fact was used by Patrona Halil against the sultan. Numerous revolts broke out in Istanbul and the excessive power of Kemankeş Pasha did not favor the situation of the sultan.

Patrona Halil's riots were more and more frequent and threatened to take the palace by storm. Iskender ignored them, thinking they were just empty curses. Hirihmene insisted on reacting but the sultan didn't listen and sent her to the Old Palace.

During this period without the presence of a Valide in the palace, power passed to one of Iskender's concubines of senior rank, Ayşe Sultan mother of Şehzade Suleyman. Hirihmene staying in the Old Palace with the help of Damat Derviş Pasha established a government with Şehzade Ibrahim and they attempted to depose the sultan. Hirihmene wanted to confine Iskender to the kafes and at first Patrona Halil and the Janissaries agreed to Hirihemne's terms.

Iskender's sons: Şehzade Suleyman, Şehzade Korkut, Şehzade Hasan and Şehzade Alaeddin were all found dead in one room of the harem. The blame was placed on Yuruk Agha, the court cook as some poisoned foods were found. Yuruk Agha's indictment was partially established, but it is believed that he acted under orders from some other sultana, possibly one of Iskender's childless consorts, Şehsuvar Sultan, a haseki of Iskender without sons. Others think that it was Hirihemene who sent Yuruk Agha to kill the princes, his grandsons; or the blame is placed on Kemankeş Pasha, a concubine named Hubyar Hatun or Sultan.

## Death

On 12 September 1609, a rebel revolt of seventeen janissaries, led by the Albanian Patrona Halil, aided by the citizens as well as by the military, resulted in an insurrection before which the Sultan was forced to renounce the throne.

Iskender is said to have thrown gold coins at the Janissaries to try to receive clemency. However, the two Janissaries captured him, while Kemankeş Pasha was brought into Hirihmene's presence and had his head cut off. Iskender however was brought in the presence of Maryol Hüseyin Agha dei genizzari executed. When Hirihemene came to Topkapı to see how her son was doing she was informed that Maryol Hüseyin Agha had killed him, after Hirihmene saw her son's dead body she sent one of her loyal ones to kill Hüseyin Agha.

## Architect and service to Islam

Sultan Iskender built the Sultan Iskender Mosque, the magnum opus of Ottoman architecture, opposite the Hagia Sophia. The sultan witnessed the ground being broken with a golden pickaxe to start the construction of the mosque complex. An incident nearly erupted after the sultan discovered that the Blue Mosque contained the same number of minarets as the great mosque in Mecca. Isskender was angry at this offense and repented until the Shaykh-ul-Islam advised him to erect another minaret in the great mosque of Mecca and the matter was settled.

Iskender was happily involved in the eleventh complete renovation of the Kaaba, which had just been damaged by a flood. He sent craftsmen from Constantinople, and the gilded eaves that prevented rain from collecting on the Ka'ba's roof were successfully renovated. It was still during the era of Sultan Iskender that an iron net was placed inside the Zamzam well in Mecca. The placement of this net about three feet below the water level was a response to madmen who leapt into the well, imagining a promise of a heroic death.

## Personality and physical aspect

Sultan iskender was known for his skills in fencing, poetry, horse riding and fluency in several languages.

Iskender wrote a series of letters to his many concubines. He also attempted to enforce compliance with Islamic laws and traditions, reinstating old regulations prohibiting alcohol, and attempted to enforce attendance at Friday prayers.

Iskender is said to be a handsome man with big brown eyes, Naima states that many daughters of the pashas during his rule in Manisa fell in love with the prince and asked their fathers to be combined in marriage with Iskender.

Iskender enjoyed the pleasures of the harem, sometimes even neglecting his political duties to spend time with his six Haseki.

## Family

### Consorts

Iskender had so many known consorts, plus several unknown concubines.

The known consort are:

