Karihüse Sultan

**Zeynep Karihüse Sultan** (c. 1554 - after March 1621) was a Haseki of Ottoman Sultan Mustafa I (r. 1587–03) and the mother of Şehzade Alaeddin, Şehzade Cihangir and Şehzade Suleyman.

## Biography

Her origins and her original name are unknown, Karihüse entered the harem of Mustafa when he was governor of Manisa. She was one of his favorite concubines; she bore Şehzade Alaeddin in 1568 and later gave birth to twins: Şehzade Cihangir and Şehzade Suleyman in February 1572.

After Kasim's death in 1587 Mustafa took the throne and his harem followed. During the celebrations in honor of the accession to the throne of Mustafa. He orders the execution of Karihüse's son, Şehzade Alaeddin. The cause of his execution was probably the outbreak of another quarrel between Alaeddin and his brother Şehzade Osman, possible son of Sineperver Sultan or Hirihmene Sultan.

As soon as Mustafa ascended the throne he received the title of Haseki Sultan together with Hirihmene, who was the most beloved consort and mother of Mustafa's first son, Şehzade Iskender, and at least five other sons and daughters, which deprived Karihüse of a higher rank in the status of the harem.

According to some sources once they arrived in Topkapi after Mustafa's ascension as sultan, Karihüse had paid close attention to Süleyman's education, the lessons covered: Arabic, Persian, Greek, Latin and Italian. He was also trained militarily in the palace. When Alaeddin was executed by his father in 1857, Karihüse tried to protect his son Süleyman as much as possible. However, Karihüse was not much inclined to try to influence the sultan, she was in fact very detached from the affairs of the harem.

Contarini also reported that the sultan ordered a woman to be beaten for angering Hirihmene, who may have been Karihüse Sultan herself. The latter would later be exiled to the Old Palace (Eski Sarayı), probably at the end of 1590.

### In the Old Palace

The total absence of Karihüse Sultan caused the Süleyman's inability to mend his relationship with his father Mustafa, so Mustafa ordered Süleyman's execution in 1595. It was certainly a heavy blow for Karihüse who now found himself childless.

He is said to have collaborated with Şakrasad Sultan in the murder of Hirihmene Sultan or had anything to do with it, however it is speculated that it was all invented by later writers. Others say that when Karihüse learned of Hirihmene's death she laughed, while others say she commanded the other women of the Old Palace harem to pay respect to such a powerful woman. It is not known what role she had in the hierarchy of the Old Palace harem but it is thought to have been quite high since she was still a Haseki Sultan, it is not even known what relationship had with Şivekar Sultan the sixth Haseki of Iskender I, son of Mustafa and his successor after his death.

## Death

Karihüse lived her last years in the Old Palace, never returned to Topkapi, she was allowed to visit her sons' grave in the mausoleum of Mustafa I. Her last recorded visit by the agha overseer of the mausoleum was in 1621 in March.

Is unknown the exact year of her death. She was buried in the mausoleum of Sultan Mustafa in Haghia Sophia.