Telli Hümaşah

## Hümaşah Sultan

**Hümaşah Sultan** (Ottoman Turkish: ھما شاہ سلطان; c. 1577 – after 1617) was the Third Haseki and only legal wife of Sultan Iskender I and mother of at least one of his children.

## Early life

He entered Iskender's harem when he was about 19 years old. She bore her first son Şehzade Hasan on November 25, 1596.

She was described as intelligent and smart, but also sweet and caring.

## Marriage

Hümaşah married Iskender in 1605, and then was given the title of "Third 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:

> In accordance with imperial command, the viziers of the imperial council each gave the gift of moon faced slave girl bedecked with jewels. Then they escorted (the bride) in a well ordered procession from the gardens of Davud pasha to the imperial palace. The ceremony was performed by the chief black eunuch acting as proxy for the bride and the grand vizier for the sultan. Robes of honour were bestowed on the viziers and the ulema and others received honours according to custom.
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After her marriage, Hümaşah became the only concubine to enter Iskender's chambers until the sultan's other consort, Ayşe Sultan, mother of the sultan's eldest son became Valide substitute and took over the reins of the harem. During Ayşe's time as a substitute Valide Hümaşah's status declined, Ayşe in fact prevented Hümaşah from spending so much time in the sultan's chambers and sidelined Hümaşah in harem decisions.

Hümaşah was struck by tragedy in 1608 when the sultan's sons were killed during a Ramadan celebration. It is said that Hümaşah was the first to notice the disappearance of the children, once she arrived at the room where they were locked up she tried to open it but in vain, then she called some agha who broke it down; when Hümaşah entered, she started screaming and crying.

## Exiled

After Iskender's deposition and death she was sent to the Old Palace along with the rest of Iskender's harem. Here Şivekar Sultan, Iskender's Sixth Haseki, took power. The records of the Old Palace record Hümaşah's presence for the last time in 1617.

Initially it was believed that she died in that year, but the discovery of the report, dated 1621, by the Venetian ambassador Giacomo Querini, proves instead that Hümaşah, except for the normal protocol of the harem for the consort of deceased sultans, especially if they were mothers of children, she had remarried, probably on Hirihmene Sultan's orders, to the Kaymakam (deputy governor) of Constantinople, Ibrahim Paşah. 1617 was therefore probably the year in which the wedding was held and she left the Palace.

> "... Ibrahim Pasha, Caimacan [governor] of Constantinople for the fifth time, a man of remarkable presence, of sweet wit and placid habits. He marries the Telì Sultana, the stepmother of the King..."
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It is therefore not known when she died or where she was buried.

## Issue

From Iskender I, Hümaşah had a certain son:

* Şehzade Hasan (25 November 1596, Constantinople – murdered 1608, Constantinople, Topkapı Palace, buried in Iskender I Mausoleum, Hagia Sophia Mosque).

There are two daughters of Iskender who were born around Hümaşah Sultan's marriage and are therefore believed to be his:

* Esma Sultan (Constantinople, 1605 – Constantinople, 1605, buried in Iskender I Mausoleum, Hagia Sophia Mosque) she died in childhood;
* Zahide Sultan (Constantinople, 1607 – Constantinople, 1620, buried in Iskender I Mausoleum, Hagia Sophia Mosque).