* Ayşe Sultan. BaşHaseki (First Haseki) and probably legal wife, mother of many of his children. She is one of only two politically active spouses. After Iskender's death, in 1609 she possibly killed herself or was killed on Hirihmene's orders as during her time as Valide substitute she appropriated Hirihmene's treasure and belongings;
* Saliha Sultan, also called Saliza Sultan. She second Haseki and mother of Şehzade Korkut and Şehzade Alaeddin, she was one of Iskender's first concubines. She was of Serbian origin and her original name was Katarina. She was buried in the Iskender I mausoleum next to her son Şehzade Korkut and Şehzade Alaeddin;
* Hümaşah Sultan, third Haseki and Iskender's only certain legal wife, after the wedding she was nicknamed *Telli Haseki*. She was of Georgian or Circassian descent.
* Şehsuvar Sultan, the fourth Haseki, she was entitled such in January 1605. She was of Tatar origins. she is the most indicated as the architect of the assassination of the princes sons of Iskender;
* Mükrime Sultan, fifth Haseki, she is mentioned for the first time on May 2, 1604 as "the sultan's inciting concubine", this does not tell us that he received the title of Haseki after the birth of his son in August of that year. She was of Circassian origin and was buried in the Iskender I mausoleum next to her son Şehzade Osman;
* Şivekar Sultan, sixth Haseki, she was called "the most dangerous concubine in the capital" and was one of only two politically active spouses of Iskender. She was of Armenian descent and her original name was Marina;
* Hubyar Hatun (Sultan). One of the concubines Iskender became infatuated with for a while. She is one of the possible architects of the assassination of the princes sons of Iskender.;
* Saçbağlı Sultan, was of Circassian origin and the original name was Perla;
* Karun Hatun. First concubine and then musahibe (companion), treasurer and hostess of the harem;
* Sakizula Hatun. Minor concubine;
* The wife of the Grand Vizier Kemankeş Paşah. Falling in love with her, Iskender forced her to divorce her husband. In return, both his son received a daughter of Iskender as a wife, the little Beyhan Sultan, at the time one year;
* The daughter of Şeyhülislam Muid Ahmed Efendi. According to A.L. Castellan, was given by her father as a gift to the sultan (possibly it was the same daughter who asked the sultan to be combined in marriage).

### Sons

Iskender I had at least seven sons:

* Şehzade Süleyman (1585, Constantinople – murdered 1608, Constantinople, Topkapı Palace, buried in Iskender I Mausoleum, Hagia Sophia Mosque), with Ayşe;
* Şehzade Korkut (1592, Constantinople – murdered 1608, Constantinople, Topkapı Palace, buried in Iskender I Mausoleum, Hagia Sophia Mosque) with Saliha.
* Şehzade Hasan (25 November 1596, Constantinople – murdered 1608, Constantinople, Topkapı Palace, buried in Iskender I Mausoleum, Hagia Sophia Mosque) with Hümaşah.
* Şehzade Bayezid (1 May 1603, Constantinople – August 1606, buried in Iskender I Mausoleum, Hagia Sophia Mosque);
* Şehzade Osman (August 1604, Constantinople – before 1608, Constantinople) with Mahienver.
* Şehzade Cihangir (14 December 1604, Constantinople – 14 December 1603, Constantinople) - with Şivekar Sultan. Stillborn;
* Şehzade Alaeddin (14 November 1605, Constantinople – murdered 1608, Constantinople, Topkapı Palace, buried in Iskender I Mausoleum, Hagia Sophia Mosque) with Saliha.

### Daughters

Iskender I had at least ten daughters:

* Ismihan Sultan (1588, Manisa– May 1657, Constantinople, buried in Iskender I Mausoleum, Sultan Ahmed Mosque), with Ayşe,
* Fatma Sultan (c.1689, Constantinople – 1667, Constantinople, buried in Iskender I Mausoleum, Hagia Sophia Mosque), with Hubyar;
* Gevherhan Sultan (1590, Manisa – c. 1660, Constantinople, buried in Iskender I Mausoleum, Hagia Sophia Mosque), with Ayşe, She married firstly on 23 November 1594 to Cafer Pasha, married secondly to Admiral of the Fleet and vizier Çavușzade Mehmed Pasha (died 1629), married thirdly on 13 January 1640 to Helvacı Yusuf Pasha (died 1662).
* Hatice Sultan (Manisa, 1590 – Constantinople, 1610, buried in Iskender I Mausoleum, Hagia Sophia Mosque)
* Beyhan Sultan (1605, Constantinople – 21 September 1650, Constantinople,buried in Iskender I Mausoleum, Hagia Sophia Mosque), with Saliha. Married on 1606 to the son of Kemankeş Paşah;
* Esma Sultan (Constantinople, 1605 – Constantinople, 1605, buried in Iskender I Mausoleum, Hagia Sophia Mosque) maybe with Hümaşah, she died in childhood;
* Zahide Sultan (Constantinople, 1607 – Constantinople, 1620, buried in Iskender I Mausoleum, Hagia Sophia Mosque) maybe with Hümaşah;
* Burnaz Sultan (c.1608, Constantinople – 1643, Constantinople, buried in Ibrahim I Mausoleum, Hagia Sophia Mosque), maybe with Ayşe;
* Zeynep Sultan ( ? – Constantinople, 1617, buried in Iskender I Mausoleum, Hagia Sophia Mosque) maybe with Şehsuvar.
* Abide Sultan (? – Constantinople, 1648), called also Übeyde Sultan, married to Koca Musa Pasha.

## In popular culture

* Iskender was played by the Turkish actors: Erik Iar during his youth and during his adulthood by the dancer Selim Ferai in the serie: *"Mühtereme yüzyil: Hirihmene"*
* In the miniserie "Iskender", he was played by Paelil Bautaya
* Iskender appears in Cihangir Koç's book, "The capable rulers" where his dependence on Kemankes Pasha and his incompetence to exercise power are described